ABUSE TRACKER

A recent report says two Catholic priests long associated with the University of Notre Dame preyed on male students and other young adults over a number of years — but victims and other critics say church and school officials haven’t come clean about all of the sexual misconduct they know about.

[See also the text of the Notre Dame report.]

Two priests long affiliated with the University of Notre Dame groomed and sexually abused young men at the storied Catholic college and elsewhere over many years dating to the 1980s.

And the clerics — both with ties to the Chicago area — were allowed to stay in ministry long after church and school officials were said to have been aware of some of the potential misconduct.

Those are the central takeaways from interviews with the Chicago Sun-Times and a recently released report commissioned by Notre Dame detailing accusations of…

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Lawyers for clergy abuse claimants and the state’s largest religious denomination are set for a court fight over whether local properties should be on the table to fund settlements.

Clergy abuse claimants have asked a court to allow them to pursue an estimated half-billion dollars in local parish assets as part of the Vermont Roman Catholic Diocese’s current bankruptcy case.

The state’s largest religious denomination filed for Chapter 11 protection in the fall of 2024, arguing that a past series of priest misconduct settlements had reduced its highest-level holdings by half, to about $35 million.

But a committee representing more than 100 clergy abuse claimants has filed papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Burlington seeking access to the worth of the property and possessions of nearly 70 local parishes — assessed at a collective value of around $500 million — that the diocese placed in trusts in 2006. 

“The diocese…

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A man who says he was raped as a child by a Catholic priest in Poland is claiming more than 20 million zloty ($5.3m) from the Archdiocese of Krakow.

Janusz Szymik says the abuse began when he was a 12 year old altar boy and took place hundreds of times between 1984 and 1989.

In 1992 and again in 2007, he told the then Bishop of Bielsko-Żywiec, Tadeusz Rakoczy, of the abuse he had suffered and said he feared the priest may have targeted other children. However in 2021, the bishop was disciplined by the Vatican after it was found he had taken no action.

The priest, known as Jan W admitted sexual contact with the victim and in 2024 he was removed from the priesthood.

In January 2025 a court ordered Bielsko-Żywiec diocese to pay Szymik around 400,000 zloty (£106,000) in compensation, the most ever awarded to a victim…

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[See also the full report on the Diocese of Saginaw.]

Former Bad Axe priest Jack Leipert was among the clergy members named in a Michigan attorney general’s report released Thursday, June 25, detailing allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct in the Diocese of Saginaw. The report was released for informational purposes only and is not a criminal finding or conviction.

The 258-page report identifies allegations involving 37 priests and one deacon who served in the Diocese of Saginaw across more than 75 years.

Leipert, who served as pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bad Axe from 1990 until June 10, 2001, was one of seven diocesan priests listed by the Diocese of Saginaw as having a “credible allegation” of sexual abuse of a minor. The diocese also listed one deacon. All were permanently removed from ministry.

The report details allegations, police investigations,…

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[See also the full report on the Diocese of Saginaw.]

The Michigan Attorney General’s investigation into clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw identified allegations of sexual abuse or other sexual misconduct involving 38 clergy members over more than seven decades.

At the same time, the AG’s office concluded there is no evidence the diocese violated Michigan’s mandatory reporting law after the state added clergy as mandated reporters in 2003.

The 258-page report, released by Attorney General Dana Nessel, is the sixth of seven statewide reports examining Michigan’s Catholic dioceses following an investigation launched in 2018. It documents allegations involving 37 priests and one deacon who served in the Diocese of Saginaw between 1950 and the present.

The Diocese of Saginaw includes 56 parishes in 11 counties: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola.

Investigators reviewed approximately 137,500 paper documents and nearly 483,000 electronic…

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Key Takeaways

• According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, Father Richard Holden was accused of sexually abusing five boys during his ministry in the Diocese of Providence.
• Holden is included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
• Rhode Island’s childhood sexual abuse revival window may allow survivors to pursue civil claims against institutions that employed, supervised, or retained clergy members accused of abuse. 

Who Was Father Richard Holden?

Father Richard Holden was a priest of the Diocese of Providence who served in Rhode Island parishes for 21 years.

Born on September 23, 1939, Holden was ordained on May 23, 1964. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, his assignments included:

• 1964: St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Narragansett

…

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A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was convicted Friday on state child abuse charges after girls were found in an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Arizona.

Someone alerted authorities about the trailer in August 2022 after seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors. Police stopped Samuel Bateman’s vehicle as he was driving through Flagstaff and found three girls inside, who were ages 11 to 14 at the time. The trailer was enclosed with a makeshift toilet, a sofa and camping chairs.

In the federal case, Bateman was convicted of coercing girls as young as 9 to submit to sex acts with him and other young adults, and for scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody, the story of which is the focus of a Netflix series, “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”

Bateman previously claimed to have more than…

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Bateman previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and transport a minor for criminal sexual activity

NEED TO KNOW

• Sam Bateman gave his opening statements in an Arizona courtroom on June 24, telling jurors he is a “kind and loving father” who doesn’t “even spank my children”
• He is the leader of a polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sect and was recently featured in the Netflix docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet
• Bateman, who is representing himself at trial after being charged with three counts of child abuse, was convicted in 2024 on federal charges involving the transportation of a minor for sexual activity

Sam Bateman, the leader of a polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sect, is back in court in Arizona facing state child abuse charges — and he is legally representing himself.

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A polygamous sect leader, already serving a lengthy federal prison sentence for orchestrating child sex acts, has been convicted on state child abuse charges after three girls were found confined in an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Arizona.

Authorities were alerted in August 2022 by someone who spotted small fingers reaching through gaps in the trailer doors. Police subsequently stopped Samuel Bateman’s vehicle in Flagstaff, discovering three girls, aged 11 to 14, inside. The enclosed trailer was equipped with a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs.

This latest conviction adds to Bateman’s existing 50-year federal sentence. In that case, he was found guilty of coercing girls as young as nine into sex acts with himself and other young adults, and for plotting to kidnap girls from protective custody.

His federal crimes are the subject of the Netflix series Trust Me: The False Prophet.

Bateman previously claimed to have more…

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The Michigan Attorney General’s Office released a long-awaited report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, resulting in no additional criminal charges.

The investigation began in 2018 when search warrants were executed at Catholic dioceses across the state, including Saginaw. The 258-page report is part of a statewide review of all seven Catholic dioceses in Michigan.

Local

Report: Alleged abuse at Diocese of Saginaw dating back decades

• Kevin Craft

Attorney General Dana Nessel said her office received 1,276 tips over about eight years, with 180 related to the Diocese of Saginaw. Of those, 115 came from the diocese itself.

“I especially want to thank the survivors of abuse who have willingly shared their stories, sometimes after decades of silent suffering,” Nessel said.

The report states there were 104 victims abused by 37 priests and one deacon since 1950. Thirty of the accused are…

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The Palatka Police Department said the case required an independent criminal investigation

The Palatka Police Department issued a statement Thursday surrounding the recent arrest of 26-year-old Caleb Roberts, who served at Victory Church in Palatka.

In April, Operation 17:2 posted a video on YouTube of the group confronting Roberts at a drug store and accusing him of traveling to meet a minor.

Operation 17:2 describes itself as a nonprofit that identifies and pursues accused child predators, named after Bible verse Luke 17:2.

Police say Roberts was arrested June 24 in Hillsborough County on a warrant issued by the Palatka Police Department.

Police Investigation

The department emphasized that Operation 17:2 was not acting under the direction, supervision or in partnership with the agency. Because of that, investigators said they could not accept the information provided at face value and required an independent criminal investigation.

The department…

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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales renewed its commitment to safeguarding after police in Staffordshire announced that a bishop in central England was charged with the rape of a minor.

In a statement published June 25, the bishops said the news of the accusations against Bishop David James Oakley of Northampton was “deeply distressing for all, both within the Catholic community and beyond.”

“We are profoundly aware that the report of this allegation may reawaken painful memories for many people and again offer an unreserved apology to those who have been hurt by abuse in the Catholic Church in England and Wales,” the bishops’ conference said. 

The statement was signed by Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster and Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham,  the president and vice president of the bishops’ conference, respectively. 

Staffordshire Police confirmed June 24 that Bishop Oakley, 70, was charged with two counts…

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The committee representing abuse claimants in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington’s bankruptcy case is asking a federal judge to bring Vermont parishes, Catholic schools and hundreds of millions of dollars in parish related assets into mediation.

Lawyers for survivors filed a 66 page motion on Thursday. News outlet VTDigger first reported the filing.

In a court filing on Wednesday, a committee which represents dozens of abuse claimants, asked the bankruptcy court to add diocesan parishes, Rice Memorial High School and Mount St. Joseph High School as mediation parties.

The attorneys argued that the Diocese’s parishes and the two high schools are not legally separate from its operations.

The filing also alleges that the Diocese created individual trusts in 2006 and transferred approximately $500 million in assets into them to shield property from creditors, including survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

The committee said excluding the parishes and schools…

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released the sixth of seven extensive reports detailing allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct in the state’s Catholic diocese.

The 258-page report focuses on allegations involving the Diocese of Saginaw since 1950. It identifies 37 priests and one deacon accused of misconduct and includes detailed description of the allegations against them, Nessel said.

“This report is only possible because of the bravery of so many, from young children to the elderly, coming forward over decades to share their suffering,” Nessel said in a press release. “As always, I commend their strength and thank them for it. Accountability comes in many forms, and by publishing these accounts we hope to foster acknowledgment for these survivors and safer communities today.”

In a video posted on Facebook, Bishop Robert D. Gruss of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw acknowledged the allegations “with deep shame and sorrow.”

“We continue to pray…

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The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has issued the sixth of what will eventually be seven detailed reports on the topic of Catholic church clergy abuse in the state, this time focusing on the Diocese of Saginaw. 

The research in the Diocese of Saginaw reviewed allegations against 37 priests and one deacon, 30 of whom are known or presumed to be dead. The eight others who are living or presumed to be living are not in active ministry. The report said most of the incidents listed that “may have violated Michigan criminal law” all occurred before 2002. 

“This report is only possible because of the bravery of so many, from young children to the elderly, coming forward over decades to share their suffering,” said Attorney General Dana Nessel. “As always, I commend their strength and thank them for it. Accountability comes in many forms, and by publishing these accounts, we hope…

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today announced the release of a report (PDF) by the Department of Attorney General concerning allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct that took place in the Diocese of Saginaw.

The report was released to acknowledge the reports of abuse from victims and to report the Department’s findings. The document is a compilation of excerpts from the information obtained from the tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the Diocese of Saginaw, and the electronic documents found on the diocesan computers, as well as reports of allegations disclosed by the Diocese.

The list of priests for which there were allegations of sexual misconduct against either children or adults since January 1, 1950, for the Diocese of Saginaw that was established in 1938, is derived from information gleaned from a search warrant that was executed against the Diocese of Saginaw on…

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A Madison priest accused of child sex crimes will no longer serve or be recognized as a religious leader in the Catholic church, the Diocese of Madison announced Thursday morning.

Andrew Showers is accused of attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, attempted child enticement and attempting to use a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. He is also accused of two counts of child pornography possession.

In a letter from Bishop Donald Hying Thursday, he explained that Showers petitioned for a dispensation from his priestly obligations. Pope Leo XIV granted that petition.

With the petition being granted, Hying said Showers has been released from all rights, duties and obligations of the clerical state.

“As Canon 292 states, ‘by the loss of the clerical state, he is deprived of all offices, functions, and any delegated power,’” Hying said.

Showers cannot be referred to as “Father” or “Reverend,” he cannot wear…

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The Michigan Court of Appeals has affirmed the sentence of a former Macomb County priest convicted of sexually abusing a teen boy, officials said.

A three-judge panel issued its decision Monday on the sentencing of Neil Kalina, 70.

“Defendant contends the trial court gave invalid reasons for its upward departure from the sentencing guidelines range,” the judges wrote in their opinion. “We disagree.”

The panel also said it disagreed with Kalina’s argument that the trial court relied on inaccurate information by stating he abused the victim for several years and he is entitled to resentencing as a result.

It also disagreed with his argument that the trial court made a “demonstrably false” claim that he never expressed any remorse when the court acknowledged his allocution at the beginning of its sentencing decision.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the panel’s judgment.

“I am relieved that justice will continue to be…

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Previously a co-lead pastor at Res Life Church in Holland, Joshua VanderKlok is now facing the possibility of nearly two decades in prison if convicted.

A former Holland pastor is facing six felony charges after investigators accused him of secretly recording a family member with a hidden camera.

Joshua Peter VanderKlok, who previously served as co-pastor at Res Life Church Holland, is charged with three counts of surveilling an unclothed person and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime.

According to court records, the investigation began on May 2 after a family member discovered a small black camera hidden beneath a bed and contacted the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators later obtained a search warrant and conducted a forensic examination of the camera’s SD card. 

Court documents allege the camera was positioned toward the doorway of a private bathroom and contained images of the victim unclothed on…

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An estimated 500,000 Filipino kids are abused and exploited in a single year, says an International Justice Mission (IJM) report

At 18, Jessie* enrolled in a criminology program at a university in Iligan City, Philippines, this June, driven by a long-held ambition to become a police officer.

That’s an achievement for Jessie, who two years ago survived online sexual exploitation at his home and experienced depression and suicidal tendencies during rehabilitation.

“I will become a police officer to help children who have experienced trauma like me,” he told UCA News.

His journey from victim to aspiring protector began on an ordinary morning when police officers arrived at his family’s modest home in the southern Philippines.

Jessie assumed they were conducting a drugs raid. Instead of tearing the house apart, however, the officers carefully surveyed the cramped room and fixed their attention on him.

Only later did investigators tell Jessie that…

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David Vander Meer had claimed his wife’s death in Zion National Park had been an accident. The case was reopened in 2022, and on Monday, he was arrested in Las Vegas after being charged with murder.

A former youth pastor killed himself in custody in Las Vegas on Thursday, days after he was charged with murdering his wife 20 years ago during a hike in Zion National Park in Utah and reporting her death as an accidental fall, the authorities said.

The former pastor, David Vander Meer, was arrested on Monday in Las Vegas by a task force led by the U.S. Marshals Service and was awaiting extradition to Utah, a spokesman for the Washington County Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday.

His death was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the government of Clark County, Nev., where he was being held, and a judge announced it on Thursday morning during an…

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Yesterday in Miami the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted to accept the revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People proposed by Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia. The document, commonly known as the “Dallas Charter,” was a set of procedures originally established in 2002 to address accusations of the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy.

The Abuse Survivors Coalition (ASC) is deeply disappointed by the changes made, and not made, to the Dallas Charter. The group believes that the revisions are not in the best interests of survivors abused in the Church, whether as children or adults, abused by priests or others. In the words of ASC Virginia/DC Contact, Becky Ianni, “The Bishops voted to protect themselves, not to protect victims.”

The Key revisions to the Charter included:

• ·  The explicit integration of the “right…

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Four years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention received a landmark report asserting that top leaders in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination had long minimized reports of sexual abuse by clergy, intimidated survivors and stonewalled reforms.

The convention’s 2022 annual meeting passed a resolution apologizing to abuse survivors, several of them by name. It authorized reforms that included the creation of a database of credibly accused church workers.

It appeared to mark a reckoning within the SBC in tandem with the wider #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements — and a recognition that clergy sex abuse extended far beyond the much-publicized scandal in the Catholic Church.

But prominent survivors and advocates have largely given up trying to bring about change in the SBC after witnessing what they view as increasingly faltering efforts toward reform.

And now a counternarrative has reached the highest levels of convention leadership. Prominent Southern Baptists are promoting the view that although…

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A former member of Germany’s renowned Regensburger Domspatzen (Cathedral Sparrows) boys’ choir has lost a lawsuit seeking damages from the Catholic diocese of Regensburg over alleged abuse he says he suffered as a child.

The Regensburg Regional Court dismissed the claim on the grounds that it was time-barred under Germany’s statute of limitations, a court spokesman said on Friday.

The plaintiff had sought a total of around €400,000 ($458,000) in compensation for pain and suffering and lost earnings, alleging that he had been mistreated and sexually abused at a pre-school affiliated with the choir in the early 1990s. He also sought additional damages.

In its ruling, handed down on Thursday but not disclosed until the following day, the court stressed that its decision was based solely on the question of limitation periods and did not constitute a judgement on whether the alleged abuse had occurred.

The court “does not fail…

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Rhode Island has joined more than two dozen other states that have enacted laws expanding access to civil courts for child victims of sexual abuse.

Governor Dan McKee signed legislation amending the statute of limitations for child victim claims of sexual abuse and creating a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse.

The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Its enactment comes after the release of a report in March by Attorney General Peter F. Neronha accusing the Catholic Diocese of Providence of a “well-worn pattern” of failing to remove dozens of priests accused of child sexual abuse and keeping the abuse secret over decades. The report identified 75 clergy members who sexually abused more than 300 children since 1950. The investigation found that accused priests were repeatedly returned to ministry.

The Diocese of Providence…

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Southern Baptists have long believed that only men can be pastors. But for decades, the denomination took no action to expel churches where women pastors served. Then, in the middle of an abuse controversy, it became a denominational crisis.

In the first summer of this century, more than 11,000 Southern Baptists gathered in Florida to update their convention’s statement of faith by limiting the office of pastor to men only.

But that 2000 limit was not binding on local churches. Instead, it applied only to the denomination’s seminaries and mission boards.

“We don’t have the right, the authority or the power to limit anybody,” the Rev. Adrian Rogers, a famed Baptist preacher who chaired the committee that revamped the Baptist Faith and Message, told reporters at the time.

“We would resist that.”

Al Mohler, head of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, agreed.

“We would never presume to tell another church whom they may call…

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The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the 7-15-year sentence of Neil Kalina (PDF), 70, for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old in 1984, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The Court of Appeals ruled that the trial court did not abuse its discretion during Kalina’s resentencing. Kalina was a priest at St. Kieran Catholic Church in Shelby Township from 1982-1985 and is currently incarcerated at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility in Jackson.

“I am relieved that justice will continue to be served for the victim of this heinous assault,” said Attorney General Nessel. “My office remains committed to holding abusers accountable and ensuring survivors are supported.”

Kalina was convicted of two counts of Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct by a Macomb County jury in 2022 and sentenced to 7-15 years’ incarceration. The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction in April 2024 but ordered resentencing due to a technical error during the initial sentencing.  View Cache

At its core, gender-based violence is not only a law-and-order issue but also a structural one

The month of June was marked by incidents of violence against women in Pakistan.

It began with the reported murder of a 58-year-old woman on June 3 after she was allegedly killed by her husband for refusing to have sex with him.

The 64-year-old retired serviceman, who surrendered to police, confessed he was driven to anger when his wife refused and struck her fatally with an iron rod.

In another case on June 5, Dr. Mahnoor Nasir, a female surgeon in Quetta, was allegedly attacked while on duty by the hospital lift operator, who reportedly hurled acid at her.

Preliminary investigations revealed the attacker was harassing her for several months, and she repeatedly rejected his advances, which angered him.

This case became a topic for discussion on social media, with some netizens trying to…

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In short:

A victim of clergy abuse says he is disappointed by the Christian Brothers plans to liquidate its remaining assets as part of a proposal that will mean it is unable to cover its abuse restitution debts. 

He said that after years of fighting for compensation and being dragged through the legal system, victim-survivors would feel exhausted but “unsurprised” by the announcement. 

What’s next?

Lawyers representing victim-survivors say they will “keep fighting” to ensure everyone gets what they are owed.

A Victorian survivor of clergy abuse says he is disappointed but unsurprised by allegations the Christian Brothers appear to be attempting to “squib” on compensation payments.

The Congregation of Christian Brothers Oceania Province yesterday revealed it would seek to sell off its remaining assets to pay abuse victims.

It said its assets were valued at about $216 million and comprised about 36 properties around Australia, which it admitted would…

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Former leader of Clute church charged with sex crimes against kids

A former pastor at Destiny Church in Clute has been indicted on charges he sexually abused three children over a five-year period beginning in 2015, court documents show.

Adrian Gerard Johnson is charged with 18 felonies after a Brazoria County grand jury handed up an indictment against him June 18. The offenses occurred between July 2015 and November 2020, the indictment states.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt, only that enough evidence exists to proceed to trial.

Johnson is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, four counts of sexual assault of a child, four counts of sexual performance by a child, two counts of human trafficking, one count of compelling prostitution, one count of indecency with a child by exposure and one count of sexual assault prohibited under Texas’ bigamy statute.

Lake…

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A former youth pastor charged with murder and insurance fraud nearly 20 years after his wife’s death at Zion National Park was involved in a yearslong sexual relationship with an underage girl in his church youth group, according to court documents.

Bernadette Vander Meer fell to her death on August 22, 2006, while hiking on Angels Landings, according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

Investigators determined her death to be “under suspicious circumstances,” but no arrests were immediately made.

MORE | Former youth pastor charged with murder for wife’s death at Zion National Park in 2006

The affidavit said investigators reopened the case after receiving information in 2022 from a former youth group member.

Investigators alleged Vander Meer began developing a close relationship with a girl identified in court records as “SH” when she was about 14 years old and he was serving as her youth pastor.

…

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A bishop has been charged with two counts of rape against a female under the age of 16.

Staffordshire Police say the charges against David James Oakley, the Bishop of Northampton, follow his arrest in September last year. The offences are alleged to have taken place in Staffordshire between February 2000 and February 2001, the force said.

Oakley, 70, is due to appear at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 14 August.

In a statement, the Catholic Diocese of Northampton – which covers Northamptonshire , Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire – confirmed the charges against Oakley “after an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations”.

It said it recognised the case was “very distressing for all concerned”, but could not comment further due to active legal proceedings.

According to the diocese, Oakley was born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands and was ordained in 1980.

He served in several parishes within the Archdiocese of Birmingham before…

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Neither the Vatican nor the diocese disclosed Oakley’s arrest when he went on ‘personal leave’ last year.

Bishop David Oakley of Northampton, England, has been charged with two counts of rape of a minor, local police confirmed June 24. The bishop has been on a leave of absence since October last year, when he announced he was taking time away from the diocese for “personal reasons.”

The charges were confirmed by local police this week as part of an investigation into historical allegations of abuse against the English bishop, 70, which involved an arrest last September that had not been previously made public.

Shortly after that arrest, it was announced that the bishop, who has led the Diocese of Northampton since 2020, had taken a leave of absence for unexplained personal reasons. The diocese did not disclose the fact that the bishop had been arrested.

A statement from the diocese, released…

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Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and the DAO’s Family Violence & Sexual Assault Unit (FVSA) announced charges on Tuesday against two local clergy members for their alleged roles in sexual abuse and exploitation against minors in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office charged Bryan Jackson (DOB: 02/20/1984) and Isaiah Banks (DOB: 02/02/1996) with the following: 

Defendant Bryan Jackson:

• Criminal Conspiracy (F2) (2 Counts)
• Sexual Abuse of Children (F2) (2 Counts)
• Sexual Exploitation of Children (F2) (2 Counts)
• Corruption of Minors (F3) (2 Counts)
• Unlawful Contact with a Minor (F3) (2 Counts)
• Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3) (2 Counts)
• Other related charges

Defendant Isaiah Banks:

• Criminal Conspiracy (F2) (2 Counts)
• Sexual Abuse of Children (F2) (2 Counts)
• Sexual Exploitation of Children (F2) (2 Counts)
• Corruption of Minors (F3) (2 Counts)
• Unlawful Contact with a Minor (F3) (2 Counts)
• Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3) (2 Counts)
• Other related charges

On April 8, 2026, Philadelphia Police began investigating a report from the Department of Human Services (DHS) in reference to a minor…

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Questions remain surrounding allegations against a Boynton Beach Catholic priest after the Diocese of Palm Beach announced it has hired an independent investigative firm to review the claims.

Father Alex Vargas of St. Thomas More Parish was placed on administrative leave last Thursday over what the Diocese described as “serious allegations.” Church officials have not disclosed the nature of the allegations.

The Diocese said it has retained Renaissance Associates, a private investigative firm, to conduct an independent review.

While the Diocese has not specified the allegations against Vargas, its public statement encouraged anyone who may have suffered abuse by a church representative to report it to the Diocese or the Florida Department of Children and Families.

That language left some parishioners concerned the allegations could involve abuse.

“The whole congregation is in shock over what happened,” one parishioner told CBS12 News. “It’s a very sad situation….

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The left-wing Spanish government and the country’s Catholic Church recently signed a historic agreement to compensate victims of sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy.

The arrangement concerns time-barred cases or cases where the perpetrator is deceased and comes after years of reluctance and a lack of transparency from the church hierarchy.

“This was a very difficult deal to reach,” said Juan Cuatrecasas, from the Associació Infància Robada (Stolen Childhood Association), an organization that helps victims of sexual abuse. “The church is an institution that has spent decades covering up pedophiles and even sheltering them within its ranks. It is thanks to pressure from the Vatican and the Spanish government that this agreement was reached.”

READ: Religious Freedom Faces Growing Pressures Worldwide

Spanish victims of sexual abuse will be able to request compensation directly through an administrative mechanism, without going through the courts. The…

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The interim report of an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against a prominent post-war German cardinal is set to be published on Thursday.

Allegations against Cardinal Franz Hengsbach, the founding bishop of the diocese of Essen, first came to light in 2011 when a woman contacted the archdiocese of Paderborn to allege that Hengsbach, and his brother Paul, who was also a priest, had sexually abused her when she was 16 in Paderborn, in 1954.

Hengsbach died in 1991, but his brother was still alive at the time this allegation was made and denied it vigorously. Another allegation against Hengsbach’s brother was also made.

Church officials from Paderborn at first decided that the accusation against Hengsbach was implausible, but the archdiocese has now admitted that “the plausibility assessment at the time must unfortunately be seriously questioned” and has apologized to the woman. 

The archdiocese reported the allegation to the…

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One of the country’s most senior Catholic Church officials says he hopes the Christian Brothers can find a way of paying compensation to thousands of victims of clerical abuse after the 183-year-old order warned it was running out of money and would have to shut down within months.

In a pointed message, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe noted that the abuse occurred in institutions “now operated by Edmund Rice Education Australia”, an organisation that was split out of the Christian Brothers two decades ago to oversee a string of prominent schools.

“It is the great hope of the Conference that the Christian Brothers find a way to support the provision of care for victims of abuse that occurred in institutions conducted by the Christian Brothers,” Costelloe, the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said on Tuesday.

Whether Edmund Rice Education Australia will be dragged into the collapse of the Christian Brothers…

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Vermont’s Catholic Diocese filed for bankruptcy amid clergy abuse lawsuits, leaving survivors in legal limbo while a $500 million trust dispute drags on.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont’s sole Catholic diocese, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 30, 2024, to address a mounting wave of clergy sexual abuse lawsuits it could no longer afford to settle individually. The filing consolidated more than 100 abuse claims into a single federal proceeding, halting all pending and future litigation against the church while a reorganization plan is developed. As of mid-2026, the case remains unresolved, with legal fees exceeding $2 million, no reorganization plan submitted, and a central dispute over whether hundreds of millions of dollars in parish assets can be tapped to compensate survivors.

Decades of Abuse Allegations

The abuse at the heart of the litigation spans roughly half a century. Most of the substantiated allegations involve conduct by diocesan priests…

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The Toledo Board of Honor recommended removing the sign after critics said Msgr. Jerome Schmit interfered in the investigation of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl’s murder.

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The Archdiocese of Chicago has been given the go-ahead to proceed with its countersuit against abuse settlement claimants who received payouts or had pending settlements after filing allegedly false claims. 

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago announced, in a June 12 letter, the Cook County Circuit Court’s decision after the defense tried to have the lawsuit dismissed.

“We look forward to pursuing these claims,” James Geoly, the archdiocese’s general counsel, said in a June 19 email to OSV News. 

The archdiocese’s case names seven defendants, whom it said were part of a wide network of claimants, including some based in Illinois’ jail and prison system, who schemed to receive settlements. The archdiocese said it discovered the enterprise after closely examining a claim submitted by someone serving a prison sentence. 

Combed through prison, jail phone records

According to the lawsuit filed in March 2025, its staff then combed…

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A court has begun hearing the largest-ever compensation claim against Poland’s Catholic church by a victim of clerical sexual abuse.

Janusz Szymik, who says he was raped hundreds of times by a priest as a child in the 1980s, is seeking 20 million zloty (€4.7 million) from the archdiocese of Kraków, where the abuse took place.

Between 1984, when he was a 12-year-old altar boy, and 1989, Szymik, who waived his right to anonymity, suffered abuse at the hands of the parish priest, who has been named only as Jan W., in the village of Międzybrodzie Bialskie in southern Poland.

At the time of the crimes, Międzybrodzie Bialskie was part of the archdiocese of Kraków. However, in 1992, it became part of the newly formed diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec.

Twice as an adult, in 1993 and 2007, Szymik informed the then-bishop of Bielsko-Żywiec, Tadeusz Rakoczy, of the abuse he had suffered…

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Christian Brothers Oceania Province said its “shameful and painful” history of abuse has led it to sell off its assets in order to settle with victims.

A Catholic religious community in Melbourne, Australia says it will be forced to close after nearly two centuries as it moves to settle a large number of abuse claims brought against it.

Christian Brothers Oceania Province said on June 22 it was proposing a plan to facilitate the “orderly distribution of our remaining property, funds and other assets” to victims of abuse by congregation members.

The organization said in a press release that “some members” of the congregation had caused “enormous harm through their criminal sexual abuse of children.”

The group said it is facing a “pivotal moment” in which a “very difficult financial position” led it to propose the distribution scheme. Either through that scheme or through “liquidation,” the group said…

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Two pastors serving separate congregations in Philadelphia are facing charges related to child sexual abuse and child pornography, according to prosecutors.

Isaiah Banks, 30, and Bryan Jackson, 42, are both faith leaders who authorities say sexually abused children over several years.

“They represent a violation of trust within spaces that are meant to be safe, sacred, and protected,” said LaQuisha Anthony, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence (WOAR).

According to an affidavit, Banks is accused of enticing a 15-year-old boy to send pornographic pictures and videos in exchange for money and food.

The alleged abuse occurred while Banks served as a pastor at Second Pilgrim Baptist Church on North 15th Street.

Prosecutors say Banks shared the child pornography with Jackson, who leads Garden of Prayer World Prayer Center on North 29th Street.

“Who also directly communicated with these children for the purpose of getting more videos and…

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I beg to differ with the newly elected Southern Baptist Convention president, Willy Rice. I don’t think the many abused women in SBC life would agree with him either.

If there had been accountability 30 years ago, perhaps the seminary student/youth minister would not have gotten off scot-free and been allowed to climb the denominational ladder of success following his sexual abuse of my niece.

He would have been stopped short by church and denominational leaders before he became the second most important leader in the South Carolina convention and held to account for is abuse.

But he wasn’t, and Mark Aderholt finally faced his accuser in a Texas court and received his just punishment in 2019.

The Roman Catholic Church, a numerically superior denomination has finally faced up to the tremendous cost their “turning a blind eye” has done—hurting their churches, ministers, and victims. Southern Baptists should…

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The Archdiocese of Quebec, two educational institutions and an insurer will jointly pay a sum of $31.5 million to people who have been sexually assaulted by a member of the diocesan clergy or pastoral staff under the responsibility of the archdiocese since 1940.

An agreement in principle was reached between the Archdiocese of Quebec, the Seminary of Quebec, the Collège François-de-Laval (formerly the Petit Séminaire de Québec), the Mutual Insurance of Quebec Factories and representatives of some 150 alleged victims in order to settle this collective action which was authorized by the Superior Court in May 2022.

Signed by all parties on June 18, this agreement — that Presence-info was able to consult — must however be approved by the Superior Court during a hearing which will take place on July 30 at the Quebec courthouse. As soon as the agreement is approved, the four institutions will have 45 days to remit…

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The Brief

• • Former Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner filed a lawsuit over his 2025 termination.
  • The lawsuit claims trustees breached a 10-year contract extension after handling sexual misconduct complaints.
  • The university board voted 19-10 to dismiss Caner following an investigative report.

A former Georgia university president is taking legal action against his former employer after a high-profile firing last year.

Emir Caner filed a lawsuit on June 5 against Truett McConnell University, alleging trustees breached his employment contract when they terminated him. 

White County lawsuit

What we know:

Caner served as president of the university for more than 17 years and signed a 10-year contract extension in 2021. The contract was scheduled to run through June 30, 2031, according to the complaint filed in White County Superior Court. 

The board of trustees voted 19-10 to…

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In the late 1990s gardaí in Cork took statements from former pupils who had attended Dunderrow National School.

The statements formed part of a criminal case in which Leo Hickey was charged with 386 counts of sexual abuse involving 21 pupils of Dunderrow National School.

He pleaded guilty to 21 sample charges and was sentenced to three years in jail.

Prior to their garda statements, some victims had never spoken about the sexual abuse and trauma they suffered. Some have not spoken about it since.

Almost 30 years since they gave their statements to gardaí, RTÉ News has been given permission by a number of ‘the Dunderrow Women’, to reveal their contents.

They have commended gardaí for their kindness and empathy at that time.

Graphic content: Some readers may find the following details upsetting

Dunderrow National School was a two-room building located just over 6km west of Kinsale.

Children…

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At the age of eight, Louise O’Keeffe was sexually abused by her school principal Leo Hickey in a Cork primary school in the 1970s.

She buried the memory, moved on to secondary school, completed her education, and went on to work as a secretary.

The only person who was aware of the abuse was her mother, but the details were not divulged.

In 1995, gardaí contacted Ms O’Keeffe regarding allegations against Hickey by several former students.

Such was the level of abuse and trauma endured at the school, it took more than 20 years before any girl summoned the courage to approach gardaí.

Seeking justice

In 1998, Hickey was charged with historical sex offences, including 386 counts of indecent assault against 21 girls, who gave evidence of abuse.

He pleaded guilty to 21 sample charges.

Ms O’Keeffe was among those who attended the criminal trial and as the testimonies of…

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Nineteen women ‘forced to sue State’ to get redress for historical child sexual abuse at Cork school

Sarah* was just seven years old when the abuse began.

“I thought this was normal schooling, I hadn’t a clue,” she says of her treatment at the hands of Leo Hickey, the former principal of Dunderrow National School in west Co Cork.

In 1998 Hickey was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment having pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts from 387 charges of sexually abusing 21 young girls – including Sarah – between 1964 and 1973.

In 2017 Hickey was jailed again for sexually abusing a nine-year-old boy in a different school in the 1990s.

The abuse in the Dunderrow school, Sarah says, was “systemic, all day, every day”. The assaults would sometimes take place in front of other children.

“You weren’t safe anywhere in that school … not the bathroom, not the outdoor…

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Twisted and raised scars run across the top of Alan Nixon’s hands like topographical maps of the abuse in his past.

The marks are the physical reminders of what the Brothers of St John of God did to him as a child but the psychological scars run deeper.

Nixon ended up in the care of the Brothers because he was in the care of the state.

“My mum couldn’t look after me so they put me in a foster home,” he said.

“They strongly believed in giving rations. They’d give me a half a glass of water – everything would be half – so at night-time I’d go because I was thirsty, all the taps used to be wrenched tight, so I found a way of how to get a drink of water. I’d stick my cup or find something and stick it into the toilet and scoop it out,…

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A federal lawsuit filed last year against Gilmour Academy, a private Catholic school in Gates Mills, alleges the nationally-recognized hockey program at the school has a “history” of issues with hazing and sexual abuse among players.

The suit alleges a 16-year-old student was sexually assaulted and bullied by other Gilmour hockey players in a hazing ritual known as “The Gauntlet” during a trip to Lake Placid for the Northwood Invitational Hockey Tournament in January 2022.

The lawsuit was filed by a former student using the pseudonym “Mark” in August 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. It describes the student as an “elite” hockey player who was recruited to Gilmour’s program in 2021.

“Unbeknownst to Mark or his family, Gilmour’s hockey program had a history of severe hazing that included sexually assaulting and exploiting younger boys in the program. Upon information and belief, this…

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The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors held the first structured dialogue with Ending Clergy Abuse on June 15-16 in Rome.

After a meeting at the Vatican in October last year, Pope Leo XIV and a network for victims of clergy sexual abuse and continue to build collaboration through conversations with the Vatican’s safeguarding commission.

The pope “is interested in dialogue and in seeing what can be done in his new role. I think the fact that he received us was a sign of trust on his part, because in the past the relationship between survivors’ groups and the Vatican has not been easy, so we took a step forward,” Matthias Katsch, a member of the advocacy organization Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) told EWTN News in Rome.

Katsch, who is from Germany, is a member of ECA’s board of directors and one of the members most critical of policies…

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Pastor claims the facility came under pressure for its welfare activities for the poor people

Police in southern Indian Kerala state have launched a probe into a neo-Christian group after three employees linked to it were accused of child abuse, including physical assault.

The probe was initiated after a 17-year-old boy working in a facility under Elohim Global Worship Center in Pathanamthitta district filed a police complaint on June 18.

The boy from the state’s Idukki district alleged that he and other children at the facility, a hostel for poor children called Snehathanal (Shade of Love), were subjected to physical assault and forced labor.

He claimed that he was promised education and employment support when he joined the center months ago, but he was abused mentally and physically.

The district Child Welfare Committee chairperson, Leena Subash, said the committee rescued three children from the center, and two of them have…

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‘I absolutely did not expect that something like this could even be possible. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and must never be underestimated or overlooked,’ said Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl.

The Archbishop of Prague Stanislav Přibyl launched church disciplinary proceedings against a former deacon and senior official in his archdiocese who has been accused of raping women over several years. 

The Czech online outlet Seznam Zprávy reported that two women alleged that Antonin Juriga had repeatedly raped and abused them over a prolonged period when he was executive director of the Archdiocese of Prague.

“I want to reiterate that I am very sorry that anyone has experienced such pain in a church environment,” Archbishop Přibyl said in a statement posted on social media on 18 June.

“I absolutely did not expect that something like this could even be possible. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and must never be underestimated or overlooked.”

He emphasised…

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Naresh Chauhan, a priest also known as “Naresh Bhuva,” has been arrested following allegations of sexual assault and blackmail by a woman.

A priest identified as Naresh Chauhan, also known as “Naresh Bhuva,” has been taken into custody after a woman accused him of repeatedly sexually assaulting her and blackmailing her with alleged nude photographs, police said on Sunday.

According to the FIR registered at Singanpor-Dabholi Police Station, the complainant alleged that she first came into contact with the accused during a religious ritual conducted at her family’s residence in November 2024. She claimed that a few months later, the accused contacted her through Instagram, after which they exchanged phone numbers and remained in touch.

As per the complaint, in April 2025 the accused allegedly called her to a hotel near Singanpor Crossroads under the pretext of offering blessings. The woman alleged that after consuming prasad given by the accused,…

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A former Louisiana pastor has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for child sex abuse. Terry Reed, 66, was found guilty in May of two counts of third-degree rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile.

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

Reed reportedly operated his church, Vessels of Christ Ministry, out of his home in Terrytown, which is in the New Orleans metropolitan area. 

RELATED: Former SBC Youth Pastor Sentenced to 40 Years for Abuse; Prosecutors Allege He Plotted Victim’s Murder From Jail

At the time of the abuse, Reed was already a registered sex offender with a history of targeting teen boys. He pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile in 1997. He pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile and molestation of a juvenile in 2017.

…

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Former residents of the now-defunct men’s dormitory say its ‘weirdly sexualized’ culture went beyond the alleged sexual abuse of its longtime rector, Father Thomas King.

For decades, students at the University of Notre Dame reacted instantly when someone said he lived in Zahm Hall, aware of the dorm’s reputation for disorderly behavior. But in recent months, distaste has turned to outrage and dismay, over allegations that a priest who led the dorm for 17 years sexually abused some of the undergraduates who lived there.

Many former residents say they had no idea what Holy Cross Father Thomas King was reportedly doing to some of their fellow students. But they acknowledge that Zahm’s reputation for debauchery and antiestablishment behavior predated Father King’s leadership of the dorm from 1980 to 1997 and lingered long after him. 

Zahm Hall — “Zahm House” to many of its later alumni; “Zahm Zoo” to many others…

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Editor’s note: This story is part of Global Sisters Report’s yearlong series, “Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women,” focused on the ways Catholic sisters are responding to this global phenomenon.  

The house, almost at the end of a narrow road, bears no prominent sign. Near the gate, a black stone plaque affixed to the wall has an inscription in the local language that reads: “St. Theresa Shelter Home.”

It sits quietly among a cluster of schools and residential homes in Labuan Bajo, a quickly growing port town at the western tip of Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.

“Usually, the people who come here are already at the end of the road,” said Holy Spirit Sr. Frederika Tanggu Hana, who manages the shelter.

“If they had safety at home, they wouldn’t come here,” she told Global Sisters Report on April 22.

The nun,…

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[Click here to see the video.]

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The Toledo Board of Honor voted Thursday in favor of recommending that city council remove a street sign dedicated to Monsignor Jerome Schmit from downtown Toledo near Fifth Third Field.

The request to remove the sign is related to a decades-old murder. In 2006, Father Gerald Robinson was convicted of killing Sister Margaret Ann Pahl 26 years earlier.

One of Pahl’s family members claims Monsignor Schmit obstructed the murder investigation. There were questions whether an interrogation of Robinson was interrupted by Toledo Police Deputy Chief Ray Vetter, who was with Monsignor Schmit, and that Schmit then left with Robinson. Vetter said he did not remember interrupting that conversation, and Schmit died before the trial.

Sister Margaret Ann Pahl’s nephew spoke after the vote.

“I had no idea when they were voting what was going to happen but I am…

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The Christian Brothers will cease to exist after 183 years in Australia, and could be liquidated after paying hundreds of millions of dollars to abuse victims and saying the Catholic Church denied requests for assistance.

The order has proposed a deal that would allow it to distribute its remaining funds – including a property portfolio worth around $216 million – to victims and to other creditors, although it will be less than what they are owed.

In a notice late on Monday evening, the Christian Brothers said the congregation was “a stand-alone organisation … financially and canonically distinct” from the broader Catholic Church, which meant it had “ability to compel other Catholic institutions to assist in our current situation”.

The order had “requested funding from the broader Catholic Church … however no such funding has been provided”, it added.

The Christian Brothers are perhaps best known for dozens of schools…

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Four women have accused a former archimandrite in Keratsini of sexual abuse and coercion during their childhood, while the Diocese of Nikaia says it followed all required disciplinary procedures after learning of the allegations

A case involving a former archimandrite in Keratsini, a suburb of Athens, has caused widespread shock after four young women accused him of sexual abuse of minors, offenses against sexual dignity and coercion.

The women, who spoke about their experiences on the Greek television program “Exelixeis Tora,” described what they say was a disturbing reality within the church community they had trusted, where incidents took place when they were minors and that attempts were made to discourage them from reporting what happened.

The accusations have also raised questions about whether people around the priest were aware of the behavior and failed to intervene.

Women describe alleged abuse

One woman, now 22, said the abuse began when…

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‘I absolutely did not expect that something like this could even be possible. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and must never be underestimated or overlooked,’ said Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl.

The Archbishop of Prague Stanislav Přibyl launched church disciplinary proceedings against a former deacon and senior official in his archdiocese who has been accused of raping women over several years. 

The Czech online outlet Seznam Zprávy reported that two women alleged that Antonin Juriga had repeatedly raped and abused them over a prolonged period when he was executive director of the Archdiocese of Prague.

“I want to reiterate that I am very sorry that anyone has experienced such pain in a church environment,” Archbishop Přibyl said in a statement posted on social media on 18 June.

“I absolutely did not expect that something like this could even be possible. Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and must never be underestimated or overlooked.”

He emphasised…

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The extraordinary consistory of cardinals Pope Leo XIV has called for June 26–27 is shaping up to be exercise in “Leonine” synodality – real collegial collaboration on issues affecting the life of the Church – but so far, the pontiff hasn’t given the cardinals a real-world practical problem to address.

Leo has just such an issue in the burgeoning global crisis of clerical sexual abuse and coverup.

On Wednesday of last week, Leo met with members of the Center for Research and Training in Child Protection (CEPROME), which is from Spain, where he met with sexual abuse victims last week.

“The encounter with Christ leaves a positive mark on us and leads us towards a life full of love and freedom, whereas the exact opposite occurs in situations of abuse, causing traumatic wounds that hinder and undermine a person’s spiritual and human development,” Leo told them.

He thanked CEPROME for…

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Bishops say new structure for safeguarding and victim support services is under review as Church prepares to enter a ‘new phase’

Portugal’s Catholic Church has reaffirmed this Wednesday (June 17) its commitment to a “zero tolerance” approach to sexual abuse and revealed it is reviewing how its national and diocesan safeguarding structures should be organised in the future.

The announcement came after an extraordinary plenary assembly of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP) in Fátima, where bishops discussed the next stage of the Church’s response to abuse cases, most of them involving children.

“Zero tolerance, listening to victims, abuse prevention, training and the promotion of safe environments continue to form part of the priorities and commitments assumed by the Church in Portugal,” the bishops said.

The assembly also examined a proposal concerning the future framework of the diocesan and national bodies responsible for receiving complaints, supporting victims, training personnel and preventing…

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What a Catholic abuse settlement offer reveals about reparative justice.

I’m not too precious about profanity, but I do keep some words sacred. “Sorry” is one of them. I pause before I use it, on Slack or in texts. I live in London, a place where it is mumbled reflexively. I’ve tried not to pick up that habit.

A misused “sorry” can send relationships spinning out of orbit — an excessive apology can prompt someone to feel suddenly and unnecessarily aggrieved. Alternatively, a careful “sorry” can reset the balance of things.

I often question, though, if some harms are too grievous to repair — even with a really meaningful apology. That’s a question about redemption that is at the core of many theologies. It’s also one that’s been in the news this past week, as institutions reckon with severe historical wrongdoing.

Friday was Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when…

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After years of advocating for those who were sexually abused by Southern Baptists, David Pittman told his wife last year that he couldn’t fight the country’s largest Protestant denomination any longer.

It was September 2025 and, months prior, the Department of Justice had dropped its investigation into allegations that SBC leaders had ignored sexual abuse survivors for two decades. A Texas megachurch pastor and longtime ally of President Donald Trump, Jack Graham, declared he always knew the abuse crisis was a “hoax” and that “proponents of this disaster should be held accountable.”

Pittman was also grieving the deaths of three friends who, like him, had survived sexual abuse in churches that are part of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

“The Southern Baptist Convention and Trump and MAGA have all devolved into this one glob of lies and I just couldn’t go against that,” Pittman said. “Because I was just losing…

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SNAP is hosting a virtual fundraising screening June 20-24, available worldwide.

Join us for an exclusive documentary screening of “In Loco Parentis,” which explores what happens when institutions are trusted with children and betray that trust.

A panel discussion, featuring survivors, the filmmaker and moderated by the SNAP ED will take place on June 24 at 6:00 to 7:30 pm.

If you work in child protection, law, journalism, or survivor support, this is essential viewing. Pre-order your rental and help support SNAP’s ongoing work.

(The film can be viewed up to three days before the panel).

• Screening Dates: June 20 – 24, 2026
• Panel Discussion Time: June 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET
• Register now!

About the film

Two boarding schools in affluent Lakeville, Connecticut–The Hotchkiss School and its feeder, Indian Mountain Middle School–covered up a litany of sexual abuse allegations in the 1970s and 1980s….

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Attorneys for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego’s insurer argue they’re seeking a fair resolution in the hundreds of claims

Two years after the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy to help manage its response to hundreds of child sexual abuse lawsuits, attorneys for some of the survivors say the diocese has taken unprecedented steps to delay resolving the case.

More than 480 people who say they were sexually abused decades ago by San Diego-area Catholic priests have filed claims against the diocese in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. But the diocese and its insurer have filed objections seeking to dismiss more than 160 of those claims. Individuals whose claims are dismissed would receive no compensation once the bankruptcy is ultimately resolved.

“That many claim objections is unprecedented,” said Stacey Benson, an attorney representing some of the survivors. Her firm, Jeff Anderson & Associates,…

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Today the Diocese of Palm Beach has been informed of serious allegations involving Rev. Alex J. Vargas, Pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Boynton Beach. A formal investigation has been initiated.

To ensure the safety of all concerned and the integrity of the investigative process, Father Vargas has been placed on administrative leave and his ministerial faculties have been removed, effective immediately, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Father Vargas is prohibited from exercising any ministry and from having contact with any Diocese of Palm Beach parishioners, employees, volunteers, ministries, and affiliated organizations, including those at St. Thomas More, except as authorized by the Diocese.

As recognized by both civil and canon law, Father Vargas enjoys the presumption of innocence and is not considered guilty at this time.

Effective immediately, Very Rev. Antony Pulikal has been appointed Parish Administrator of St. Thomas More Parish with full pastoral, administrative, and…

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Although I left the Southern Baptist Convention several decades ago, I still keep up with them, especially during their annual meetings. This year’s SBC gathering, like all the others since I left, both saddened and disturbed me, including the constitutional vote on female pastors and the election of leaders who discount the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

When I left the SBC way back in 1994, I didn’t think things could get any worse. But I was wrong. After following the news from this year’s meeting, I decided to share my old SBC story for those (few) “moderates” who still remain.

I vividly remember the day I realized I had no viable future in the SBC. Like Don McLean’s classic rock song “American Pie,” I remember “the day the music died.” I was a young pastor, recently out of seminary, attending my first Pastor’s Conference at the SBC annual meeting. Baily Smith…

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The newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention denies that there was ever a “systematic” cover-up of sexual abuse by top denomination officials, telling reporters that people with political agendas had used the issue to attack the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

Critics, including abuse survivors, have accused the 12.3 million-member church of failing to properly safeguard its children and of breaking its promises to fix the system.

“The people, sometimes, who purport to speak for all survivors don’t speak for all survivors. There are activists who, this is their platform, and I understand that,” Florida Pastor Willy Rice said at a news conference Wednesday, one day after his election by delegates, known as messengers.

Within the church, the topic of sexual abuse “absolutely was weaponized, just like the #MeToo movement in the secular culture was weaponized,” Rice said. “That’s what tends to happen in social justice movements.”

On June…

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A victim of serial paedophile Bill Kenneally, who died in prison yesterday, said ‘the world is a better place without him’.

Jason Clancy also said that he’s glad the former basketball coach lived long enough to see the release of a damning report into his crimes.

A victim of serial paedophile Bill Kenneally, who died in prison yesterday, said ‘the world is a better place without him’.

Jason Clancy also said that he’s glad the former basketball coach lived long enough to see the release of a damning report into his crimes.

Today’s top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Kenneally used his position as a basketball coach to abuse teenagers in Waterford, and became one of the country’s most notorious sex offenders after his arrest in 2013 and his first conviction three years later.

A victim of serial paedophile Bill Kenneally, who died in prison yesterday, said ‘the world is a…

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Victims as young as 10 identified in expanding case, police report

Michigan State Police say they are still actively investigating more allegations that a former Washtenaw County church leader “groomed and sexually assaulted” boys and girls, and troopers are urging anyone with information to come forward as additional victims continue to be identified.

Michigan State Police Lt. Renee Gonzalez said investigators at the Brighton Post “started investigating this case in October of ‘24” after being made aware of the “tragic” allegations.

This latest development comes as Local 4 viewers have been contacting us asking about the status of the case, and as police say the investigation remains open and “very active” even after charges were filed.

“We have numerous victims,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why the charges are over 60 charges that this guy is facing right now; we’re still investigating. This is not a closed case now that he’s been…

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Filing follows former pastor’s sex crime guilty plea

More than 15 years after Thomas Pinkerton Jr. left Central Christian Church, the Baltimore congregation is facing legal action for crimes he allegedly committed while serving as its youth pastor.

On June 8, Pinkerton pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor. He had been charged last August with 24 felonies and misdemeanors for alleged sex crimes against six teenagers between 2006 and 2010, but many of those counts were removed as part of the plea deal.

Now, one of the alleged victims has filed a lawsuit against both Pinkerton and Central Christian Church, also known as Central Christian Assembly.

Identified only as “R.W.” in the filing, the plaintiff accuses the church of gross negligence that enabled Pinkerton to groom and sexually abuse him over several years, beginning when the boy was 15 and an active member of the youth group.

…

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Alonso Krangle, how do clergy abuse law firms support Greek Orthodox sexual abuse survivors through civil litigation, institutional accountability, and trauma-informed legal representation?

Alonso Krangle provides plaintiff-side legal support for alleged childhood sexual abuse survivors, including Greek Orthodox clergy abuse cases. Its work focuses on civil litigation, confidential consultations, institutional accountability, trauma-informed evidence gathering, damages claims, and survivor-centered justice within a human-rights framework emphasizing child safety, bodily integrity, transparency, and religious accountability.

Introduction to Support and the Issue

Alonso Krangle provides legitimate plaintiff-side law firm support for alleged survivors of childhood sexual abuse, including abuse alleged within Greek Orthodox clergy contexts. It is neither an advocacy organization nor an open charity. Its purpose is to attract potential civil litigation clients.

Legal support for victims of clergy-perpetrated abuse is necessary for long-term justice efforts, both for the majority of legitimate victims and for the minority of clergy who may face false…

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Not guilty verdicts for a Garden County pastor and part-time sheriff’s deputy who was accused of sexually assaulting a teen in the church’s youth group and making unwanted contact with another.

41-year-old Bruce Neal was arrested in the fall of 2024 following a Nebraska State Patrol investigation.

A change of venue motion was approved and he stood trial in Scotts Bluff County this week.

Following the trial, the jury found him not guilty on all four charges, including Attempted 1st Degree Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, and Tampering with Evidence.

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Terry Reed, the Terrytown pastor who was convicted of raping and molesting teenage boys, was sentenced to 80 years in prison on Thursday.

After rejecting four defense motions to overturn the verdict and get a new trial, Judge Ray Steib sentenced Reed to 25 years for two third-degree rape charges, to be served at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence; and to 15 years in prison for two molestation charges. 

Judge Steib ran the sentences consecutively, meaning Reed will serve a total of 80 years in prison.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney said a jury deliberated for less than an hour on May 6 before finding 66-year-old Reed guilty. Reed was already a convicted sex offender before being found guilty for these crimes.

He pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile in 1997 and to indecent behavior with a juvenile and molestation of a juvenile…

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 A man who once served as a pastor at a Triad church has been charged with sex crimes.

According to court documents, Timothy Clinton Pruitt Sr., 72, has been charged with three counts of first-degree statutory sex offense, three counts of indecent liberties with a child and three counts of sex act by a custodian.

Pruitt was taken into custody on Thursday by the Wilkesboro Sheriff’s Office.

The incident date was listed as 2020, and the victim was noted in the court documents as being under the age of 13 at the time.

Peace Haven Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro confirmed that Pruitt was a former pastor at the church but has not worked there in more than a decade.

Church leadership provided the following statement:

Peace Haven Baptist Church is deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent allegations and arrest involving Tim Pruitt Sr. who formerly served as pastor…

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In immigrant congregations, deportation anxiety can silence survivors and shield abusers.

When clergy sexual abuse occurs, the underlying dynamics are often quite similar: There is a convergence of the abuser’s authority, the vulnerability of the abuser’s target, and the religious institution’s instinct for self-protection and risk management. The case of Peter E. Garcia in Los Angeles starkly demonstrates these dynamics. According to Archdiocese of Los Angeles records reported and summarized in the Los Angeles Times, the priest told therapists he had molested boys “on and off” since his ordination in 1966, and the church attributed as many as 20 victims to him.

Many of these victims were undocumented immigrants from Mexico, and Garcia assured archdiocesan officials that they would not go to the authorities. He died in 2009 without being prosecuted.

I cite this case not because it is typical but because it is brutally clarifying. It shows how deportability can become…

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It’s worth asking whether ‘Vos estis’ could be more effective if it led to publicly known consequences beyond removal.

Seven years ago this month, a new set of polices came into effect in the Church, promulgated by Pope Francis and intended to address the problems of both clerical sexual misconduct and episcopal negligence in addressing or assessing allegations of sexual abuse and coercion.

The policies, documented in the motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi, represented at the time the promise of a new approach to a serious problem, which had come to the fore with the McCarrick scandals of 2018, subsequent grand jury reports, and emerging accounts from Catholics who said they’d manifested concerns to bishops, and been met with silence, or with the appearance of cover-ups.

When it was promulgated, the U.S. bishops’ conference president Cardinal Daniel Dinardo said it would “empower the Church everywhere to bring predators to justice,…

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The Toledo Board of Honor voted 3-2 on Thursday to recommend the removal of an honorary downtown street sign dedicated to the late Monsignor Jerome Schmit, a priest who was once renowned in the Toledo diocese. 

Msgr. Schmit has been accused of obstructing the investigation into the April 5, 1980, murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl by priest Gerald Robinson. 

An honorary street sign recognizing Schmit was installed at North St. Clair and Washington streets on April 5, 2002, four years before Robinson’s conviction. It was also the anniversary of Sister Margaret Ann’s death. 

The honor board had initially discussed the removal last month but decided to defer the decision for 30 days.

Lee Pahl, nephew of Sister Margaret Ann, said he has been advocating for the sign’s removal since Robinson’s 2006 conviction brought renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding his aunt’s death.

“My aunt deserves better than this; we…

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An apology has been issued in a 1967 case from Ireland, but the Spiritan Provincial has issued a callout to potential Canadian victims of the late Fr. Ted Colleton, who was transferred to Canada in 1971

A Catholic religious order in Ireland is looking for Canadian victims of noted pro-life pastor Fr. Ted Colleton.

The callout comes as the Spiritan Provincial acknowledges “sexual abuse carried out by Fr. Colleton in his role as Spiritual Director and Counsellor at Blackrock College” in Ireland.

“I wish to declare, for the purposes of public record and the upcoming Commission of Inquiry into child sexual abuse in secondary schools in Ireland, that the Spiritans have issued a written apology to a former pupil at Blackrock College,” wrote Brendan Carr, head of the Spiritan Provincial in Ireland, in a press release issued this week.

Colleton, who also worked in Kenya, was transferred to Canada in 1971….

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At least 17 letters were provided to the board, bolstering arguments that a powerful church leader delayed justice for a nun murdered by Father Robinson in 1980.

t its Thursday meeting, the Toledo Board of Honor recommended the removal of a sign honoring Monsignor Jerome Schmit, a former Catholic Diocese of Toledo official whose name has drawn renewed scrutiny because of his role in the early investigation into the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl.

The issue now goes to Toledo City Council for review. 

The board had continued the issue after last month’s meeting. On Thursday, members discussed whether to recommend removing the honorary sign for “Msgr. Jerome Schmit Way” outside Fifth Third Field.

The sign honors Schmit for his role in helping bring baseball back to Toledo. But Pahl’s family and advocates say the public honor should be removed because Schmit was one…

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Date: Monday, June 22
Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
End Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Register here

For adult survivors of clergy abuse, the harm does not end when the abuse does. It lives in the body, in the mind, and in the soul, reshaping who a person understands themselves to be and leaving their relationships with God, their faith, and loved ones forever changed. This presentation listens closely to survivors’ own words to understand what clergy abuse actually takes from victims, and what it means for all of us: survivors, those who love them, and those called to serve them, to truly see that harm and respond with better understanding, compassion, and accountability.

Presenting at this webinar is Dr. Lucy Huh, a Catholic scholar and advocate whose research examines the harm clergy sexual abuse inflicts on adult victims. She earned her Ph.D. from the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University…

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A court has blocked the public release of a Seton Hall University report detailing allegations of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual misconduct, overturning a lower court’s order to reveal the findings, which Seton Hall has tried to hide for years.

The factual findings of a massive, 20,000-page internal probe Seton Hall commissioned on clergy sex abuse at the Catholic school — including who knew what and how the school responded — are protected by attorney-client privilege, the New Jersey appellate court said this week.

That flips a prior decision in November by a trial judge who ruled that since the school didn’t directly hire the law firm that conducted the probe — Latham & Watkins — no privilege existed and the docs were fair game.

“We are persuaded by [Seton Hall University]’s contention that the court erred when it found that no attorney-client relationship existed,” the court ruled.

While those two…

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An appeals court blocked the full disclosure of an investigative report into sexual abuses by late Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, ruling the report’s secrecy is guarded by attorney-client privilege and that a lower court judge erred when ordering them released.

The three-judge panel’s unanimous ruling will shield most sections of a report into McCarrick’s conduct but will allow the release of portions that focused on policies and procedures at Seton Hall University, where the cardinal led the Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents.

The decision partially reverses Superior Court Judge Avion Benjamin’s November ruling that found Seton Hall University must hand over the report to a group of plaintiffs who have sued the Archdiocese of Newark alleging they were sexually abused by clergy.

Tuesday’s ruling largely sides with lawyers for Seton Hall who had argued that the report is guarded by…

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There is much to unpack in Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas.” It covers the regulation of artificial intelligence, the relationship between work and human dignity, justice issues arising from power asymmetries, and the history of Catholic social teaching. 

It is fair to question whether an institution with critical governance failures of its own is well positioned to advise on regulating technology, but a close reading of the encyclical shows that Leo understands these failures. He goes so far as to thank journalists for helping the church reform. The boldness of Leo’s leadership can be contrasted with Pope John Paul II’s first formal communication on the child sexual abuse crisis in 1993, eight years after credible authorities had identified the problem as widespread in the Doyle Report. John Paul II framed abuse as primarily a sin and devoted an entire paragraph to condemning media “sensationalism.” Nine years after this missed opportunity…

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A former teacher at the Hope Academy of West Michigan is charged with criminal sexual conduct.

The Grand Rapids Police said in a news release 57-year-old George Marshall was arraigned Wednesday on 10 counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

WOOD Radio News found that the Kent County Sheriff’s Office arrested Marshall on Tuesday and bond was set at $50,000 but not posted.

An investigation began earlier this year. Police said an elementary school student informed the principal at the school on Brown Street, on the city’s southeast side. Detectives with the GRPD’s Family Service Team is handling the investigation, with support from the Children’s Advocacy Center of West Michigan.

Police said Wednesday that seven alleged victims have come forward so far, and police say there may be more victims.

Anyone who believes their child may be a victim or has more information should contact the Grand Rapids Police or Silent…

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Andrew Robinson told police “I didn’t think these were illegal”

A former vicar has been jailed after being found in possession of sick images of children during an unannounced police visit – after he avoided prison for previous similar offences.

Andrew Robinson, of Talybont-on-Usk near Brecon in Powys, was given a suspended prison sentence in April 2025 after admitting possessing indecent images of children.

At his sentencing last year, the 77-year-old was also added to the sex offenders register, and issued with a sexual harm prevention order.

As a registered sex offender Robinson was subject to close supervision from Dyfed-Powys Police’s offender management unit – which includes unannounced police visits.

The force said that on Tuesday last week (June 9) detectives visited Robinson’s home address to carry out a spot-check review of his digital devices.

A spokesman for the force said: “In a brazen display of complete disregard for his…

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The Diocese of Palm Beach has placed the Rev. Alex J. Vargas, parish priest of St. Thomas More Parish in Boynton Beach, on administrative leave after what it described Thursday as “serious charges” involving the priest.

In a statement posted Thursday afternoon, the diocese said a formal investigation has been launched and that Vargas’ ministerial powers have been withdrawn effective immediately.

“To ensure the safety of all persons involved and to preserve the integrity of the investigative process, Father Vargas has been placed on administrative leave,” the diocese said.

The diocese said Vargas is barred from practicing any ministry and from having contact with parishioners, employees, volunteers, ministries or affiliated organizations of the Diocese of Palm Beach, including St. Thomas More Parish, unless he receives express permission from the diocese.

The diocese did not provide details about the nature of the charges in its announcement. It…

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A barrister has told Derry Magistrates’ Court that any attempt to change the date for a Preliminary Enquiry in relation to a priest facing sex offences would be opposed.

Edward Gallagher (58) of Orchard Park in Lifford, County Donegal had been charged with one count of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between April 2 and April 17, 2025 and seven further offences including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch sexual activity on April 17 as well as charges of possessing indecent images of children.

The hearing was told a date for a PE had been fixed for July 16.

A prosecutor said the case was in for a review but he asked for another review as there were ‘some outstanding items’.

Defence counsel Stephen Mooney said this was a ‘long standing case’ and added that any attempt to miss…

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There wasn’t much openness to listening at the U.S. bishops’ June meeting.

At their meeting last week, the U.S. bishops debated proposed revisions to the U.S. church’s guidelines for dealing with sex abuse, the so-called “Dallas Charter.” First promulgated in 2002, the document has been periodically updated, and the bishops were ready to vote on further revisions, including adding language to emphasize the right of accused priests to “the presumption of innocence.” The committee chair insisted there had been sufficient consultation, but other bishops suggested that additional feedback from victims, priests, and diocesan review boards would strengthen the revisions. Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, argued that further input could bring more buy-in from local churches, but acknowledged that perhaps many of his brother bishops had become “synodality-weary.”

That weariness of synodality’s inclusive discernment was evident in the final votes: a motion to postpone that would allow more time…

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Our society honors many heroic figures like Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr. We often dedicate statues, intersections, buildings, and squares to soldiers and police who bravely protected others and were killed in the line of duty.

Why? In large part, because we want to encourage others to emulate their noble, selfless behavior.

So it’s counterproductive — and hurtful — that Toledo officials honor a now-deceased Catholic priest who helped thwart a police investigation into a murder. Later this month, however, those officials can remedy this injustice.

Years ago, Toledo officials posted a street sign to honor a prominent cleric, Msgr. Jerome Schmit, for his fine work with young people. Msgr. Schmit’s name still graces a two block stretch that adjoins Mud Hens stadium in downtown Toledo.

However, it’s become clear that Msgr. Schmit — along with a deputy police chief and an attorney — blocked a…

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Rhode Island Governor Daniel J. McKee has signed into law sweeping legislation that allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse, no matter when the abuse occurred, to sue their abusers and the institutions that enabled or concealed that abuse.

The new law establishes a two-year “revival window” that runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, during which survivors may file lawsuits against alleged perpetrators and institutions, such as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, the Mormon Church and other entities accused of failing to prevent abuse or covering up wrongful conduct. The two-year window, also known as a “lookback window,” temporarily lifts the statute of limitations of previously expired claims. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred.

The law was passed after, the Rhode Island Attorney General released a comprehensive report on March 4, 2026, of a…

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Days after a former Baltimore County youth pastor admitted to sexually abusing a child, a new lawsuit alleges church leaders were warned about his behavior years earlier and failed to stop him.

The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, June 16, by Andreozzi + Foote, accuses Central Christian Church in Rossville of ignoring reports about Thomas G. Pinkerton Jr.’s conduct while he allegedly groomed and sexually abused a teenage boy over a four-year period.

Pinkerton pleaded guilty on June 8 in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and is awaiting sentencing in December.

Now, attorneys representing another alleged victim say the abuse could have been prevented.

According to the complaint, the survivor was an active member of Central Christian’s youth group and just 15 years old when Pinkerton allegedly began targeting him.

Pinkerton singled the teen out through favoritism, private conversations, whispers, unwanted massages, and…

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Created by homeschool lobbyist and parent Rodger Williams, Homeschooling Backgrounder is one of the newest tools deployed by homeschooling leaders and parents to ignore or discredit alumni concerns. Here’s what to know about the astroturfing project.

*****

Child abuse and neglect in homeschooling communities is a serious problem requiring serious solutions. For the last decade and a half, adult homeschool alumni have done everything they can to raise awareness and bring attention to this problem and to advocate for responsible homeschooling. And for each and every one of those years, homeschooling leaders and parents have done everything they can to ignore or discredit the very children they raised or inspired simply because the children refuse to pretend any longer that child abuse and neglect in homeschooling communities is insignificant.

One of the newest tools deployed by…

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His death came in the same week a report into his abuse was published.

Convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally has died aged 75.

One of Ireland’s most notorious sex offenders, Kenneally used his position as a basketball coach to abuse teenagers in Waterford.

Earlier in the year, he had part of his leg amputated and had been receiving palliative care for a number of weeks.

He died in Midlands Prison at 3.30am on Thursday.

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An indicted North Texas pastor can now only lead his congregation remotely on video call after allegedly violating his bond conditions amid his ongoing sexual assault case.  

According to KERA News, Alonzo Diego Fuller, lead pastor of Journey House Fort Worth, was arrested and charged with sexual assault last September. He was released from the Tarrant County jail the next day on a $40,000 surety bond.

Six months later, in March, Fuller was indicted with an additional charge of child grooming.

According to CBS Dallas, the first count alleged Fuller, 40, used his position of spiritual authority to exploit and sexually touch a female without her consent. The second count alleged that Fuller lured a person younger than 18 into a sexual act. He reportedly denied the charges against him during a church service, going as far as putting his mugshot up during the sermon.

Police arrested him again on May…

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