ABUSE TRACKER

Overview:

– San Francisco Archdiocese settles 500+ clergy abuse lawsuits for $395m via Chapter 11 bankruptcy, joining California’s growing Catholic Church financial settlements.

– Bankruptcy transforms moral failures into capped liabilities, offering victims guaranteed compensation while shielding institutions from unlimited jury awards.

– Survivors trade potential larger verdicts for certain smaller payments, as bankruptcy prioritizes institutional finality over justice through criminal convictions.

– Critics warn this legal framework normalizes moral catastrophes as balance-sheet items, urging reforms to prevent abuse of bankruptcy protections by religious entities.

THE ARCHDIOCESE of San Francisco has agreed to pay $395m to settle more than 500 lawsuits alleging clergy sexual abuse. The figure is enormous and, for the victims, long overdue. But it is also the product of a legal mechanism that has quietly become one of the Catholic Church’s most effective institutional shields. Chapter 11 bankruptcy, designed to help distressed businesses reorganise, now…

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SNAP lauds the $395 million settlement by the San Francisco Catholic archdiocese to settle more than 500 lawsuits for clerical sexual abuse, an important first step in achieving justice for survivors. 

“This is an important step for closure but much more is still needed,” said Dan McNevin, SNAP’s Treasurer and himself a California survivor. “San Francisco must publish an accurate list and assure that all living priests, who are accused of sexual abuse, are kept away from children.”

Attorneys for survivors released a statement Monday saying that a series of reforms addressing child protection and transparency will be implemented as part of the settlement. In addition, San Francisco archbishop, Salvatore Cordileone, will be required to write an apology letter to each survivor. 

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy three years ago. The settlement will cover roughly 530 survivors of child sexual abuse.  

SNAP tracks and documents the number of dioceses in the United…

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Archbishop Moth will take caretaker charge of the Diocese of Northampton after Bishop Oakley was charged with rape of a minor.

Pope Leo XIV named an administrator Tuesday to oversee an English diocese after its bishop was charged with the rape of a minor.

The pope named Archbishop Richard Moth as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Northampton June 30, days after police confirmed that Bishop David Oakley faced two counts of rape of a female under the age of 16, following an investigation into historical allegations.

The Northampton diocese, which serves around 180,000 Catholics in central England, is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Westminster, which Moth has led since February 2026.

Leo XIV specified that Moth will be apostolic administrator sede plena et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis (while the see is occupied and at the discretion of the Holy See). This means that Oakley retains the title of Bishop of Northampton as he…

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On June 23, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO) and the DAO’s Family Violence & Sexual Assault Unit announced charges against Philadelphia pastors Bryan Jackson, 42, and Isaiah Banks, 30. Each are charged with a number of felonies, including Criminal Conspiracy, Sexual Abuse of Children, Sexual Exploitation of Children, Corruption of Minors, Unlawful Contact with a Minor, Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, and other related charges.

In early April, Philadelphia police began investigating Banks after receiving a report from the Department of Human Services that Banks allegedly solicited—via text message and social media—child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a 15-year-old victim in exchange for food or money. According to the individual who made the report, they found the messages while conducting a random check on the victim’s phone and notified a therapist who was a mandated reporter.

Further investigation revealed that Banks allegedly shared the CSAM depicting…

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Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster as apostolic administrator of the diocese of Northampton after Northampton’s bishop, David Oakley, was charged by police on two counts of child rape.

The management of the case by the Catholic Church in the UK has raised serious questions regarding Church leaders’ adherence to safeguarding procedure and their commitment to transparent governance.

Bishop David Oakley stepped down from public ministry for unspecified “personal reasons” last October, though it recently emerged that police had arrested the prelate for rape of an underage girl in September of last year.

Last week, Staffordshire Police released a statement saying Oakley has been charged “with two counts of rape [against] a female under 16.”

“Oakley is due to appear at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 14 August,” the police statement also said.

In addition to Church officials failure to disclose Oakley’s arrest, Crux Now has also…

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The secretive religious group is the subject of the new Paramount+ documentary, ‘Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal’

• The Gloriavale Christian Community is a secretive group located in New Zealand
• Members of the cult have been accused of sexual abuse
• Gloriavale is the subject of the new Paramount+ documentary, Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal

Located in a remote part of New Zealand, the Gloriavale Christian Community has been compared to Gilead from The Handmaid’s Tale.

The secretive religious cult was founded in 1969 by Neville Cooper, who later changed his name to Hopeful Christian. The group — which currently has around 600 members and lives communally on a property in New Zealand — follows strict patriarchal rules and has had a history of sexual abuse allegations.

Gloriavale has been the subject of multiple documentaries, including a new three-part docuseries, Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal, which premiered June…

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The June 2026 grand jury term in Randolph County has been released.

These include an Elkins pastor accused of soliciting a minor, two men accused of attempted first-degree murder and another man who is accused of sexual abuse.

The full list of indictments, which was obtained from the Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, can be viewed at the bottom of this article.

An Elkins man was indicted on one count of soliciting a minor via computer, one count of distribution of material depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct, one count of delivery of a controlled substance, and one count of distribution of a hemp-derived product to a person under 21.

Kevin Jones, 34, was a pastor at Summit Church and was arrested in October 2025.

Jones was investigated by the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.

Due to legislation preventing the media from obtaining criminal narratives about sex-related…

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A Houston-area pastor convicted in an online child sex sting is scheduled to be released from prison Tuesday after serving less than half of his 25-year sentence, according to records.

Records show Jeremiah Busby has been granted parole and is expected to be released. Supporters had planned a welcome-home celebration on July 4 at Set Free Church on Uvalde Road, promoting the event with flyers on social media.

But after ABC13 contacted church leaders about the event, the church canceled the rental and refunded the organizer’s payment.

Church leaders said they were not aware of Busby’s criminal history when the event was booked. Busby is required to register as a sex offender following his conviction, and the church said the presence of children in its congregation raised safety concerns.

ABC13 first reported on Busby’s arrest in 2015. At the time, Busby was involved in prison ministry, according to his Facebook…

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A 138-year-old Catholic school in California has suddenly shut down after running out of money — just days after the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed to pay nearly $400 million to hundreds of alleged clergy sex abuse survivors in one of the largest settlements of its kind.

Families at St. Brigid Academy in San Francisco were blindsided Thursday when told the school would permanently close and that deposits for the $20,950 annual tuition would be refunded later this summer.

The closure came as the Archdiocese announced a roughly $395 million settlement that will compensate about 530 survivors who say they were sexually abused by clergy members as children, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

St. Brigid, which opened in 1888, had recently transformed into a K-8 microschool with multi-age classrooms.

The school specialized in educating neurodivergent and gifted students through individualized instruction, maintaining a 4-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

“After…

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The San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million to settle more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials, plaintiffs’ attorneys said Monday.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will have to write an apology letter to each survivor as part of the settlement.

The settlement also requires the archdiocese to implement a series of child protection and transparency reforms, including creating a list of clergy accused of abuse, said Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing dozens of child sexual abuse victims.

The settlement comes three years after the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy and will cover approximately 530 survivors of child sexual abuse, Anderson said. It is the latest agreement over clergy sexual abuse claims. In 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to a record $880 million settlement.

Several archdioceses in California filed for bankruptcy after facing hundreds of lawsuits brought under a California law approved in 2019…

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The proposed settlement will “resolve all lawsuits” regarding child sex abuse involving archdiocesan officials, the prelate said in a press release.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco will offer abuse victims nearly $400 million as part of a broad settlement of the substantial number of sex abuse lawsuits brought against it.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said on June 29 that the proposed $395 million settlement would “resolve all lawsuits related to child sexual abuse” brought against the archdiocese under California’s expanded statute of limitations.

Cordileone said the archdiocese in the past has helped parishes, schools, and other archdiocesan entities absorb the cost of sex-abuse lawsuits, but he said the “current environment” of abuse lawsuits is “much more challenging.”

Schools and parishes “will need to contribute funds” to the settlement both in order to ensure their own legal safeguards and to “share in the work of making amends for the harm…

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A historic $395 million settlement has been reached between the Archdiocese of San Francisco and hundreds of survivors who accused the church of childhood sexual abuse.

The settlement will compensate more than 500 survivors, many of whom came forward after decades of silence. Survivors say they hope the outcome will help protect other children from abuse.

This is one of the largest settlements between the Catholic Church and survivors of sexual abuse. Survivors described the agreement as a turning point after years of advocacy.

“Today’s shame is going to change sides. This acknowledges the systemic denials and cover-ups by the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” said Margie O’Driscoll, a survivor and co-chair of the survivors committee.

For three years, a committee of nine survivors represented more than 500 people in negotiations with the archdiocese.

“What was broken in me is not able to be broken by human means it was so…

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A change in California law opened the window to litigating decades-old abuse claims. The payout is among the largest against clergy to date.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse reached a nearly $400 million settlement with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, advocates announced Monday.

The agreement impacts approximately 530 people who have brought abuse claims against former or current members of the city’s Catholic clergy, and is among the largest per survivor settlement in a clerical bankruptcy to date, according to attorneys.

“This is a momentous shift in power. This is a true reckoning of accountability and required transparency,” Jeff Anderson, who represents about 200 of the victims, said during a press conference Monday.

“To all 500+ survivors that came forward, that stood up, that took action anonymously and or publicly, you have now brought them to bear and to do what needs to be done for kids in the future…

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The Archdiocese of San Francisco and lawyers for the survivors said the settlement, which needs final approval, would resolve about 530 claims from people who said they were sexually abused by clergy members.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco has agreed to a $395 million settlement with survivors of clergy sexual abuse, the archdiocese and lawyers for the victims said on Monday.

The settlement addresses about 530 claims brought by survivors who were abused as children, according to Jeff Anderson, a lawyer for the claimants. The settlement, which also includes several provisions to prevent further abuse in the church, was negotiated as part of the archdiocese’s bankruptcy proceedings.

“This is a true reckoning,” Mr. Anderson said at a news conference on Monday afternoon.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2023 after hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits were filed against it. The settlement must be formally…

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Bernard Knoth resigned from New Orleans’ Jesuit university in 2003 amid sexual abuse allegations at an Indianapolis high school, which he maintained were ‘untrue’.

Bernard Knoth, who was forced to resign as president of Loyola University New Orleans in 2003 after allegations of child sexual abuse and eventually left the Roman Catholic priesthood, has died.

Knoth died June 18 at his home in Sarasota, Fla., after a short, unspecified illness, according to a newspaper obituary published on Friday. He was 77.

Knoth was ordained a priest in 1977 and belonged to the Jesuit religious order. He became president of the Jesuits’ Loyola University New Orleans in 1995. But eight years later, amid the fallout of Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the Catholic clergy abuse scandal by the Boston Globe’s investigative team Spotlight, Knoth resigned the Loyola presidency. 

He was accused at the time of having molested a student at Brebeuf…

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Child liberation theologian and abuse survivor advocate Ryan L. Stollar died June 28 at age 42.

The author, speaker and counselor left a detailed note titled “The End” on his website. According to that note, his death was not an impulsive decision but one he had been contemplating for years. The note indicates a pending divorce from his wife may have been a factor in his timing but was not the reason for his death.

Multiple close friends have confirmed in online posts that Stollar has passed, although there has been no official announcement.

In his final blog post, he wrote of his struggles with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, PTSD and suicidal ideation. He also cited the “fascist hellscape” he saw in America today and his despair over that.

“I have spent my whole life making excuses for a god who never raised a finger to spare me from being molested…

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Bishop of Northampton David Oakley, aged 70, was this week charged with two counts of rape of a female aged under 16.

The offences are alleged to have taken place in Staffordshire between February 2000 and February 2001.

In a statement last night, the President and Vice President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Archbishop of Westminster Richard Moth and Archbishop of Birmingham Bernard Longley, said, “Yesterday’s news of the charges brought against Bishop David Oakley is 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.

“In this moment we would like to provide pastoral reassurance on the commitment of the Church to safeguarding.

“The Catholic…

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A man has been charged following an investigation by our Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team.

Bishop David James Oakley, 70, who is White British, of Desborough, Kettering, has been charged with two counts of rape a female under 16.

It follows his arrest in September 2025 following an allegation made to police.

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

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The following statement was released as a response to a statement from Staffordshire Police 

The Diocese of Northampton can confirm that Bishop David Oakley has been charged after an investigation into non-recent safeguarding allegations.

We understand that this will be very distressing for all concerned but cannot comment further on an active legal process.

If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact either our diocesan safeguarding team or the police directly. Our Safeguarding Team can be contacted on 01604 723514 /safeguarding@northamptondiocese.org.

For further resources and support visit our dedicated webpage for victims and survivors and anyone hurt by abuse here.

Please direct all media enquiries to our Diocesan Director of Communications, Neil Roseman on 07725234700 or neil.roseman@northamptondiocese.org

A statement from the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has been issued 

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A statement from the President and Vice President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Yesterday’s news of the charges brought against Bishop David Oakley is 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.

In this moment we would like to provide pastoral reassurance on the commitment of the Church to safeguarding.

The Catholic Church in England and Wales maintains a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in the Church and in wider society, and we are cooperating fully with the statutory authorities.

Our immediate focus is on providing pastoral support and ensuring that we, as the Church, can continue our mission safely and transparently.

Anybody who comes…

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The Greek Community of Toronto (GCT) has taken legal action against senior Greek Orthodox Church figures in Toronto, alleging corruption, donation misuse, and abuse within the church leadership.

The GCT has filed claims against the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, its metropolitan Sotirios Athanassoulas, four priests and several individuals connected to the church network, accusing them of financial misconduct and systemic governance failures.

The lawsuit claims that church leaders benefited from donations without declaring income to the Canada Revenue Agency, and alleges that funds raised for charitable causes were misused.

According to the statement of claim, donations from a 2012 fundraiser for a seriously ill infant known as “Baby Alexander” may not have fully reached the intended charity. The GCT alleges that while more than $50,000 was raised, only a fraction was transferred to aid organisations.

However, Global Angel founder Gail Courneyea disputed the allegation, stating the charity’s records show it…

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Thursday announced the release of a report detailing allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct — including grooming and misuse of authority involving both minors and adults — within the Diocese of Saginaw in Central Michigan.

38 clergy members — 37 priests and one deacon — were identified in the report as having been accused of sexual misconduct involving children or adults since Jan. 1, 1950. Of those individuals, 30 were ordained or incardinated by the Diocese of Saginaw.

The most recent report is the sixth of seven expected from the Department of Attorney General (DAG), with one report covering each of Michigan’s six Catholic dioceses. A report on the Archdiocese of Detroit is expected to be published later this year.

According to the DAG, the complete accounting regarding allegations within the Diocese of Saginaw compiles information gathered through the DAG’s clergy abuse…

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The Michigan government this week released its sixth report of diocesan abuse allegations in the state, revealing abuse claims against more than three dozen priests and one deacon in the Diocese of Saginaw.

The state attorney general’s report is the second-to-last of a total of seven investigations into clergy and Church abuse in Michigan. Prior to the Saginaw investigation, Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office released a report in December 2025 regarding the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

On June 25, the state published its investigation into the Saginaw Diocese, revealing what it said were allegations against “37 priests and one deacon.” The allegations date as far back as the 1950s.

Thirty of the alleged abusers are “known or presumed to be dead,” while of the eight living priests, “none is in active ministry,” according to the report.

The majority of incidents involve alleged abuse of underage minors, though four…

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Key takeaways:

• Maryland Supreme Court rules on public school immunity
• Child Victims Act immunity applies to claims before July 1, 1971
• Chief Justice Matthew Fader authors unanimous opinion
• Wicomico County case dismissed without prejudice

Victims of child sexual abuse cannot sue public schools for abuse that occurred before mid-1971, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

The state’s high court unanimously ruled that public school boards are immune from claims before July 1, 1971, when they were first exposed to tort claims and required to buy $100,000 liability insurance policies.

Chief Justice Matthew Fader wrote that school boards are immune from suit up to that point because the Maryland General Assembly gave them no way to pay for the claims.

The decision is another blow for Rhonda Sturm, who alleges abuse at a Wicomico County school in the 1970-1971 academic year. She waited decades…

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[See also the criminal complaints 1 2]

The former priest faces charges stemming from a 2025 undercover sting operation and a subsequent discovery of child sexual abuse material on his devices

The Diocese of Madison announced that Andrew Showers has been removed from the clerical state by Pope Leo XIV, effective June 24, 2026.

The decision follows a series of felony charges against Showers, including attempted child enticement and possession of child pornography.

According to a media statement from the diocese, Showers was the one who petitioned the Vatican for a dispensation from his priestly obligations.

The granting of this petition, known as laicization, means Showers is prohibited from exercising priestly ministry, wearing clerical attire, and being addressed as “Father” or “Reverend.”

The loss of the clerical state comes as Showers faces two separate criminal cases in Waupaca County Circuit Court.

Criminal charges

In August 2025, Showers was…

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Public schools are immune from lawsuits alleging sexual abuse that happened before mid-1971, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled this week.

In recent years, the legislature moved to make it easier for survivors of child sexual abuse to seek redress.The Child Victims Act of 2023 removed time limits for them to file lawsuits and hold institutions accountable.

But in a 42-page opinion on Tuesday, Chief Justice Matthew Fader wrote that the Maryland General Assembly only required school systems to obtain comprehensive liability insurance beginning July 1, 1971. Lawmakers, he wrote, neither appropriated funds nor authorized school systems to raise money to pay claims arising from events that occurred before that date.

It was not immediately clear how many lawsuits could be thrown out, as the ruling affects claims that are at least 55 years old.

The Maryland Association of Boards of…

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Disturbing new claims of how a New York City public school teacher silenced and abused a third-grade student decades ago have emerged — a week after a jury awarded the victim a staggering $18 million verdict.

The victim’s lawyer detailed the sickening way the now-dead teacher held the poor child’s mouth closed while he molested him for 30 minutes inside an auditorium full of his classmates.

“He’s never come out of the auditorium,” the victim’s attorney Jeff Herman told The Post in an exclusive interview. “It took away a future for him — he always wanted to be ordinary and he struggled.” 

The delayed justice come nearly five decades after parents boycotted the school for covering up the teacher’s sickening acts, court records show, and years after the sicko teacher passed away.

The courthouse win for the victim, who was then a third-grader and is only known as A.P. in…

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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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