ABUSE TRACKER

ESPANA
El Correo

«Me dijo que mi quitaba a la niña por adúltera». María Luisa Torres, la mujer que acusa a la monja María Gómez Valbuena de haberle sustraído a una hija que tuvo en 1982 en la clínica Santa Cristina de Madrid, ratificó ayer ante el juez que la religiosa le dijo que se quedaba sin el bebé debido a que el padre no era su marido.

Torres y su hija Pilar se reencontraron hace ocho meses en un programa de televisión gracias a las gestiones del padre adoptivo. Su relación biológica fue confirmada después por pruebas de ADN. Ambas comparecieron ayer ante el titular del juzgado de instrucción número 47 de la capital de España. En Euskadi, la Fiscalía ha imputado de momento a dos ginecólogos y una matrona.

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ESPANA
el Periodico

ANTONIO M. YAGÜE
MADRID

Pilar Alcalde, que fue sustraída a su madre en marzo de 1982 y con la que se ha reencontrado 29 años después, aseguró ayer a las puertas de los juzgados de instrucción de Madrid que si la monja María Gómez Valbuena, de 80 años, «no lo paga aquí», sabe que lo pagará «arriba». Se trata de la primera religiosa denunciada por la fiscalía en el caso de los niños robados en hospitales de toda España entre 1940 y 1990. A juicio de la víctima, su castigo debería ser «acabar en la cárcel, porque ha hecho daño a muchas familias que están sin identidad».

Pilar acudió con su madre, María Luisa Torres, a ratificar la denuncia. La madre recordó lo que le dijo la monja tras dar a luz en la maternidad Santa Cristina de Madrid: «Primero que estaba muerta, luego que la había dado en adopción a una familia francesa y después, con todo el descaro del mundo y crueldad, ‘te la voy a quitar y, además, vas a ir a la cárcel porque eres una adúltera’».

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SPAIN
Toronto Star

Wendy Gillis
Staff Reporter

For nearly 30 years she kept the baby blanket and pacifier, hoping one day to return them to the daughter she claims was snatched from her at birth.

Now, Luisa Torres has not only reconnected with her lost child — the mother-daughter reunion has prompted the first indictment in the “stolen babies” scandal that has rocked Spain in recent months.

Torres and her daughter, 29-year-old Maria Pilar, appeared in a Madrid court Tuesday, testifying that Sister Maria Gomez Valbuena, a nun now in her 80s, orchestrated the theft of Pilar, then sold her to another family.

“Now the judge knows everything,” Torres told reporters outside the Madrid court after her two-hour testimony. “I hope for justice.”

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AUSTRALIA/UNITED STATES
The Australian Jewish News

CONVICTED child sex offender David Kramer could be back in Australia as soon as next month, with police understood to be preparing to charge and subsequently extradite the former Yeshivah College teacher from the United States.

Kramer was spirited away by Yeshivah after accusations of child molestation surfaced in 1993. In 2008, Kramer was sentenced to seven years jail in St Louis, Missouri, after sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy. He became eligible for parole late last year.

A spokesperson for police media said that “no charges have been laid” but that the “investigation is ongoing”, adding “we can’t comment any –further”.

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TEXAS
The Associated Press

By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — In the four years since Texas authorities swarmed the polygamist ranch of sect leader Warren Jeffs, state prosecutors have spent more than $4.5 million racking up swift convictions against him and 10 loyal followers on child sex and bigamy charges, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

Combined with other state agency costs surrounding the April 3, 2008 raid, documents show the price tag is approaching $20 million for what began as a chaotic roundup of nearly 400 children and grew into one of the largest criminal cases in recent Texas history.

The saga is now all but over. Last week, state prosecutors convicted the last of 11 men arrested at the Yearning for Zion Ranch. All received prison time, including a life sentence for Jeffs.

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FORT KENT (ME)
Bangor Daily News

By Dawn Gagnon, BDN Staff

FORT KENT, Maine — A Roman Catholic priest assigned to St. John Vianney Parish is taking a voluntary leave of absence from public ministry, effective Tuesday, while the attorney general’s office conducts an investigation of allegations against him.

The Rev. James L. Nadeau, 51, has been serving the parish for seven years, Sue Bernard, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, and Brenda Kielty, spokeswoman for the Maine attorney general’s office, said Tuesday evening in a news release.

They did not indicate why Nadeau was under investigation. Bernard declined to provide further details and Kielty could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Located in the St. John Valley in northernmost Maine, St. John Vianney Parish comprises St. Louis Catholic Church in Fort Kent, St. Mary Catholic Church in Eagle Lake, St. Charles Catholic Church in St. Francis and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Soldier Pond.

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PORTLAND (ME)
WMTW

PORTLAND, Maine –
A Catholic priest has taken a voluntary leave of absence while the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigates allegations against him, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland said on Tuesday.

Rev. James L. Nadeau, 51, has served St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent for seven years. The leave of absence took effect on Tuesday and another priest will be assigned to serve the parish as soon as possible, said Sue Bernard, communications director for the diocese.

Bernard did not say what the allegations were.

“The diocese is cooperating fully with the Attorney General’s office and at their request, I cannot discuss the allegations or anything about the investigation,” Bishop Richard Malone said. “I am hopeful that this process will go smoothly in order to lead to an expeditious and just conclusion.”

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MAINE
The Portland Press Herald

From staff reports

A Catholic priest who served in parishes in Biddeford and Portland has agreed to take a leave of absence from the ministry while the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigates allegations against him.

The Rev. James Nadeau, 51, the pastor for St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent, left his post Tuesday.

Nadeau, who has served for the last seven years in Fort Kent, served previously at St. Andre in Biddeford and at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. He was ordained as a priest in 1988.

“In order for the investigation to proceed unimpeded, Father Nadeau has taken a voluntary leave of absence,” Bishop Richard Malone said in a press release issued Tuesday night. “The diocese is cooperating fully with the Attorney General’s Office and at their request, I cannot discuss the allegations or anything about the investigation. I am hopeful that this process will go smoothly in order to lead to an expeditious and just conclusion.”

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MAINE
The Republic

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: April 04, 2012

FORT KENT, Maine — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland says a priest who serves a Fort Kent parish has taken a leave of absence pending the results of an investigation launched by the Maine attorney general’s office.

Neither the diocese nor the attorney general would say why the Rev. James Nadeau is under investigation. He has been at St. John Vianney Parish in northern Maine for the past seven years and previously served at parishes in Biddeford and Portland. He was ordained in 1988.

Bishop Richard Malone said in a statement Tuesday that the 51-year-old Nadeau has taken a leave “in order for the investigation to proceed unimpeded.” The diocese is cooperating.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Sun

By ANTHONY FRANCE

MORE than 400 children are sexually abused every week in Britain — one every 20 MINUTES, a shock investigation has revealed.

The NSPCC called for urgent action as figures showed nine out of ten paedophiles go unpunished.

A child abuse expert last night said Britain has a massive paedophile problem — which should be treated like an outbreak of DISEASE.

Jon Brown urged the Government to act as shocking figures obtained by the NSPCC showed perverts are lurking the length and breadth of the country.

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UNITED STATES
PRWeb

Jacksonville Beach, Florida (PRWEB) April 04, 2012

April is National Child Abuse Prevention month and Don Dymer, president and chief executive officer of SingleSource background screening corporation wants to share some helpful advice on how to listen if a child or youth has the courage to open up about the abuse. What happens in those first few seconds of dialogue can make a difference between stopping the abuse, or a child retreating further into darkness.

“People abuse children from all walks of life,” explains Don Dymer, chief executive officer and president of SingleSource background screening company. The Centers for Disease Control reports that more than 500,000 children in the United States are sexually molested each year. But molesters are rarely caught and since most children will never report the abuse, there is little linking these molesters to the horrible abuse and little or no chance they will be convicted and stopped.

What do I do if a child tells me that he/she has been sexually abused?

Dymer continues, “The foundation, From Darkness to Light tells us that studies show that children rarely report abuse when it is occurring and almost 80% will in fact deny the abuse. As adults we need to be alert to signs that something might be wrong.

Dymer continues, “If a child does come to you here is critical advice from the Child Molestation Research & Prevention Institute on what you should do if a child is brave enough to share their pain with you. Take the time to really listen to the child when they want to talk. Believe what you are hearing no matter how unfathomable it sounds. (remember 90% of abuse is done by someone the child knows, trusts and loves.) Assure the child that they are doing the right thing by telling and you will get help. Never blame or punish the child or show anger. Control your emotions. Your reaction to the abuse might be viewed as directed toward the child, assure the child that you are not angry at them. Do Not Take Notes while the child is talking to you. Listen intently and afterwards quickly document the disclosure. If you are an employee or volunteer and hear of the abuse, immediately report the incident to your supervisor, but remember that this doesn’t remove your obligation to report the incident to the proper authorities. If you represent the organization at which the abuse occurred, you must report the child’s disclosure to law enforcement or child protective agency as specified by the laws in your particular state.

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LYNNWOOD (WA)
Herald

By Diana Hefley, Herald Writer

LYNNWOOD — Snohomish County prosecutors say it was against the law for a Lynnwood man to have sex with a 17-year-old girl because he was the teen’s youth church leader at the time.

James Lim, 26, is accused of abusing a “supervisory position” in order to engage in sexual intercourse with the teen. In general, the legal age for consensual sex in Washington is 16. Prosecutors, however, allege that Lim was forbidden from having sex with the teen because of his job with the church.

Lim was charged this week with first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor and second-degree possession of child pornography. He is expected to be arraigned on the charges later this month in Snohomish County Superior Court.

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WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Peter Isely and James Connell

In a long-awaited court motion to be heard on Thursday in federal bankruptcy court in Milwaukee, 570 victims/survivors of childhood rape and sexual assault by Catholic clergy and other church personnel will petition Judge Susan V. Kelley to release the sealed testimony of the two former Milwaukee bishops most responsible for decades of concealing and transferring known offender priests, Archbishop Rembert Weakland and Bishop Richard Sklba.

The motion, supported by the Creditors Committee appointed by Kelley, also will ask to unseal all evidence in the 570 claims, once appropriate redactions have been made. Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki has instructed his lawyers to oppose the motion. The archdiocese consistently wants to withhold this information.

For Catholics, confessing sin is good for the soul. Listecki acknowledged as much in a special clergy abuse Mass of Atonement last week. But confession in the Catholic Church requires penance, which is an action of justice that attempts to repair the harm. In other words, we cannot move from confession to healing without doing penance, and that includes doing justice and being truthful.

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MEDFORD (MA)
Wicked Local Medford

By Nicholas Iovino/niovino@wickedlocal.com
Medford Transcript

Medford —

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts stripped a retired Medford pastor of his priesthood after investigating allegations that he sexually abused women during his time as rector.

Robert M. Durkee, now 85 years old, served as pastor of Grace Episcopal Church on High Street from 1964 to 1989.

In January, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts received a complaint against the former rector, alleging that he engaged in sexual misconduct with a woman in 1980.

“It’s my understanding that two additional, possible victims came forward just within the last day or two,” said Tracy Sukraw, director of communications for the Diocese.

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TOLEDO (OH)
WTOL

[with video]

Posted by Erin Kelly

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – SNAP President Barbara Blaine visited Toledo on Tuesday, and called for more public disclosure from the Toledo Catholic Diocese regarding the whereabouts and status of priests who have been accused of sexual abuse.

The support group for victims who have been sexually abused by priests held a rally outside of the Diocese headquarters.

The organization is also calling on officials to warn people in a Perrysburg parish about a former priest. They say he was accused of sexual abuse, and is no longer a priest, but wants to join a Perrysburg parish.

“I think it’s really important that the safety of children come first. And I think that priests and church officials should do everything they can to protect children. And if they know of a sexual predator in their midst, they have a duty to warn parents.” Blaine said about the group’s request.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog

Ralph Cipriano

The man wrote the archdiocese in 1996, claiming that as an adolescent, he had been sexually abused by Father Stanley M. Gana. The man wanted the archdiocese to pay for his therapy, which he said, were a direct result of the abuse he had suffered from Father Gana.

There was a problem, however, Monsignor William J. Lynn explained in writing to the victim. The archdiocese had a policy where it would only pay the bills of alleged victims if the priest accused of abuse had confessed. Father Gana, Lynn explained, was still denying the allegations. So the archdiocese, according to its own policy, was not required to pay for the man’s therapy.

However, Lynn wrote, out of the archdiocese’s “charitable concern” for the victim’s “emotional, physical and spiritual well-being,” the archdiocese had decided to make an exception in this case, and pay the victim’s therapy bills. The letter was signed, “Sincerely yours in the Lord, William J. Lynn.”

Sadly, as far as the archdiocese was concerned, however, this wasn’t a charity case, as was revealed Tuesday in the ongoing sex abuse trial. Father Gana had made a full confession, according to formerly confidential documents that the prosecutor entered into evidence. The documents showed that Monsignor Lynn knew about the priest’s confession, but decided not to share this knowledge with the victim.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The New York Times

By JON HURDLE

Published: April 3, 2012

PHILADELPHIA — A victim of alleged sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic priest told a court on Tuesday that church officials took more than 10 years to resolve his complaint that he had been molested at a summer camp.

Walter J. Daly, 64, told jurors at the landmark trial of a senior church official and another priest that he wrote to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in October 1992 complaining that he had been abused by the Rev. John Cannon, a priest who ran the camp in Lancaster County, Pa., where Mr. Daly went as an elementary and high school student.

In response, Mr. Daly was invited to a meeting in November 1992 with three church officials, including Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the archdiocese and the first senior church official in the United States to be tried on charges that he endangered children by placing priests in positions where they were able to molest them.

The officials listened to Mr. Daly’s description of having been abused an estimated 25 times over successive summers at the camp but did not appear to resolve his complaints and did not seem very sympathetic, he told the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

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MONTANA
Billings Gazette

By SUSAN OLP solp@billingsgazette.com

The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings should not use an off-duty police officer to investigate claims of sexual abuse by priests, a victims advocacy group said Tuesday.

Two members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, visited Billings to make a case against the practice. The pair spoke Tuesday morning in front of St. Patrick Co-Cathedral.

Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest associate director, and Steven Spaner, SNAP Australia coordinator, both from the St. Louis area, talked about the issue that came up in a civil suit recently filed against the diocese.

The civil suit, filed Feb. 8 in Great Falls, includes 10 plaintiffs. The only named plaintiff, Timothy Becker, alleged that the Rev. Ted Szudera abused him in 1978 and 1979 while Szudera was a priest in Livingston.

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NORTH DAKOTA
Grand Forks Herald

By: Stephen J. Lee, Grand Forks Herald

According to news sources in the Philippines, an appeals court in Manila on Tuesday approved the extradition of Fernando Sayasaya, a former priest in the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, to stand trial in a Fargo court on decade-old felony sex charges involving two minor boys.

The Manila court ruled that the affidavit of West Fargo Police Detective Greg Warren detailing charges from two brothers against Sayasaya was credible and constituted probable cause, according to news reports.

Fernando Sayasaya, who was defrocked several years ago at the urging of Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, was ordained in the diocese in 1995 by Bishop James Sullivan. He served at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown Fargo and at Blessed Sacrament in West Fargo.

Sayasaya was removed of his parish duties in 1998, after two brothers accused him of sexually assaulting them in 1997.

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PHILIPPINES
Sun.Star

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

A FILIPINO priest who was indicted for having sexual contact with teenage boys over a decade ago may soon be sent back to the United States to face charges.

Reverend Father Fernando Sayasaya lost his battle at the Court of Appeals (CA) after its first division refused to reverse the decision of the Manila City Regional Trial Court last December 2010 granting the request of the Department of Justice for him to be extradited.

The DOJ filed the petition on behalf of the US government.

“Suppression of crimes is the concern not only of the state where it is committed but also of any other state to which the criminal may have escaped,” the decision penned by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier stated.

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TOLEDO (OH)
Toledo Blade

BY DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

Barbara Blaine of SNAP led a small protest outside the Toledo Catholic Diocese offices on Tuesday asking Bishop Leonard Blair to be more diligent in keeping the public informed about priests who abuse minors.

The diocese’s online “case status” on priest abusers is dated December, 2010, and Ms. Blaine said the list should be updated once a year “at a minimum.”

The founder and president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Ms. Blaine stood on the sidewalk in front of the diocese’s downtown Spielbusch Avenue offices flanked by SNAP supporters Tom and Mary Jean McCarty, who held signs with childhood photos of abuse victims and SNAP’s web address, snapnetwork.org.

An attorney and Toledo native now living in Chicago, Ms. Blaine also called on the diocese to warn members of Blessed John XXIII Parish in Perrysburg that Denny Gray, a defrocked Toledo priest, reportedly is joining the parish. Gray was sued by at least 11 boys claiming he sexually abused them before he left the priesthood in 1987. The diocese sent a letter to one of Gray’s victims stating that the ex-priest “has admitted to us he is guilty of child abuse.”

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INDIA
Christian Today

By: KK John

Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 13:23 (IST)

Another nun from the Catholic Church in Kerala is taking the audacity to open up on the sexual abuse faced by nuns in convents.

Sr Mary Chandy left the order 12 years ago when a priest had forced himself on her. The Presentation Convent nun is now penning her ordeals in an autobiography that will be soon released.

In an interview to a local daily, the 76-year-old nun said her autobiography ‘Swasthy’ will create a “whirlwind” of sorts as it exposes the ordeals she experienced in her 56 years of life as a nun.

“I was once the target of rape and when I protested a clergyman’s attempt and took up the issue with the church, it was I and not he, who was put under tremendous mental pressure,” she said in the interview.

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WISCONSIN
Green Bay Press-Gazette

Written by
Jim Collar
Gannett Wisconsin Media

APPLETON — A judge on Tuesday denied a request from the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay that a jury from outside Outagamie County hear a civil lawsuit brought by two childhood sexual assault victims.

A jury trial is scheduled next month in Outagamie County Court in the lawsuit filed by brothers Troy and Todd Merryfield stemming from their childhood sexual abuse at the hands of former priest John Feeney.

The Merryfields, formerly of Freedom, were sexually assaulted by Feeney in the late 1970s.

They say the diocese was fraudulent in failing to inform Freedom’s St. Nicholas Catholic Church of Feeney’s past, which included church-ordered sexual abuse counseling.

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AUSTRALIA
702 ABC Sydney

By Tim Palmer

Updated April 04, 2012

New questions are being asked about the link between the NSW Attorney-General and a retired Catholic priest who allegedly abused a number of female children during his time in the church.

Father Finian Egan’s more than 50 years as a priest took him to at least half a dozen churches in and around Sydney.

But the priest’s service in the Catholic church came to an end when a number of women came forward to accuse him of abusing them when they were children.

Within weeks of 7.30 airing a series of stories on Father Egan, at least five people had gone to police and a widespread investigation was underway.

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KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter

Apr. 03, 2012
By Joshua J. McElwee

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first criminal case against a Catholic bishop in the decades-long clergy sex abuse scandal is expected to take a pivotal turn this week, as a county judge decides whether Bishop Robert Finn, head of the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese, can be tried on charges of failing to report suspected child abuse.

Central to the decision will be the question of whether Finn can be considered a “mandated reporter” in the case.

Prosecutors say Finn, who has publicly apologized for his handling of a diocesan priest prosecutors say the bishop knew had created child pornography, was criminally liable in not reporting the priest to police.

In motions filed by his lawyers in February, Finn denied guilt of the charges and claimed that because others in the diocese were primarily tasked with reporting abuse, he was absolved of primary responsibility in the case and should not be considered a mandated reporter.

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LOUISIANA
American Press

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 03, 2012

By Ashley Withers / American Press

Former priest Mark A. Broussard on Monday was charged with an additional 100 counts of sexual battery and 40 counts of aggravated rape after another victim came forward, authorities said.

Kim Myers, spokeswoman for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the crimes occurred at Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Lake Charles — that’s where the victim attended school and church — when the victim was 11-16 years old.

Our Lady Queen of Heaven was the first parish Broussard was assigned to after being ordained in May 1986.

The victim, now 36, is one of four young boys documented in Broussard’s personnel file from his time with the Diocese of Lake Charles. These accounts of sexual contact with young parishioners were known and recorded by the diocese, but never reported to authorities.

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IRELAND
The Guardian (United Kingdom)

Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 3 April 2012

Several key figures in Irish state broadcaster RTÉ have retired or resigned ahead of what is expected to be a damning report into the libelling of a priest the station falsely accused of rape and fathering a child in Africa.

The retirements and resignations will be followed by a further major complaint of alleged editorial bias against defeated Irish presidential candidate Seán Gallagher. A second report is due which will examine Gallagher’s claims that biased coverage on the Frontline debate show cost him his lead in the opinion polls in the final week of last autumn’s election.

The false allegations against Fr Kevin Reynolds cost RTÉ €1m in libel damages after the investigative Prime Time Investigates programme Mission to Prey ignored internal legal advice that the priest was ready to take a DNA test to prove the claims against him were wrong.

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UNITED STATES
The New York Times

By JANE E. BRODY, Columnist

Every year millions of children from all walks of life become victims of, or witnesses to, abusive or violent events that can result in long-lasting symptoms of distress. The events can range from sexual and physical abuse to involvement in a natural disaster, fire or serious motor vehicle accident.

In many cases, the trauma is unknown to parents and caregivers or never dealt with effectively. The consequences can be devastating for the children and families involved and for society at large. These children are at much greater risk of developing behavioral problems, failing at school, abusing drugs or alcohol and becoming violent themselves.

Without treatment, post-traumatic stress reactions can persist into adulthood, causing eating disorders, personality and mood disorders, relationship difficulties, persistent anxiety, unexplained physical problems, and violent or abusive behaviors.

According to report being released Tuesday by Safe Horizon, a victim assistance group that operates child advocacy centers in New York City, and the Childhood Violent Trauma Center at Yale University, children who are abused or neglected are 59 percent more likely than those who were not victimized to be arrested as juveniles, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as adults, and 30 percent more likely to commit a violent crime. They also face much higher rates of teenage pregnancy and are likelier to abuse or neglect their own children.

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NEW YORK
Catholic News Agency

Thornwood, N.Y., Apr 3, 2012 / 11:25 am (CNA).- The Legionaries of Christ have announced plans to sell their Thornwood property in Westchester County, New York, citing financial strain and fallout from revelations about the late Father Marcial Maciel.

“The scandal involving our founder has been a great shock to us all, shaking our trust and raising doubts in many hearts. We are working hard to regain the trust of our friends – and of one another,” explained Father Luis Garza, L.C., director of the order’s North American territory, in an April 2 letter.

In his message to the Legion and its affiliate Regnum Christi, Fr. Garza announced the sale of the property that had been used for priestly formation since 1996. He noted that the global recession of the past several years had “also affected many of our benefactors.”

“As a consequence of our difficulties, we have also experienced a decrease in vocations to the Legion and to the consecrated life,” he acknowledged.

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PHILIPPINES
The Philippine Star

By Edu Punay (The Philippine Star) Updated April 04, 2012

MANILA, Philippines – The Court of Appeals (CA) has approved the extradition of former priest Fernando Sayasaya to the United States to stand trial for sexual molestation.

The CA affirmed the ruling of the Manila City regional trial court ordering the extradition of Sayasaya, who is wanted in the US for allegedly sexually molesting two minors on several occasions from 1995 to 1998.

In a 23-page decision, the first division of the appellate court dismissed Sayasaya’s petition questioning the extradition order.

The CA, through Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, stressed the Philippine government has an obligation to ensure that crimes would not go unpunished.

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NEW JERSEY
Daily Record

Written by
Abbott Koloff
Staff Writer

Local church officials say they have made another monetary settlement over sex abuse allegations against former Dover pastor Ronald Tully.

Ken Mullaney, an attorney for the Paterson Roman Catholic Diocese, acknowledged that a settlement was made about a month ago but said any other information would have to come from the victim making the allegations and his attorney.

Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian said on Tuesday that the diocese paid $265,000 to his client to settle the matter and offered to pay an additional amount for counseling. He said his client was 16 years old and a student at Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, where Tully worked, in 1976 when the alleged abuse took place.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Tyrone Times

Published on Tuesday 3 April 2012

PARENTS who were present when sexually explicit imagery appeared on screen during a presentation given by the Parish Priest of Pomeroy, have demanded an explanation and apology following the incident.

According to a “unanimous” statement issued on behalf of parents of Primary Four children from St Mary’s PS in the village – who had gathered last Monday night to attend an information event given by Fr Martin McVeigh in preparation for First Communion – a number of questions remain unanswered as to what action has been taken by the Archdiocese of Armagh in light of what took place.

Both the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and Cardinal Sean Brady’s office have confirmed that the incident is under investigation.

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IRELAND
Galway Bay FM

April 3, 2012

Ed Mulhall has retired as head of RTE’s news and current affairs.

The announcement follows the completition of an investigation by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland into a Prime Time Investigates programme, A Mission to Prey.

The programme wrongly accused Ahascragh priest Fr Kevin Reynolds of statutory rape and also falsely alleged he had fathered a child.

He has since been awarded substantial damages by RTE in the high court, and the broadcaster did not contest the claims made by Fr Reynolds in the proceedings.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia let a pastor who admitted abusing adolescent boys at a Northeast Philadelphia parish return to limited ministry in 1997 because doctors said his problem had been substance abuse, not pedophilia, jurors were told today.

After his return from treatment, the Rev. Stanley Gana was assigned as the chaplain for a monastery of Carmelite nuns,

Msgr. William J. Lynn, the administrator who recommended his assignment and had interviewed two of his victims, told Gana he could also occasionally assist at parishes – as long as he kept “a low-profile” in the diocese.

“I said it would be fine if Gana helps out, if it was not a Northeast parish or a parish with a school,” Lynn wrote in a confidential memo.

Philadelphia prosecutors introduced the records today as they sought to prove that Lynn, the archdiocese’s former secretary for clergy, endangered children by enabling or failing to remove priests suspected of abusing children.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Religion Dispatches

Post by Katie Toth

Things got awkward at St. Mary’s School in Pomeroy, Ireland last week, when a Catholic priest accidentally aired gay pornography during his presentation to parents about the First Communion.

According to a parents’ statement, Father Martin McVeigh was setting up a PowerPoint display and put a USB stick into the computer. When pornographic images appeared on screen, he abandoned the presentation, probably more than a little embarrassed.

Parents and the diocese have advanced on McVeigh with vigor. According to a spokesperson, the principal of St. Mary’s “immediately referred this matter to the diocesan authorities in accordance with the diocesan safeguarding procedures”; the Cardinal and the diocesan child protection office have launched a formal investigation after Church authorities consulted with the police.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
San Luis Obispo Tribune

By JOANN LOVIGLIO | Associated Press

A series of confidential memos outlining multiple allegations of sexual abuse against a now-defrocked priest were read to jurors Tuesday in the landmark clergy abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.

The memos describe how the archdiocese handled the allegations against the Rev. Stanley Gana lodged in the 1990s. Prosecutors are trying to show that the archdiocese didn’t do enough to protect children from Gana after the accusations arose.

Monsignor William Lynn, 61, supervised more than 800 priests as the secretary for clergy in Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004. He’s the first U.S. church official charged over his handling of abuse complaints against priests.

Prosecutors charge that he kept dangerous priests in parish work around children to protect the church’s reputation and avoid scandal. He faces up to 28 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment.

A detective read confidential memos and other documents to jurors about Gana that dated back to 1992. The documents include reports made to the church, and conversations with Lynn and others, by several young men who said they were molested by Gana for years as adolescents.

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MONTANA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by Judy Jones on April 03, 2012

We are members of a Chicago-based international support group called SNAP. Our mission is to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable.

We’re here today, outside the Great Falls/Billings Catholic Diocese headquarters, for four reasons:

Instead, we want him to promptly report all reports and suspicions of possible child sex crimes immediately to police. If law enforcement officials can’t or won’t pursue charges (often due to the statute of limitations), then we want Warfel to hired retired law enforcement to look into the accusations.

Hiring off duty copes as investigators is apparently legal in Montana (though apparently illegal in some states). We believe that it likely compromises or compromises or undermines the integrity or independence of – or reduces public confidence in – law enforcement.

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TOLEDO (OH)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by Barbara Blaine on April 03, 2012

We are members of a Chicago-based international support group called SNAP. Our mission is to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable.

We’re here today, outside the Toledo Catholic Diocese headquarters, for three reasons:

1–To urge Toledo’s bishop to tell parishioners and the public – now and on a regular basis – the whereabouts and status of predator priests in the diocese,

2– To urge a Toledo nun – just elected to a national church post- to push for more disclosure of child molesting clerics who belong to religious orders,

3– And to urge all Toledo Catholic officials to warn citizens and Catholics that a now defrocked pedophile priest, Dennis P. Gray, is reportedly joining a Perrysburg parish.

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NORTH DAKOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by David Clohessy on April 03, 2012

We are glad that that Fr. Fernando Sayasaya – a former Fargo priest – will be returned to the United States to face a trial for his crimes. It is rare that victims of a predator priest have the chance to see the justice system work in their favor. We are hopeful that this trial will give them some peace and will protect children from this child molesting cleric.

This case is another example in a string of incidents in which church officials have let a foreign priest return to his country after finding out about abuse allegations against him (the other most recent case is of Fr. Jeyapaul, in Minnesota). This is a disturbing practice and needs to end. As with all priests, whether they are US citizens or otherwise, church officials should immediately turn over all evidence of abuse to the police and let them investigate. The situation with Fr. Sayasaya is a somber reminder of how much further the church hierarchy needs to go to live up to their promise of being open and honest about child sex crimes.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
ABC News

PHILADELPHIA April 3, 2012 (AP)

A series of confidential memos from the 1990s are being read to jurors in the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.

The memos being read Tuesday describe how the archdiocese handled allegations of sexual abuse against the Rev. Stanley Gana lodged in the 1990s. Prosecutors are trying to show that the archdiocese didn’t do enough after the accusations arose.

Monsignor William Lynn’s child endangerment and conspiracy trial could last several months.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
New York Daily News

Roman Catholic Church investigating how porn slideshow ended up at First Communion class

By Nina Mandell / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Catholic Church launched an investigation after an Irish priest inadvertently played a slide show of gay porn to a group of parents who had come for a meeting about their children’s First Communion.

Father Martin McVeigh was setting up a PowerPoint presentation last week when the sexual images popped up on the computer, The Ulster Herald reported.

“There were plenty of shocked faces,” one person at the meeting told the newspaper. “There’s a lot of parents very angry about it.”

Parents said in a statement that McVeigh quickly removed the offending memory card from the computer and bolted from the room.

“He was visibly shaken and flustered,” the statement said, according to The Associated Press. “He gave no explanation or apology to the group and bolted out of the room. The coordinator and the teachers then continued with the presentation.”

McVeigh returned to the meeting 20 minutes later and told parents that children get lots of money for their Holy Communion and should consider giving some of it to the church.

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IRELAND
The Journal

TWO RTÉ EXECUTIVES have left their positions as a result of inquiries into the Prime Time Investigates programme ‘A Mission to Prey’. The Prime Time Investigates series is also to be permanently shelved, RTÉ has announced.

Ed Mulhall, the Managing Director of RTÉ’s News and Current Affairs division, retired from the broadcaster from March 2012, according to a statement just issued by RTÉ.

Ken O’Shea, Editor of Current Affairs, has resigned that post. He is now “transferring to an assignment in Television, reporting to the Commissioning Editor for RTÉ Two”.

RTÉ also announced today that it has convened an External Investigation Board “into all personnel matters arising in respect of the programme ‘A Mission to Prey’.” This board is currently investigating and is to deliver a report to RTÉ’s Group Head of HR. RTÉ said it won’t comment on the work of the board until it has reached a conclusion.

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IRELAND
Breaking News

03/04/2012

The Managing Director of RTÉ’s News and Current affairs division, Ed Mulhall, has retired from the organisation with effect from March 2012.

Ken O’Shea has confirmed that he has resigned from his post as Editor of Current Affairs.

He is transferring to an assignment in television, reporting to the Commissioning Editor for RTÉ Two.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

Tuesday April 03 2012

RTE’S Prime Time Investigates has been axed while a new current affairs unit will be established at the TV station following a report from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland into a defamatory programme on Fr Kevin Reynolds.

The head of news Ed Mulhall has retired from the organisation while editor of current affairs Ken O’Shea has resigned from his post and will transfer to another assignment in television.

The move comes just a day after the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland compliance committee issued a report into the programme.

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IRELAND
Leinster Express

RTE’s award-winning current affairs series Prime Time Investigates has been taken off the air for good.

The show, which was responsible for the hugely damaging and defamatory Mission To Prey programme, has been shelved in an attempt to rebuild public trust.

Noel Curran, RTE director general, announced the move as part of wide-ranging reforms in its personnel, management and operations in the current affairs division.

“Mistakes will happen in broadcasting and in journalism, no matter what changes are made. Programme makers must be and will be supported in making challenging programming,” he said.

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IRELAND
RTE News

RTÉ has announced significant changes in the personnel, management structure and operations of its current affairs output.

Yesterday, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland announced it had made a decision in relation to its investigation into the Prime Time Investigates programme, A Mission to Prey.

RTÉ has not yet received formal notification of its decision or the finalised report.

However, the broadcaster’s director general said today that pending the conclusion of the BAI process, RTÉ must deal with issues that have arisen in respect of current affairs programming, and several key changes and actions will now take place.

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IRELAND
The Irish Times

RONAN McGREEVY

RTÉ IS to find out shortly if a fine of up to €250,000 is to be imposed upon it as a result of the station’s libel of Fr Kevin Reynolds.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has sent a copy of the independent report into the matter along with notification of any sanction to RTÉ for consideration.

The station will be given 14 days to respond or make submissions.

At the end of the process the BAI will publish the report into the libel action and announce any financial sanctions it might impose on the broadcaster.

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PHILIPPINES
ABS-CBN

by Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News

Posted at 04/03/2012

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino priest will face trial for child sex abuse in the United States after the Court of Appeals (CA) First Division upheld a lower court’s order for the priest’s extradition.

CA Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, in a 22-page ruling, said Fernando Laude Sayasaya should be extradited because the evidence against himon the alleged sexual offenses “met the standard of probable cause.”

Sayasaya allegedly committed “gross sexual imposition” on two 15-year-old boys on several occasions between July 1995 to August 1998, while he was assigned as a priest at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in West Fargo, North Dakota.

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IRELAND
The Irish Times

RONAN MCGREEVY

RTÉ’s head of current affairs Ed Mulhall has retired and the editor of Prime Time Investigates Ken O’Shea has resigned from the programme over the Fr Kevin Reynolds libel affair.

The announcement was made to staff in RTÉ this afternoon in a message from director-general Noel Curran.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) announced yesterday that it had completed its report into the Prime Time Investigates Programme that had libelled Fr Reynolds. It had sent copies of the independent investigation into the programme to RTÉ. The investigation was carried out by former BBC Northern Ireland controller Anna Carragher.

The programme, which was broadcast last May, falsely accused Fr Reynolds of raping a minor while working as a missionary in Africa and fathering a child by her.

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PHILIPPINES
Zambo Times

by Perfecto T. Raymundo Jr.

The United States government sought Sayasaya’s extradition so that he can face the two counts of gross sexual imposition filed by brothers Hugo Zamarron and Pablo Zamarron before the District Court, East Central Judicial District, Cass Country, North Dakota.

The Zamarron brothers alleged that Sayasaya engaged them in sexual contact in separate occasions at their residence and at the church.

In its decision, the CA echoed the Manila RTC’s findings that the affidavit of detective Grey Clayton Warren of the Police Department of West Fargo, North Dakota, who interviewed the minor victims that described in detail the illegal acts committed by the priest were credible.

“This Court gives respect and credence to the foregoing factual findings, which are amply supported by the evidence on record,” the CA said.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Weekly – Daily Grinder

Apr 3, 2012 by Randy LoBasso

Priest abuse cases are always bad. Sure. But there’s something about the Philadelphia case, specifically, that sort of makes me throw up a little, each time I read about it. Maybe it’s the detailed, alleged maniacal perversion of the individual, uncharged priests who will never see the inside of a jail cell or that Cardinal Lynn apparently let it all happen. Or maybe it’s the fact that Archbishop Charles Chaput has publicly endorsed Lynn and focused on national healthcare and school vouchers instead of, I don’t know, showing any remorse for what happened or, let’s say apologizing to the victims of the crimes he and his organization have now come to represent in this city. Either way, yesterday a detective read internal church memos about one priest who “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” Another priest, Rev. John Cannon, used to sneak into a cabin at a church-run camp, “groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.”

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TOLEDO (OH)
WUPW

[with video]

TOLEDO, Ohio (WUPW) – Legal experts and leaders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests wrangled over the complaint SNAP lodged with the International Criminal Court in a legal debate Monday.

It asks the court to investigate the leaders of the church for allegedly allowing priest abuse to happen.

SNAP leaders say this is not about putting the catholic religion on trial.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Irish Central

By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Archdiocese of Armagh, headed up by Ireland’s Primate Cardina Sean Brady, has launched a formal investigation into Father Martin McVeigh, the Tyrone priest who accidentally aired gay porn to members of his parish during a PowerPoint presentation for parents of First Communicants.

Last week McVeigh was setting up a PowerPoint presentation for a group of parents, in preparation for the parish’s upcoming First Holy Communion services. Sixteen gay porn images allegedly flashed on the screen when McVeigh inserted his USB into the computer.

Brady released a statement on the matter. He said the images had been “immediately removed” from the overhead projector’s screen and he added that McVeigh had “no knowledge of the offending imagery”.

The Archbishop said the Church had immediately sought the advice of the local police who said that no crime had been committed.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WFMZ

PHILADELPHIA –
Jurors in the Philadelphia priest sex abuse trial heard startling testimony Monday about a priest who allegedly bragged about having sex with boys.

A detective took the stand and read a memo about a priest who quote “joked about how difficult it was to have sex with three boys in one week.”

Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. He is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints.

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MASSACHUSETTS
Irish Central

Taking a side in a Boston Irish row – Kevin Cullen’s attack on Eugene O’Flaherty

[Let’s give justice time]

Larry Donnelly

What I’m about to write might not be too popular in the Boston Irish community – or elsewhere, for that matter.

On the pages of the Boston Globe last week, columnist Kevin Cullen blasted Massachusetts State Representative Eugene O’Flaherty (D-Chelsea). Cullen accused O’Flaherty of “stifling a proposal to eliminate the statute of limitations on prosecuting child sexual abuse crimes” in his capacity as co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee. O’Flaherty responded by stating that he took issue with being depicted as someone “unconcerned about the murder of children’s souls” and by announcing that he would resign his chairmanship at the close of the current legislative session.

Kevin Cullen and Eugene O’Flaherty have very close ties to their ancestral country. Cullen was based here as a Globe correspondent for a number of years and is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable journalists in the United States on all things Irish. He continues to contribute regularly to Irish newspapers and is a frequent guest on national radio.

O’Flaherty was born in Boston to emigrants from Co. Kerry, spent nearly as much time in Kerry as he did in Boston growing up and is a first cousin to the McEllistrim Fianna Fáil political dynasty in Kerry. As a state legislator, he spearheads a number of different initiatives to foster cooperation between Massachusetts and Ireland on several fronts.

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UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coalition

We are pleased to congratulate author Jason Berry on being named the Investigative Reporter and Editors (IRE) award winner in the book category for the great work he produced in “Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church.”

IRE announced its award winners yesterday.

Here are the judges’ comments regarding Mr. Berry and “Render Unto Rome.”

Author Jason Berry delves deeply into a topic few have examined – the secretive finances of the Roman Catholic Church. Using voluminous background research that takes the reader back centuries, Berry uncovers abuses of the trust of church members by influential bishops who diverted funds intended for philanthropic purposes into accounts used for plugging Vatican operating deficits or defending priests accused of pedophilia. Berry details how the modern church is systematically closing churches in poorer parishes while at the same time opening churches in affluent suburbs where the weekly “take” is greater.

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BELGIE
RKnieuws

BRUSSEL (RKnieuws.net) – Colette Callewaert is de nieuwe onderzoeksrechter in Operatie Kelk, het onderzoek naar seksueel misbruik in de Kerk.

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BELGIE
Zita

Operatie Kelk, het gerechtelijk onderzoek naar schuldig verzuim bij seksueel misbruik van kinderen in de katholieke kerk, is in handen van een nieuwe onderzoeksrechter. De rechter die het onderzoek in handen had, Wim De Troy (foto links), is sinds 1 april geen onderzoeksrechter meer.

Rechtbankvoorzitter Luc Hénart heeft nu beslist het dossier in handen te geven van onderzoeksrechter Colette Callewaert, de oudst benoemde Brusselse onderzoeksrechter en dus deken van de onderzoeksrechters.

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NEDERLAND
Kerknieuws

Het onderzoek over misbruik in de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk berust op feiten en zorgvuldige afwegingen. Dat schreef de commissie-Deetman vrijdag in een notitie aan de Tweede Kamer.

De volledigheid van het rapport, dat in december verscheen, werd de afgelopen tijd in twijfel getrokken. Volgens NRC Handelsblad ontbreekt in het rapport informatie over castraties in de jaren ’50 in het jongensinternaat Harreveld en de bemoeienis van Vic Marijnen, in de jaren ’50 bestuursvoorzitter van Harreveld en later minister-president. De commissie verwierp die kritiek vrijdag en stelt dat de informatie in de artikelen niet berust op feiten.

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NEDERLAND
Skipr

De overheid moet ook de rol van de psychiatrie en psychiaters bij seksueel misbruik in de kerk en andere instellingen onderzoeken. Dat bepleitte slachtofferkoepel Klokk maandag.

Volgens de organisatie is extra wetenschappelijk onderzoek nodig naar mogelijke medische ingrepen, maar ook naar verbanden tussen psychiatrie, justitiële instanties en kerkelijke organisaties. Vorige maand ontstond ophef over berichten over mogelijke gevallen, in de jaren vijftig, van castratie om homoseksuele gevoelens bij jongens uit te bannen. Klokk roept de Tweede Kamer op bij de regering aan te dringen op het aanvullende onderzoek.

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IRELAND
International Business Times

By Amrutha Gayathri:

April 3, 2012

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has said that it is looking into claims that a priest inadvertently showed gay pornographic images during a PowerPoint presentation to the parents of children who were set to receive their first communion.

Priest Martin McVeigh has been accused of showing a series of “indecent images of men” while using a projector March 26 to a group of 26 parents at a grade school in Pomeroy, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the BBC reported.

The parents, who were shocked to watch as many as 16 sleazy images on the big screen, told reporters that the images were from the memory stick the cleric inserted into the computer port before the presentation. However, the priest said that he had no knowledge of the images. “I don’t know how it happened but I know what happened,” McVeigh was quoted as saying.

“He was visibly shaken and flustered,” a parent told the BBC. “He gave no explanation or apology to the group and bolted out of the room. The coordinator and the teachers then continued with the presentation.”

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PHILIPPINES
Inquirer

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
4:41 pm | Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals allowed the extradition of a former Filipino priest to the United States who is facing a case of sexually molesting two minors from 1995 to 1998.

In a 23-page decision, the appeals court’s first division through Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, denied the petition filed by Fernando Sayasaya, formerly assigned as a priest at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in West Fargo, North Dakota and/or at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota.

Sayasaya sought a reversal of the Dec. 28, 2010 decision of the Manila City Regional Trial Court who found probable cause to grant the petition for extradition filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on behalf of the US government.

The US government sought Sayasaya’s extradition so that he can face the two counts of gross sexual imposition filed by brothers Hugo Zamarron and Pablo Zamarron before the District Court, East Central Judicial District, Cass Country, North Dakota.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly

By Tony Hanson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The prosecution in the clergy abuse case alleges defendant Monsignor William Lynn, charged with endangering children by allowing alleged and admitted predator priests to remain in ministry, is guilty of a pattern of conduct that dates back decades in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

The prosecution has presented evidence of a priest, Father John Cannon, who allegedly sexually assaulted a series of boys at a school summer camp from 1959 through 1964 and admitted it to church officials. But, he remained in ministry for decades.

And, authorities allege Monsignor William Lynn, who became secretary for clergy in 1992, knew of these allegations, but neither he nor any other church official did anything until a victim came forward in 1992 and threatened legal action.

Then, mental health treatment was ordered, but still Father Cannon continued as chaplain at a girl’s high school until 2004. Cannon was never charged with any crimes. The archdiocese says he has accepted a supervised life of prayer and penance.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Mail (United Kingdom)

By Damien Gayle

A priest joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week, claimed internal Catholic church documents revealed in court for the first time yesterday.

The startling testimony came in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, 61, who is accused of helping the Philadelphia archdiocese bury priest abuse complaints in secret files.

Lynn, who faces charges of child endangerment and conspiracy, is the first Roman Catholic church official to be charged in the U.S. for his handling of priest abuse complaints.

The scandal of child sex abuse by Catholic priests has reverberated internationally, and caused a worldwide crisis of faith in the Roman church.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

April 02, 2012|By John P. Martin, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

One priest, the Rev. John Cannon, sneaked into a cabin at night at a church-run camp, groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.

Another, the Rev. Stanley Gana, had a stable of boys rotate through his rectory bedroom, once inviting two at the same time so neither thought he was playing favorites.

In both cases, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia left the men in ministry for years after allegations against them first surfaced, a Philadelphia jury was told Monday.

As the landmark conspiracy and endangerment trial started a second week, prosecutors offered scores of secret church documents in their bid to prove that Msgr. William J. Lynn and other church leaders ignored or failed to act swiftly on claims that priests were sexually abusing children.

By that time, Cannon had similar complaints in his secret file, according to records read at the trial by Detective David Fisher of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

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UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on April 2, 2012

Why, oh why, does the Catholic Church continue to bestow honors and awards on tragically flawed wrong-doers?

Trial watchers in Philadelphia have been treated to a firsthand view of vile and disgusting human behavior. What makes it worse is that the evildoers are priests and the victims are children. The lede from the Philadephia Inquirer’s Sunday story on the trial is enough to make even the hard-hearted ill:

Stalking. Groping. Gay bondage porn.

A sexually graphic love letter to a grade-school boy.

That they emerged in testimony about priests – and at times, from priests – only amplified the uneasiness.

One would think that the big boss who allowed this activity to continue and flourish would be castigated and forced to live a life of penance and contrition. Not so much.

Disgraced Philly Cardinal Justin Rigali—who retired last year after the Philadelphia Grand Jury exposed the fact that he was keeping more than two dozen accused priests in ministry in 2011—has been honored by the Pope as a special envoy and this week will be a special Mass celebrant at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

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BELGIE
Knack

dinsdag 03 april 2012

Het laatste arrest dat de Brusselse kamer van inbeschuldigingstelling (KI) heeft uitgesproken over de huiszoekingen op 24 juni 2010 in Operatie Kelk, dreigt ook verbroken te worden.

Op 29 november 2011 besliste de KI dat de huiszoekingen in het aartsbisschoppelijk paleis en bij kardinaal Danneels, in Mechelen, nietig waren en dat de stukken die daar in beslag genomen werden, uit het dossier moesten verwijderd worden. Volgens het parket-generaal bij Cassatie was die beslissing onvoldoende gemotiveerd.

Operatie Kelk

De huiszoekingen van 24 juni 2010 kaderden in Operatie Kelk, het gerechtelijk onderzoek dat de Brusselse onderzoeksrechter Wim De Troy voerde naar seksueel misbruik van kinderen en een mogelijke doofpotoperatie daar rond binnen de katholieke kerk. Drie verschillend samengestelde KI’s beslisten achtereenvolgens dat die huiszoekingen nietig waren, vervolgens dat ze perfect wettelijk waren en tenslotte dat ze toch nietig waren.

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MEDFORD (MA)
Boston Globe

April 03, 2012|By Michael Rezendes

Medford police are investigating allegations that the former longtime rector of Grace Episcopal Church sexually abused a female college student and two high school students during private counseling sessions in the early 1980s.

The former rector, Robert M. Durkee, now 85 and living in New Hampshire, was removed from the priesthood last Tuesday following a January allegation that he sexually abused a female college student in 1980. Durkee was the church rector from 1964 to 1989.

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TOLEDO (OH)
Toledo Blade

BY DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

It was only after two decades of frustration battling the Catholic Church on behalf of victims of clerical sexual abuse, Barbara Blaine said, that she and SNAP decided to take their case to “a court of last resort”: the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands.

Ms. Blaine, a Toledo native and lawyer who is founder and president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, explained the reasoning behind the filing in a panel discussion Monday at the University of Toledo College of Law.

Ultimately, the filing’s goals are to prevent more children from being sexually abused by priests and to encourage victims of abuse to step forward and be counted, Ms. Blaine said. After SNAP filed with the court in September, more than 600 people from 65 nations have contacted the victims-advocacy group saying they were abused by priests, she said.

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FITCHBURG (MA)
Telegram & Gazette

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

FITCHBURG — St. Joseph Parish members are grappling with feelings of shock and betrayal after the indictment last week of their former associate pastor on charges of possession of child pornography and stealing from the church.

The Rev. Lowe B. Dongor, 36, is still at large, said Timothy J. Connolly, a spokesman for District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., as authorities with a warrant for his arrest try to find him. He is believed to have fled to his homeland, the Philippines.

In July, Rev. Dongor — the Diocese of Worcester’s first Filipino priest — was placed on administrative leave and relieved of his duties from any public ministry after state police were notified by a computer service that one of Rev. Dongor’s laptops contained images of girls around age 10 or 11 with their chests and genitals “prominently displayed.

The computer company copied the images to a thumb drive, stopped work on the laptop and reported its findings to police.

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SWEDEN
The Local

Published: 3 Apr 12

A Stockholm-area pastor on probation for having sex with a teen girl in his congregation is to be investigated anew following new accusations that he sexually abused other girls and sent them sexually explicit emails.

In a decision made public on Monday, the cathedral chapter of the Stockholm diocese said it planned to open a new investigation into the pastor’s behaviour.

The decision, taken during a closed-door meeting last week, comes amid calls for the pastor’s resignation from parish members.

“We want to make the point that this isn’t okay. This concerns a pastor in a position which gives him unequal standing relative to the confirmation candidates,” the parish’s deputy vicar told the TT news agency last week.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NBC 10

By David Chang and MaryClaire Dale
Monday, Apr 2, 2012

Defrocked priest Edward Avery began serving a prison sentence on Monday for his alleged role in the Philadelphia Archdiocese sex abuse scandal.

Avery pleaded guilty nearly two weeks ago for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy aback in 1999. He turned himself in to authorities in Center City Monday morning. He is sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison.

According to court documents obtained by NBC10, Avery admitted that in 1999, he “engaged in oral sexual intercourse” with a 10-year-old boy while Avery was a priest at St. Jerome’s Parish in northeast Philadelphia. Avery was 57 at the time.

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CANADA
Kamloops Daily News

April 2, 2012

By Michele Young
Daily News Staff Reporter

Journalist Linden MacIntyre has known people whose lives were left in shards from sexual abuse. He has reported on it, come from a community affected by it and talked to the victims of it.

And the veteran CBC reporter has written two fictitious books dealing with the dynamics and after effects of sexual abuse.

On Monday morning, MacIntyre — a self-confessed storyteller from childhood — explained his theories as to why sex abuse is not openly talked about in society. His presentation was the third Barrett Lecture on Child, Family and Community Welfare held at Thompson Rivers University.

He offered the audience of about 200 people gathered in the Irving Barber Centre ideas and insights he has gathered from 50 years of reporting, researching and writing.

Much of what he discussed was tackled in his Giller-prize winning 2009 book, The Bishop’s Man. The follow-up to that, Why Men Lie, has just been published.

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LOUISIANA
KATC

[with video]

by Shawn Kline

Another victim steps forward accusing a former Lake Charles priest of more sex crimes.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office says after more than 20-years of silence, a second victim has told detectives his story.

Mark A. Broussard served with the Diocese of Lake Charles with at least three different churches until 1994 when he resigned from the priesthood. He now faces 100 counts of sexual battery and another 40 counts of aggravated rape in addition to more charges from a separate victim.

“These incidents were documented but never reported to law enforcement,” Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Macuso said.

The Sheriff says Broussard sexually abused a total of four children in the late 80’s and early 90’s and each of these cases was documented by the Diocese of Lake Charles.

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PHILIPPINES
GMA News

Mark Merueñas, GMA News April 3, 2012

The Philippine Court of Appeals (CA) ordered the Philippine government to send a former Filipino priest in Fargo, North Dakota — Fernando Sayasaya — back to the United States to face sexual abuse charges filed by two brothers.

In a 23-page decision penned by Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, the CA’s Fifth Division upheld a December 2010 order of the Manila Regional Trial Court to extradite Sayasaya.

Concurring with the ruling were CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr., and Sesinando Villon.

The Manila court earlier granted a request made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of the US government to extradite Sayasaya for two counts of gross sexual imposition filed by brothers Hugo and Pablo Zamarron.

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LOUISIANA
Sulfur Daily News

By Staff reports
Southwest Daily News

Posted Apr 02, 2012

Lake Charles, La. —

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office re-arrested former priest Mark A. Broussard Monday and charged him with 100 counts of sexual battery and 40 counts of aggraated rape.

Broussard, who was residing in Duson, was arrested in March after an investigation into accusations made by a victim when he was a boy between January 1986 and December of 1991 — when he was 11-16 years of age.

The victim is now 36 years old. He stated all of the incidents occurred at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Lake Charles, where Broussard was a priest and where the victim attended school and church.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
My Fox Philly

Kristen Byrne, Blogger
MyFoxPhilly.com

Blogger Kristen Byrne is in the courtroom at the Philadelphia Archdiocese priest-abuse trial. Here is a recap of events so far.

A landmark priest-abuse trial began last week. Prosecutors say the Philadelphia Archdiocese made efforts to cover-up victim complaints. The Archdiocese has been under scrutiny with a history of sex abuse while victims’ accusations were allegedly filed in the secret archives.

Monsignor William Lynn is the first church official in the U.S. to be charged with conspiracy of endangering the welfare of children for allegedly burying allegations of molestation by members in the priesthood, and refusing to remove accused priests from the ministry.

In the Philadelphia prosecutor’s opening statement they said Lynn, as the Secretary of Clergy, was “in charge with investigating crimes on children committed by priests … (but) Lynn kept things in the dark.”

During Lynn’s 1992 to 2004 reign as Secretary, he oversaw about 800 priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. His attorneys said Lynn composed a list of 37 accused priests, only to have it shredded by the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. According to the defense, Lynn “did his damnedest.”

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UNITED STATES/AUSTRALIA
The Jewish Daily Forward

By Paul Berger

Published April 02, 2012.

Australia reportedly plans to seek the extradition of an imprisoned former Jewish studies teacher to face charges of child abuse dating back nearly 20 years.

David Kramer, 51, is currently in a Missouri jail after being convicted of sodomizing a 12-year-old boy in 2008. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but is about to become eligible for parole.

Detective Senior Constable Lisa Metcher told a Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 2 that Australian detectives will travel to America later this month to begin proceedings to extradite Kramer, according to The Age. A spokesman for the United States Department of Justice declined to comment.

As the Forward reported earlier this year, Kramer is one of several men formerly associated with Melbourne’s Yeshivah Centre, a Chabad institution, at the center of alleged sex abuse coverup allegations.

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AUSTRALIA/UNITED STATES
The Age

Jewel Topsfield
April 3, 2012

VICTORIA Police will this month seek to extradite a former teacher at a Melbourne Jewish orthodox school from the United States over a child sex abuse scandal that was allegedly covered up by the school.

Parents allege that Yeshivah College in East St Kilda assisted the former teacher, David Kramer, to flee Australia in 1993 after they complained he had sexually abused their children.

Kramer was the focus of a Victoria Police probe launched last year into alleged sexual abuse at Yeshivah College between 1989 and 1993, which has widened to include other alleged perpetrators.

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UNITED STATES
Fund for Investigative Journalism

Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church, by Jason Berry, has won the prestigious IRE Book Award for 2011. Berry wrote the book with a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism. The judges of the annual awards contest sponsored by Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) praised the book with these comments: “Author Jason Berry delves deeply into a topic few have examined – the secretive finances of the Roman Catholic Church. Using voluminous background research that takes the reader back centuries, Berry uncovers abuses of the trust of church members by influential bishops who diverted funds intended for philanthropic purposes into accounts used for plugging Vatican operating deficits or defending priests accused of pedophilia. Berry details how the modern church is systematically closing churches in poorer parishes while at the same time opening churches in affluent suburbs where the weekly ‘take’ is greater. The author makes extensive use of public documents, leaked parish records, trial transcripts, interviews and a wide range of published reporting to paint a complete picture of a heretofore secret network of church financial dealings. For shining a bright light on the shenanigans and inner workings of the Catholic Church, IRE honors Jason Berry and ‘Render Unto Rome.’” Investigative Reporters and Editors is a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to training and supporting investigative journalists around the world.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog

Ralph Cipriano

Two jurors were dismissed without explanation Monday in the archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial. Judge M. Teresa Sarmina started court an hour late with the announcement that Alternate Juror No. 1 would be replacing Juror No. 7, and Alternate Juror No. 2 would be replacing Juror No. 9.

Why were the jurors sent packing? The judge didn’t explain. There was courtroom chatter about medical emergencies and jurors who may have overheard things, but no official explanation was forthcoming.

The jury, which began with 12 regulars and 10 alternates last week, is now down to 12 regulars and 6 alternates. Two alternate jurors were also dismissed last week, without explanation. In a trial expected to last two at least months, losing two jurors a week doesn’t bode well, but it’s early yet.

The judge did announce that court will not be held on Fridays during the trial. Jurors have the option of gong to work on Friday, but “my preference is that you don’t go,” the judge said. She warned jurors that if they do show up for work on Fridays, she would prefer that they wear a sign that says, “Don’t talk to me.” The judge was smiling when she said this, but she may not be kidding.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog

Ralph Cipriano

What do you do when the prosecution is using hardened police detectives to enter a pile of the archdiocese’s secret archive files into evidence against your client?

Jeff Lindy, representing Monsignor William J. Lynn, went through those same files on Monday, trying to point out whatever positive things they had to say about his client.

Lindy asked Detective Joseph Walsh about the files involving Father Michael Murtha. He’s the priest who was discovered to have a large gay porno collection in his bedroom at the rectory, as well as a love letter that he wrote to a seventh-grader named Drew.

Referring to the priest’s literary efforts as “that awful letter,” Lindy said isn’t it true that the priest admitted the letter was a fantasy, and that there was no allegation that the priest had ever touched the boy, or anybody else for that matter.

“That is correct,” Detective Walsh said.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Jurors in a landmark priest-abuse trial heard Monday about a priest-turned-camp prowler and another who allegedly bragged about having sex with three boys in one week.

Also Monday, two jurors were replaced by alternates, but a gag order prevents lawyer from discussing the reasons for the move.

Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics.

In the day’s most startling testimony, a detective read internal church memos about a priest who allegedly “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” His accuser also stated that the priest had a “rotation process” of boys spending time sleeping with him.

Defense lawyers argue that Lynn tried to address the problem as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, but was blocked by the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and others in the Philadelphia archdiocese.

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WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

April 2, 2012

A Waukesha County Catholic priest ordered to spend the next year in prayer and penance for indirectly violating the seal of confession, is appealing his verdict to the Vatican, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has confirmed.

Father David Verhasselt of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Mapleton notified the archdiocese that he would be seeking a due-process review by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a step known as an administrative recourse, said Father Paul Hartmann, judicial vicar for the archdiocese.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

by Jamie L Manson on Apr. 02, 2012 Grace on the Margins

This is the second part of Jamie Manson’s interview with theologian and writer Matthew Fox. Part I can be found here.

You begin your most recent book, The Pope’s War, by taking a look at the childhood of Pope Benedict XVI and his time in Hitler Youth. How do you think that experience might have impacted his view of the church?

In fascism, there is always an obsession to control and to make obedience the first priority. That’s why fascism was allowed to thrive in Nazi times. As I point out in the book, the wonderful priest and moral theologian Fr. Bernard Haring, who was also conscripted into the Nazi army, did not learn from his experience that obedience is a primary virtue. He saw the horrible price that Europe paid for this distorted notion of obedience. So, he built his entire moral theology on the idea that the real meaning of obedience is responsibility.

We hear that there are some bishops who do not agree with the Vatican on some issues and who see how some of the Vatican’s positions do harm to people, but they obey and cooperate with the Vatican anyway. Do you see parallels to fascism there?

So often it comes down to preferring one’s job security or career advancement to the truth or to Jesus. Susan Sontag defines fascism as institutionalized violence: violence in the name of institution and the act of hiding behind an institution. A good example of this, of course, is the pedophilia crisis. I use the word fascism in the book because all fundamentalisms, not just the Catholic kind, are about freezing power.

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LOUISIANA
KPLC

By E’Lyn Taylor

The following is a Press Release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office

Today, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has re-arrested former priest Mark A. Broussard at the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged him with 100 counts of sexual battery and 40 counts of aggravated rape.

This victim is one of the four young boys Broussard indicated while he was a priest he had sexual contact with which is documented in his personnel file but never reported to law enforcement.

The investigation revealed the incidents involving this victim occurred between January 1986 and December 1991 when the boy was between the ages of 11-16 years of age. The victim is now 36 years old. He stated all of the incidents occurred at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church in Lake Charles, LA where Broussard was a priest and where the victim attended school and church.

Judge Clayton Davis set Broussard’s bond at $2,000,000.

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IRELAND
The Irish Times

RONAN McGREEVY

RTÉ will find out in the coming days if fines of up to €250,000 will be imposed upon it as a result of the Fr Kevin Reynolds libel action.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has sent a copy of the independent report into the Fr Kevin Reynolds libel action along with notification of any sanction to RTÉ for consideration.

RTÉ will be given 14 days to respond or make submissions.

At the end of the process, the BAI will publish the report into the libel action and announce if it has imposed financial sanctions on the broadcaster.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The boys, nine of them, came forward in the early 1960s, each recounting how the Rev. John A. Cannon had molested them, sometimes repeatedly, at a summer camp run by their South Philadelphia parish, St. Monica’s.

A priest documented the accusations, Cannon was transferred to another parish, and a letter about the claims went into his personnel file at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

When one of the boys, now a man, came forward in 1992 and later threatened to sue, Msgr. William J. Lynn told him that Cannon would be immediately removed, as were all priests accused of abuse.

“He was told they are never assigned where children are concerned,” according to a memo on their meeting shown to jurors today at Lynn’s trial in Common Pleas Court.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Local News

The child endangerment trial of the Rev. Monsignor William Lynn resumes in Philadelphia. He has the dubious distinction of being the first Roman Catholic Church official to be charged in the United States in connection with clerical sexual abuse.

While the 61-year-old priest himself has not been charged with sexually abusing children, he has been accused of protecting known pedophile priests from criminal prosecution by not reporting them to civil authorities and instead placing them in assignments where they still had access to children.

Defense attorneys maintain that Lynn, who served as secretary of the clergy from 1992 to 2004 and was responsible for investigating clerical sexual abuse, was just following orders of his two superiors, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal Justin Rigali, former archbishops of Philadelphia. Bevilacqua, who was battling cancer, died Jan. 31, the day after a judge ruled that his deposition videotaped last November could be included in Lynn’s trial.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Olympian

By MARYCLAIRE DALE | Associated Press • Published April 02, 2012

Two jurors in the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia were dismissed Monday, just one week into the trial that could last three months or more.

It’s not clear why the pair were removed before the trial resumed, but two of the eight alternates seated replaced them.

Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics. …

The testimony Monday included a 1992 complaint about a priest who allegedly molested boys at a church-owned camp three decades earlier.

Several junior counselors complained in the early 1960s that the priest was on the prowl at night, molesting them in their tents. They said it was a well-known secret among teen counselors for several years.

The priest remained in ministry, working at three archdiocesan high schools and serving as assistant superintendent of Catholic schools in the mid-1960s. Confronted after a man complained to the archdiocese in 1992, the priest admitted to the “sin” of masturbation and said he had read up on that subject because so many people were mentioning it in the confessional.

The campers, too, referred to it as a “sin” that they had committed with the priest on various occasions. Some did not report it then because they “lacked courage” or feared the consequences, a detective testified, based on his reading of the church files.

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MISSOURI
KY3

by Jay Scherder, KY3 News
jscherder@ky3.com

12:20 p.m. CDT, April 2, 2012
FORSYTH, Mo. — Kanakuk Kamps is dealing with its second sex abuse case within three years. Lee Bradberry, 22, of Auburn, Ala., is charged in Taney County with sexual crimes involving three campers at its Christian-themed sports camps.

Investigators believe the abuse happened last June. Kanakuk says it fired Bradberry last July and alerted law enforcement agencies after receiving reports of inappropriate behavior by Bradberry.

Two years ago, ex-camp leader Peter Newman pleaded guilty for sexually abusing several boys. He was sentenced to life in prison.
—-
News release from Kanakuk Kamps on Monday morning:

At Kanakuk the safety and protection of children is our number one priority. That is why we have implemented a comprehensive Child Protection Plan that combines rigorous policies, extensive staff training, age-appropriate education for campers and encouragement of all staff and campers to report any questionable behavior. Sadly we now believe that in 2011 that Child Protection Plan was needed to play a role in helping to identify and stop

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MISSOURI
The Turner Report

A $100,000 bond has been set for Lee Bradberry, 22, Auburn, Ala., the second Kanakuk Kamps staff member to be charged with felony sex crimes.

Online Taney County Circuit Court records indicate Bradberry faces two counts of statutory sodomy, two counts of child molestation, and single counts of sexual misconduct and attempted statutory sodomy, all allegedly taking place on June 21, 2011.

Conditions of Bradberry’s bond include his having no contact with the underaged victims.

The charges, which were filed Friday, are the latest bad news to hit the Branson-based Kanakuk. Kanakuk was rocked in 2009 when one of its camp directors, Pete Newman, was arrested for committing several sex crimes against underage boys.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Bilgrimage

Jerry Slevin, a retired Wall Street lawyer who frequently comments at Catholic blog sites about the abuse situation in the American Catholic church, has sent me a copy of an open letter he wrote yesterday calling on the Philadelphia Inquirer to keep light shining as brightly as possible on the case now going on in Philadelphia, as well as on the abuse situation in the archdiocese of Philadelphia. I’m very happy to post Jerry’s open letter here and at Open Tabernacle. It’s well-written, powerfully stated, and full of valuable information–as with everything he writes. It also fits right in with what I just posted about E.J. Dionne’s article critiquing centrist complicity in the extremist strategies of the far right.

—————————————

Today’s Philadelphia Inquirer articles make clear that last week’s opening of the criminal trial of Monsignor Lynn, the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s former top priest personnel aide to two former Cardinals, was a watershed moment for Philly Catholics and potentially for worldwide Catholicism. Each of you are both witnesses to, and key participants in, the unfolding events. While the Associated Press and NY Times’ columnists and reporters, among others, have followed this story closely, this has mainly been the Philadelphia Inquirer’s story from the start.

The world is watching closely to see if America’s justifiably fabled free press can finally break through the countless diversions offered worldwide by the Catholic hierarchy and their well funded apologists and well placed advocates. Vatican experts recently indicated at an “abuse summit” in Rome that over 100,000 American children have been sexually abused by priests, yet no bishop has yet been held accountable under the American criminal law system. The Lynn trial may lead to changing that, assuming that Philly District Attorney, Seth Williams, doesn’t stop at Lynn and follows through by investigating diligently up the hierarchical ladder to the ultimate decision makers, the Philly Bishops and Cardinals.

The deceitful hierarchical myth that the priest child sexual abuse problem resulted from a few rogue “bad apples” has already been laid to rest forever by the trial, thanks to the exceptional reporting by you and others. The answers to the bigger questions, whether the full truth will be uncovered and whether the hierarchs ultimately responsible will receive justice, remain to be seen.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly

By Tony Hanson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The defense in the Philadelphia clergy child abuse case (see related stories) used some prosecution evidence today in the defense of Msgr. William Lynn, charged with endangering children by allowing predatory priests to remain in ministry.

Testimony has continued to focus on a despicable letter allegedly written by a priest to a boy soliciting sex — a letter that was never sent (see related story).

The defense has presented evidence through cross-examination that Lynn acted within days of learning of the letter, talking to Father Michael Murtha and ordering Murtha to treatment.

The defense told the jury Lynn did his job, but he was not responsible for priest placements.

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NEDERLAND
Reformatorisch Dagblad

BEUNINGEN (ANP) – De overheid moet ook de rol van de psychiatrie en psychiaters bij seksueel misbruik in de kerk en andere instellingen onderzoeken. Dat bepleitte slachtofferkoepel Klokk maandag.

Volgens de organisatie is extra wetenschappelijk onderzoek nodig naar mogelijke medische ingrepen, maar ook naar verbanden tussen psychiatrie, justitiële instanties en kerkelijke organisaties.

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NEDERLAND
L1

De overheid moet ook de rol van de psychiatrie en psychiaters bij seksueel misbruik in de kerk en andere instellingen onderzoeken.

Daarvoor pleit slachtofferkoepel Klokk. Die zegt dat extra wetenschappelijk onderzoek nodig is naar mogelijke medische ingrepen, maar ook naar verbanden tussen psychiatrie, justitiële instanties en kerkelijke organisaties. Vorige maand ontstond ophef over een verhaal van de Heerlense journalist Joep Dohmen over mogelijke gevallen, in de jaren vijftig, van castratie om homoseksuele gevoelens bij jongens uit te bannen. Volgens Dohmen wist de commissie Deetman van deze praktijken, maar deed geen verder onderzoek.

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NEDERLAND
Kerknieuws

De koepelorganisatie van slachtoffers van seksueel misbruik in de kerk, KLOKK, wil dat de commissie Deetman aanvullend onderzoek gaat doen. Bij dat onderzoek moet worden gekeken naar de rol van onder meer psychiaters bij het misbruik.

KLOKK komt met deze oproep naar aanleiding van recente berichten over gedwongen castraties, uitgevoerd in opdracht van de kerk. Nieuwe onderzoek moet de rol van de psychiatrie, maar ook justitiële instanties, kerkelijke organisaties en de bestuurlijke cultuur van die tijd bij deze praktijken blootleggen.

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UNITED STATES
technology update news

2nd April 2012

Newswise — Why do some persons stoop to post-traumatic highlight commotion (PTSD) while others who suffered a same distress do not? A new UCLA investigate sheds light on a answer.

UCLA scientists have related dual genes concerned in serotonin prolongation to a aloft risk of building PTSD. Published in a Apr 3 online book of a Journal of Affective Disorders, a commentary advise that ionization to PTSD is inherited, indicating to new ways of screening for and treating a disorder.

“People can rise post-traumatic highlight commotion after flourishing a life-threatening distress like war, rape or a healthy disaster,” clarified lead author Dr. Armen Goenjian, a investigate highbrow of psychoanalysis during a Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior during UCLA. “If confirmed, a commentary could eventually lead to new ways to shade people during risk for PTSD and aim specific medicines for preventing and treating a disorder.”

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Washington Post

2 jurors removed from Philly priest-abuse trial for unknown reasons; trial enters 2nd week

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, April 2

Two jurors have been dismissed just one week into the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.

It’s not clear why the pair were removed before the trial resumed Monday, but two of eight alternates replaced them.

Monsignor William Lynn’s child endangerment and conspiracy trial could last three months or more.

The 61-year-old Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
UTV

Published Monday, 02 April 2012

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has said a priest who revealed pornographic images during a Holy Communion presentation is being investigated.

Father Martin McVeigh was to host a Powerpoint presentation to parents at St Mary’s School in Pomeroy, Co Tyrone last week.

Instead, around 16 pictures of gay porn which had been stored on a memory stick were shown to the 26 parents and an eight-year-old child who was also at the meeting.

Speaking to the Ulster Herald Fr McVeigh said, “I don’t know how it happened.

“There are people making innuendoes who weren’t even there, but in this day and age these stories grow.”

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