ABUSE TRACKER

• A University of Notre Dame residence hall rector has been placed on leave following anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct.
• The allegations against the rector first appeared on an unaffiliated Instagram account in June.
• The university has launched an investigation but has not received any formal or first-hand complaints.
• Officials urge the public not to jump to conclusions as they seek to identify alleged victims and verify the claims.

A residence hall rector at the University of Notre Dame has been placed on leave and is under investigation by the university’s Office of Institutional Equity after anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct against her were posted on social media.

According to Notre Dame’s student newspaper, The Observer, the allegations are against the McGlinn Hall rector, who has held the position since August 2024 and has been on leave since June 29. The Observer says that…

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Father Michael Pfleger is facing an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor, Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, announced Saturday.

This now marks the fifth person to accuse the South Side pastor of sexual misconduct. He was cleared from those previous claims and is now adamantly denying this latest accusation.

There was a relatively small crowd at St. Sabina in the evening for Saturday Mass. All of them told ABC7 that they stand with Father Pfleger.

In the letter released Saturday, Cardinal Cupich said the alleged abuse was reported to have occurred more than 30 years ago at Saint Sabina Parish, 1210 W. 78th Pl., in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

“In keeping with our child protection policies, I have asked Father Pfleger to step aside from ministry and live away from the parish while the allegation is investigated,” the letter read in part. “Yet, you should know that Father…

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The University of Notre Dame is investigating anonymous allegations of abuse posted online regarding a campus rector of a women’s residence hall. 

The female rector is now on leave “pending the outcome of the investigation,” the university told OSV News in a statement July 8. 

“The University takes allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, particularly when persons in positions of authority may be involved, and is conducting an investigation,” it said.

OSV News has made several attempts to contact the rector through various channels, including by phone and by social media, but has not yet received a response. 

Following professional news standards, OSV News is not disclosing her name at this time due to the uncorroborated nature of the anonymous, social media-based allegations. An investigation has not yet determined the credibility of the allegations nor has the rector been charged with a crime.

The allegations emerged in a series of posts on…

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The investigation began after anonymous allegations surfaced on social media. University officials say no formal complaints have been made directly by alleged victims, and the rector denies any wrongdoing through her attorney.

On the heels of a recent external report detailing sexual abuse allegations against a former rector of a men’s dormitory, the University of Notre Dame has placed the supervisor of a women’s residence on leave while it investigates anonymous social media posts accusing her of sexual misconduct.

Elizabeth Greenop, who has served as the rector of McGlinn Hall since 2024, was placed on leave by the university on June 29, shortly after several posts purportedly written by dorm residents appeared on an online platform that shares anonymous stories of alleged sexual abuse from the Notre Dame community.

As rector of McGlinn, Greenop has lived in the dorm of some 270 female undergraduates for the past two years, responsible…

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The lawsuit claims school leaders were warned but did nothing.

A Wisconsin woman is suing the Milwaukee Archdiocese, saying she survived sexual abuse at the hands of her fourth grade teacher in 2013.

Kevin Buelow is serving a 26-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting girls at St. Matthias Catholic School in Milwaukee and Holy Apostles School in New Berlin.

The lawsuit claims St. Matthias school leaders were warned about the abuse but “chose not to meaningfully investigate complaints,” “report Buelow to law enforcement” or “restrict his unsupervised access to children.”

The suit also says leaders violated church policies put in place after the sexual abuse scandal in the early 2000s.

“Rules are only as good as their enforcement and training and being followed,” said the victim’s attorney Jacob Goodman on Friday. “You can enact all the rules you want and if people aren’t trained on them and there isn’t a…

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Jury finds Eddy Noelsaint guilty on 4 counts of sexual battery

An Osceola County pastor faces decades in prison after a jury convicted him of repeatedly raping a woman who came to him seeking spiritual guidance.

Eddy Noelsaint, 54, was found guilty this week of four counts of sexual battery against a member of his church. The assaults occurred in 2022 after the woman joined his congregation and was assigned a “spiritual godmother” — Noelsaint’s wife — as part of her baptism.

The victim told investigators that Noelsaint first raped her while she was staying at his home as part of her spiritual revival. She said he gave her pills, then forced himself on her while she was unable to fight back. Noelsaint raped her again several months later, she told investigators.

State Attorney Monique Worrell thanked the victim for her strength throughout the process following the verdict.

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Oceanway Church Pastor Al Force has been asked by the church’s board to temporarily step away, as questions mount over how the church handled past concerns involving former volunteer John Goodman — concerns that resurfaced after Goodman’s recent arrest in a Marion County child predator sting.

RELATED | Former Oceanway Church leaders say arrested former volunteer coached, mentored children, contrary to church’s statement | Former Oceanway Church volunteer arrested in child sex predator sting was previously reported to DCF, church says

The church previously told News4JAX that an allegation involving Goodman was reported to the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), though the church did not specify when the report was made. During his Sunday remarks, Force said the incident was brought to the church’s attention roughly six and a half years ago. The church has said the incident did not occur on church…

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A former janitor from the Pullman School District will spend at least 26 and a half years in prison for child molestation and having sexually explicit pictures of children.

A judge sentenced Eric Robins this week.

He pleaded guilty to seven counts, agreeing to aggravating factors that allowed a judge to go above the standard sentencing range.

The Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office says the aggravating factor was that the Robins committed an ongoing pattern of abuse for a prolonged period of time.

The judge put in place a lifetime protection order, saying Robins can never contact the victim, identified only as Jane Doe.

“While no sentence can undo the trauma the victim endured, today’s outcome provides accountability for the defendant and an opportunity for Jane Doe to move forward,” said Whitman County Prosecutor Tess Scholl. ‘We hope this resolution allows the victim and her loved ones to focus on healing,…

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The Supreme Court of Maryland has agreed to hear the state’s challenge to the Child Victims Act in a case that could end hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits and save the state and its taxpayers more than $1 billion, while denying some plaintiffs their day in court.

The state faces roughly 12,000 individual lawsuits filed under the Child Victims Act, a 2023 law that effectively eliminated time barriers for someone to file a claim in court of institutional sex abuse. The potential liability from those claims could equal nearly 15% of the state’s current operating budget by some estimates.

In their filing with the high court, the state’s attorneys argued that while the law lifted the limits on when a claim can be filed, it did not lift the ironclad immunity against lawsuits the state enjoyed prior to 1982.

“The Child Victims Act did not waive sovereign immunity as to…

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Father Jeffrey Nowak has been on administrative leave for nearly seven years, following allegations of inappropriate conduct with children.

A priest who has been on administrative leave for more than half a decade, in part over allegations of inappropriate conduct with children, has been charged by federal authorities with possession of child pornography, a U.S. attorney announced on July 8.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said in a press release that Father Jeffrey Nowak of Lackawanna, New York, was arrested and charged with both the receipt and possession of child pornography.

The charges “carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years,” the attorney’s office said.

Nowak has been the subject of investigations by authorities as far back as 2019, when he was placed on administrative leave that year after a seminarian reported that the priest…

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U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeffrey Nowak, 46, of Lackawanna, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. 

According to the criminal complaint, in August 2019, the defendant, a priest in the Diocese of Buffalo, was placed on administrative leave as an investigation was conducted following allegations of inappropriate contact with children and harassment of a seminarian. In December 2019, an email address linked to Nowak, pigboybuffalo@gmail.com, was identified as an address that accessed a New Zealand cloud-based digital storage and file-hosting website/application, which contained photos and videos files of sexually exploited children. In May 2021, the FBI conducted an investigation, executing a search warrant for the email address pigboybuffalo@gmail.com, however, no child pornography was found, and the investigation was closed in July 2023. 

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A priest with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo was arrested Wednesday and charged with receiving and possessing child pornography, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

Jeffrey Nowak, 46, of Lackawanna, was placed on administrative leave in 2019 while the diocese investigated allegations of inappropriate contact with children and harassment of a seminarian, prosecutors said. An email address linked to Nowak was identified later that year as having accessed a New Zealand-based cloud storage platform that contained images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children.

The FBI investigated the email account in 2021 after obtaining a search warrant, but prosecutors said no child pornography was found at that time. The investigation was closed in July 2023.

Prosecutors said the case was reopened in March 2026 after the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit received a referral from law enforcement in Scotland involving…

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Father Jeffrey Nowak has been on administrative leave for nearly six years, following allegations of inappropriate conduct with children.

A priest who has been on administrative leave for more than half a decade, in part over allegations of inappropriate conduct with children, has been charged by federal authorities with possession of child pornography, a U.S. attorney announced on July 8.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said in a press release that Father Jeffrey Nowak of Lackawanna, New York, was arrested and charged with both the receipt and possession of child pornography.

The charges “carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years,” the attorney’s office said.

Father Nowak has been the subject of investigations by authorities as far back as 2019, when he was placed on administrative leave that year after a seminarian reported that the priest had sexually…

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A CATHOLIC priest has been sentenced to over five decades in prison after a Malaga court found him guilty of drugging, sexually assaulting and secretly filming women over a four-year period. 

The 35-year-old priest known as ‘Father Fran’ was convicted of four counts of sexual assault, including one count of sexual abuse and four counts relating to the illegal recording of his victims. 

A judge ruled that the Velez-Malaga resident administered an unknown substance that caused women to lose consciousness before abusing them to ‘satisfy his desires.’

The man identified as Francisco J.C. has been sentenced to 52 years in prison for the sex crimes. 

In addition to the prison sentence, the court has also ordered Father Fran to pay compensation to each of the victims for the psychological harm they suffered.   

The Diocese of Malaga has been held secondarily liable for such compensation if he is unable to pay. 

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Jason Douglas Ford was a facilities coordinator for Midtown Fellowship’s Central Ministry Team, according to the church’s website.

Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.

An employee of a Nashville church is one of two men arrested Tuesday by Metro Nashville Police after investigators allegedly found they shared videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

In the first case, 34-year-old Jason Douglas Ford is charged with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor after detectives conducted a seven-month investigation, per a police press release.

Police ask public for more information

Police say he is the facilities coordinator at Midtown Fellowship, and the church’s website lists a Jay Ford as a facilities coordinator for the Central Ministry Team.

“Anyone with information or concerns about his interactions around children is asked to contact detectives at 615-862-7540,” MNPD said.

WSMV4 has reached out to Midtown Fellowship to request a comment and…

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Safe Haven Ministries offers support for abuse survivors amid Kentwood assault, kidnapping case

[See original article for video]

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Key Takeaways

• Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu was publicly identified in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report in connection with allegations of child sexual abuse;
• Survivors of clergy sexual abuse may have civil legal options against the institutions that enabled abuse. 

Who Was Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu?

Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu was ordained on July 15, 1973, and served as an extern (visiting) priest from Ghana. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report, he worked summer assignments at St. Mary Church in Bristol and officiated Mass on Prudence Island from approximately 1980 through 2007. 

Father Thomas Dente Kofi Manu was publicly identified on the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence. Little else is publicly known about his background. The Report states that he is believed to have died in 2023. 

The…

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The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has dismissed an application objecting to the sale of religious articles from the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s, to its successor the Archdiocesan Renewal Corporation.

The items were sold by the episcopal corporation to ARC for $10,000 for use in other church buildings.

The sale was part of assets of the Church that were to be used to compensate victims of physical and sexual abuse for which the corporation was liable.

A claimant opposed both the sale and lease agreement and filed an application claiming that the transaction was entered into unfairly.

The Court dismissed the interlocutory application and found that the $10,000 ARC agreed to pay was a fair value for the religious articles. The Court also rejected the claimant’s submission that the episcopal corporation relied on Canon Law to exclude the religious articles from its assets.

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A Cole County grand jury on Tuesday indicted a former Jefferson City youth minister on felony charges of attempted enticement of a child, attempted sexual exploitation of a child and non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images.

Robert Ferguson, 27, was charged June 24 after a woman made contact with Jefferson City Police in early May to report that Ferguson had been using two phones to distribute sexually explicit photos of her, according to a JCPD probable cause statement.

Police say Ferguson had posed as a teenager and attempted to illicit pornographic images from a 15-year-old girl. Ferguson allegedly admitted to disseminating photos and a video of the woman who reported him, according to previous News Tribune reporting.

He also allegedly admitted to altering his phone number to obfuscate his identity while trying to obtain explicit images from a minor.

Ferguson will be arraigned on his charges Aug. 3 before Cole…

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A Wisconsin woman is suing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and St. Matthias Catholic Parish and School, alleging the institutions did not investigate reports a fourth-grade teacher was sexually abusing students and allowed him to keep tutoring other children even after parents raised concerns.

That former teacher, Kevin Buelow, was sentenced in 2024 in two separate trials to more than 26 years in prison for sexually assaulting five girls at both St. Matthias, in Milwaukee, and Holy Apostles Catholic Parish and School, in New Berlin. The assaults at St. Matthias occurred between 2010 and 2012, and at Holy Apostles between 2013 and 2018.

The woman who filed the lawsuit is unnamed in the complaint. She was 11 years old at the time of the abuse, the complaint said, and as a teenager became the first person to come forward and report Buelow’s abuse to police.

The case “represents a larger pattern of…

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Consecrated women and women religious who have suffered abuse face a significant legal loophole: Canon law and specialized commissions focus primarily on minors and adults with disabilities, leaving these women outside their scope of protection.

In practice, this means that if the victim is an adult who has received formation, it is assumed she can defend herself or that she consented. However, signs of change are beginning to emerge from the Vatican.

In addressing this issue, “it cannot simply be a label of ‘vulnerable adult,’” said Claudia Giampietro, an Italian canon lawyer working at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM).

“We must understand that there are situations of imbalances of power … and situations involving abuse, and so it is these situations of vulnerability that we need to examine more deeply,” she told EWTN News on July 1.

One of the functions of the PCPM is to…

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When the U.S. bishops’ conference met in Orlando last month, bishops voted to pass a revision to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the USCCB’s landmark safeguarding document, first issued in 2002.

But while the revision passed, it did so amid some criticism: One bishop led an unsuccessful charge to delay a vote on the document, calling for more and broader consultation, of diocesan safeguarding leaders and priests, especially.

Victims’ advocacy groups gave the new document mixed reviews, and some sources close to the revision process told The Pillar that many people had expressed hope for a document which would broaden its scope to a wider vision of safeguarding, including the abuse and manipulation of vulnerable adults.

But bishops involved in the document’s revision said they followed a process of consultation, and that the body of American bishops decided not to expand the Charter’s scope, but…

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See original article to listen to the podcast.

Survivors say it’s like being stabbed in the back – some were just days away from finally having their day in court against the Christian Brothers when their cases were suddenly put on hold.

The Catholic religious teaching order is crying poor, saying it doesn’t have enough money to pay child sexual abuse victims the compensation they’re owed.

But it’s been revealed that assets worth billions of dollars – that could have been used in the payouts – were instead transferred just out of reach of survivors.

Today, managing partner at Marque Lawyers, Michael Bradley, reveals the multimillion-dollar properties sold off just a dollar, and the crushing court decision that’s left victims in the cold.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram

Guest: Managing partner at…

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The cardinal’s cousin, a priest, appeared to confirm the allegations and said Cardinal López Romero is privately prepared to lose his rank as a consequence.

Spanish Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, SDB, Archbishop of Rabat, Morocco, said Monday that he will temporarily step back from public ministry, amid a Vatican investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior toward at least five women.

Meanwhile, a priest who is the cardinal’s cousin has appeared to confirm the veracity of the allegations in a newspaper column, and said the cardinal is privately prepared to lose his rank as a consequence.

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“During this period of investigation, so as not to hinder it, I will take a step back, not presiding over any public celebration, and not intervening in any pastoral activity,” López Romero said in a July 6 statement.

López Romero said the accusations “led the Church to open a preliminary investigation. This investigation…

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A longtime Charleston County magistrate has pleaded guilty to federal child sexual abuse charges, a Thursday news release from the United States Department of Justice said.

James Benjamin Gosnell Jr., 69, pled guilty to charges of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material July 2, the release said.

According to the release, Homeland Security investigators found thousands of CSAM videos on Gosnell’s devices, as well as text messages dating back to 2023 showing Gosnell had communicated with a man named John Thorpe in Florida and traveled to distribute the files.

The release said Gosnell and Thorpe discussed their preferences for minors over text, primarily the violent sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.

Bryan Stirling, the U.S. attorney for South Carolina, condemned Gosnell’s actions.

“Gosnell, a public official and judicial officer, was a man entrusted with carrying out justice in the Charleston community yet was doing the…

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A former Charleston judge caught with thousands of images of child sexual abuse material has now pleaded guilty to his charges.

James Gosnell Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and one count of distribution of child pornography. He was previously facing a total of six charges; through the plea deal, which was accepted by a federal judge Thursday morning, his other four charges were dropped.

“I just want the court to know, I never touched a child or had the intentions of touching a child,” Gosnell said in court.

Child pornography is the federal charge for child sexual abuse material—or CSAM—which is more commonly used now.

He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars and up to $250,000 in fines on the possession charge.

For the distribution charge, there’s a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, with a maximum…

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A Hot Springs pas­tor arres­ted last year on a felony sexual assault charge involving a 17-year-old female mem­ber of his church was arres­ted again Monday for allegedly viol­at­ing a court order bar­ring him from con­tact with her.

Macario Gar­cia, 55, who lists a Squire Court address, was taken into cus­tody shortly before 12:30 p.m. while appear­ing at a hear­ing on his sexual assault case at Gar­land County Cir­cuit Court and charged with a mis­de­meanor count of viol­a­tion of a no con­tact order, pun­ish­able by up to one year in jail.

Gar­cia remained in cus­tody on zero bond and is set to appear today on the new charge in Gar­land County Dis­trict Court. Accord­ing to court records, he lis­ted no prior crim­inal his­tory before his arrest on Sept. 24 on the charge of second-degree sexual assault, pun­ish­able by up to 20 years in prison.

Gar­cia was released on a $50,000 bond…

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A head imam accused of trying to “silence” a young girl’s family over sex abuse allegations did not reveal his arrest and charge for perverting the course of justice to his mosque employers until the day before his trial was due to start, jurors were told.

Alauddin Ahmed said he took police advice that it was ​”not necessary​” or “important” to inform the Board of Trustees of Masjid-Ul-Abraar in Dale Street, Chatham, where he had been head imam for around 28 years, of his​ alleged involvement​.

The 55-year-old also explained he was concerned about “rumour and gossip” causing problems in the community.

Maidstone Crown Court heard it was not until June 7 this year – almost two years after he was charged – that he ​said he informed the mosque chairman he would be appearing in the dock the next day alongside friend and former imam, Muhammod Islam.

Islam, who…

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Story highlights

Police said Khan used his position of religious authority within the local Muslim community to target victims, persuading them to meet in isolated locations including flats and concealed space.

Abdul Halim Khan, 54, a former imam from Bethnal Green, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years after conviction for 21 sexual offences against seven women and girls. The offences between 2004 and 2015 included nine rape, four sexual assault, two sexual assault of a child under 13, five rape of a child under 13, and one assault by penetration.

Police said Khan used his position of religious authority within the local Muslim community to target victims, persuading them to meet in isolated locations including flats and concealed spaces. He was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday. Prosecutors said he claimed supernatural powers, telling victims he was possessed by a jinn and…

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A look at the Avshalom Cohen case, how the abuse was uncovered, the charges and sentencing involved, and the related conviction of Hayim Cohen.

Avshalom Cohen, born Zackery Cate, is the eldest of nine boys adopted by Hayim Nissim Cohen, a Houston-area man who fabricated a Hasidic Jewish identity and used social media to mask years of sexual abuse against his children. In June 2025, Avshalom Cohen was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a sibling. His case is one piece of a sprawling criminal matter that also resulted in his adoptive father receiving a 40-year sentence with no possibility of parole.

The Cohen Household

Hayim Nissim Cohen was born Jeffrey Lujan Vejil in Odessa, Texas, in 1984. He legally changed his name in Dallas County and constructed a false identity as a Hasidic Jew from Williamsburg, New York, despite having…

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The apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Quelimane, Mozambique, has condemned media speculation over last month’s murder of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso.

In a July 4 statement released, Bishop Estêvão Ângelo Fernando of Alto Molócuè — who has been given temporary charge the Quelimane diocese following Afonso’s murder — called for an end to media speculation on the case which, he said, is fueling outrage and hampering the police investigation.

The bishop noted that amid an atmosphere of wild conjecture even he had been implicated in some news reports.

“I, Dom Estevão Ângelo Fernando, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Quelimane, and the College of Consultors, publicly express our vehement repudiation of the material published by certain media outlets and circulated on social media, which blames individuals for actions, attitudes, and management decisions that at times have absolutely nothing to do with the case regarding the assassination of the Bishop…

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Bishop Robert J. McManus, who has served 22 years as the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester, has filed his retirement papers with Pope Leo XIV. 

McManus, who turned 75 on Sunday, July 5, is required by canon law to offer his retirement to the pope when he reaches that age.  

Now, it’s up to the pope to accept McManus’ retirement. Until then, McManus is still the bishop.

On May 14, 2004, McManus was installed as the fifth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester at St. Paul’s Cathedral. He was 52. Prior to his ordination in Worcester, McManus served as auxiliary bishop of Providence for five years. 

Born in Providence, McManus was ordained on May 27, 1978, by Bishop Kenneth A. Angell at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. 

As part of a web series, “Conversation with Bishop McManus,” on the Worcester Diocese website, Raymond L. Delisle, chancellor and communications director at the Diocese of Worcester, chatted with McManus on…

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Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.

SPRINGFIELD — Bishop Joseph F. Maguire once said he felt “enduring and deep regret” that he did not do more to protect a youth from abuse when he governed the Catholic Church in Western Massachusetts.

A lawsuit filed last week accuses Maguire of engaging in abuse himself decades ago.

The lawsuit says Maguire and his predecessor, Bishop Christopher Weldon, sexually abused a boy living at institutional home for children in West Springfield, with at least one incident occurring in the early 1970s.

“His abusers were the two most senior officers of the institution responsible for his care, who used the full weight of their religious authority, institutional power, and explicit threats of divine punishment and disbelief to ensure his permanent silence,” reads the complaint filed July 1 in Hampden Superior Court.

Maguire, who died in…

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A man who launched a lawsuit in 2023 over sexual abuse claims has reached a settlement with the Archdiocese of St. Boniface, the Red River Valley School Division and the estate of a now-dead Catholic priest.

The Winnipeg man, now in his mid-40s, alleged he was abused by two priests — including Rene Touchette, who was convicted of sex crimes in the 1990s, and Léo Couture, who died before the lawsuit was filed. He says the abuse happened while he was a student around 1990-91 at the now-closed St. Jean Baptiste Elementary, which was in the Red River Valley division.

The abuse was alleged to have occurred while he was 10-11-years-old and a member of the local Catholic church, overseen by the archdiocese, in St. Jean Baptiste, a francophone community about 75 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

“The parties have reached a settlement,” reads part of a letter from lawyer Jordan…

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India’s violence against women reflects a deeper moral and cultural failure that demands lasting change

A nation does not fail women only when a crime is committed. It fails them much earlier. It fails them when girls are taught to shrink their dreams. It fails them when boys are not taught reverence. It fails them when public spaces become unsafe, homes become prisons, institutions become indifferent, and society learns to move on after each outrage.

India has heard too many stories of women who vanish, women who are assaulted, women who are trafficked, women who are silenced, women whose pain becomes a headline for one day and a statistic the next.

The phrase “missing women” is chilling because it hides so much. A missing woman may be a daughter, a student, a migrant worker, a mother, a domestic worker, a tribal girl, a woman fleeing violence, or someone trapped in…

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The Archdiocese of San Francisco’s proposed $395 million settlement with more than 500 child sexual abuse survivors reaches into Tiburon, where St. Hilary Catholic Church is expected to help pay for the deal and where a priest later accused of molesting children once served.

 

The archdiocese and lawyers for the survivors announced the proposed settlement June 29. It would resolve about 530 claims brought by people who said they were abused as children by clergy and other church workers, most of them dating back decades. The agreement is not final. Each survivor will vote on it, and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali must approve it before it takes effect.

 For St. Hilary, the settlement carries a direct cost. Although the parish was not part of the archdiocese’s 2023 bankruptcy filing, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone told parishioners in a June 29 letter that parishes “will need to…

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Spanish-born Cristobal Lopez Romero, who denies wrongdoing, was seen by some as a potential successor to Pope Francis in the 2025 conclave

At least five women have accused the archbishop of Rabat of sexual assault, according to an Agence France-Presse investigation, prompting the Spanish-born cleric to announce he was “stepping back” on Tuesday while the Vatican holds an inquiry.

Agence France-Presse interviewed a retired woman involved in the Church and reviewed the written testimony of another woman who said Cristobal Lopez Romero had sexually assaulted them.

The 74-year-old archbishop denied all wrongdoing when contacted by Agence France-Presse.

At least three other women have been victims of similar acts by Lopez, a diocesan source alleged, but Agence France-Presse was not able to verify their claims as some were allegedly made during confession.

The written complaint, which was sent to the Vatican embassy in Rabat, accused Lopez of “inappropriate” physical contact, including…

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The Archbishop of Rabat says he has been accused of “inappropriate behaviour toward adult women” and that a preliminary investigation has been opened by the Church. Pending its outcome, he will refrain from public celebrations and pastoral ministry, while asking for prayers for the Diocese, those who are suffering, and himself.

Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, SDB, Archbishop of Rabat, has announced that he is temporarily stepping back from public ministry while a preliminary Church investigation is conducted into allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward adult women.

In a statement released on Wednesday 7 July, the 74-year-old Spanish Cardinal said the investigation is now “in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church” and pledged his full cooperation. To avoid interfering with the process, he said he will refrain from presiding over public celebrations and participating in pastoral activities.

Acknowledging that the situation has caused distress and raised legitimate questions among the faithful,…

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Spanish-born Cristobal Lopez Romero, the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, has announced that he is ‘stepping back’ from office after an investigation revealed at least five accounts of accusations of sexual assault. Lopez has admitted to ‘inappropriate behavior towards adult women’ but denies having committed sexual violence or harassment.

A Catholic cardinal touted as one of the favorites to replace Pope Francis said he was “stepping back” from office Tuesday, July 7, after an Agence France-Presse (AFP) investigation revealed at least five women had accused him of sexual assault. Spanish-born Cristobal Lopez Romero, 74, the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, denies wrongdoing.

One woman who said he molested her made a written complaint about the cardinal in May to the Vatican embassy in Morocco, which AFP has seen. She accused him of “particularly insistent and prolonged hugs” and “an attempt at physical intimacy that could be likened to an attempt”…

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A Catholic cardinal touted as one of the favourites to replace Pope Francis said he was “stepping back” from office Tuesday after an AFP investigation revealed at least five women had accused him of sexual assault.

Spanish-born Cristobal Lopez Romero, 74, the Archbishop of Rabat in Morocco, denies wrongdoing.

One woman who said he molested her made a written complaint about the cardinal in May to the Vatican embassy in Morocco, which AFP has seen.

She accused him of “particularly insistent and prolonged hugs” and “an attempt at physical intimacy that could be likened to an attempt” to kiss her, which she said she “barely managed” to avoid.

A church source in the archdiocese said at least five accounts describing similar incidents have been brought to its attention.

Lopez admitted he had been “accused of inappropriate behaviour towards adult women. This situation has led the Church to open a preliminary…

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A jury last week convicted a San Jose pastor of domestic violence, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Ray Fitzgerald Montgomery is the former executive director of People Acting in Community Together (PACT).

After three hours of jury deliberations the 59-year-old was found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence against a 42-year-old woman, with whom he had a relationship with, in his home in 2024.

According to the DA’s office, Montgomery “picked the victim up and dragged her down the hallway. She told him to stop, but he refused, eventually beginning to strangle her by pressing her neck between his forearm and bicep. Around that time, she felt she was about to lose consciousness when she felt him release her, causing her to then collapse on the floor.”

The woman was able to run and hide in a bathroom to call for help, authorities said. The next day,…

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A “Year of Children,” marked by meetings, celebrations, public events and prayer initiatives dedicated to protecting children, promoting their well-being and placing them at the centre of social and pastoral attention in a context where children are exploited, abused and violated. This is how Archbishop Joseph Arshad, Bishop of the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, explained to Fides the aims and motivations behind the special year being observed by the Catholic community in northern Pakistan.

“Child protection is crucial,” he said, expressing “deep concern over the growing number of child abuse cases in society.”

“The issue of child sexual abuse in Pakistan remains widespread and requires urgent attention. In 2025,” he noted, citing figures from ‘Cruel Numbers,’ the report published by the Pakistani NGO ‘Sahil,’ which monitors child abuse nationwide on a daily basis, “there was an alarming 8 percent increase in reported cases, with 3,630 confirmed cases of violence, an average…

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A detailed report on Northern Ireland’s mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries, and workhouses will be published, featuring testimonies and archival records. The report informs a public inquiry and financial redress scheme for survivors.

Report on Mother and Baby Institutions to Be Published

More than a dozen mother and baby homes operated in Northern Ireland, including Marianvale in Newry. An extensive report examining mother and baby institutions, Magdalene Laundries, and workhouses in Northern Ireland is scheduled for publication on Tuesday.

The report consolidates archival records alongside testimonies from victims and survivors, their relatives, and individuals who worked or volunteered at these institutions.

It will present various findings and recommendations, highlighting areas for further investigation by an upcoming public inquiry.

From the 1920s until the 1990s, over 10,000 women, pregnant women, and girls passed through these secretive institutions, which were predominantly managed by religious orders.

Several of these women became pregnant…

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The estimated number of women admitted to mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland is some 2,000 higher than previously thought, a report has found.

The co-chairmen of the Truth Recovery Independent Panel found that “human rights abuses, degrading treatment, and forced separation of families are recurring and frequent” in evidence from survivors of the homes.

The 10-person Independent Panel, which includes three victims/ survivors, was appointed in 2023 by the Executive Office to look into the workings of the institutions that were run by the Catholic Church, religious orders, some Protestant denominations, and the State, until the 1990s.

Last week Stormont passed a Bill for a public inquiry and financial redress scheme relating to mother and baby institutions.

On Tuesday the Panel published their final report, describing it as “the largest and most comprehensive collection of lived-experience testimony in Northern Ireland in connection to these institutions”.

…

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The Truth Recovery Independent Panel contained detailed testimony of the treatment 300 women suffered at institutions run by the Catholic Church, some Protestant denominations and the state until the 1990s.

Around 2,000 more women were admitted to mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland than previously estimated, a report has found.

On Tuesday the Truth Recovery Independent Panel published their final report, describing it as “the largest and most comprehensive collection of lived-experience testimony in Northern Ireland in connection to these institutions”.

The report’s findings are based on testimony from almost 300 people directly affected by the institutions.

The 10-person independent panel was appointed by the executive office to look into the practices of the institutions, which were run by the Catholic Church, religious orders, some Protestant denominations and the state until the 1990s.

The report comes after Stormont last week passed a bill for a public…

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Truth Recovery Independent Panel says claims made against ‘Sister Z’, now deceased, merit ‘special attention’ at upcoming inquiry

Allegations of sexual abuse against a nun who worked at a mother and baby home in Co Down should be investigated as part of an upcoming public inquiry, a report has found.

The recommendation was made by the Truth Recovery Independent Panel, which on Tuesday published a report on mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries and workhouses in Northern Ireland.

The panel said it found “clear evidence of discrimination against women and girls” in the institutions and that systemic failings by the state led to “human rights abuses”.

The actions of “Sister Z” of the Good Shepherd Sisters, who is now dead and was based at Marionville home in Newry, merit “special attention” after numerous testimonies from victims/survivors accused her of sexual abuse while performing gynaecological examinations, the report says.

The role of…

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Independent panel launches major report after taking testimony from hundreds of women sent to Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries

Human rights abuses, degrading treatment, and forced separation of families were recurring and frequent in connection with mother and baby homes, the lead authors of a major new report said on Tuesday.

More than 15,000 women and girls were sent to Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries between 1920 and the 1990s, higher than previously estimated, the report found.

Many of these women faced “degrading treatment” while a key theme of the report is the number subjected to rape or other abuse prior to being sent to the institutions, the Truth Recovery Independent Panel (TRIP) found.

The panel recommends survivors are afforded “core participant status” in any public inquiry.

This gives them access to records, the ability to suggest lines of questioning and allows their legal representatives to…

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A $10 million civil lawsuit was filed in Hampden Superior Court against two former Roman Catholic bishops for alleged sexual abuse.

Shawn Senuta alleges he was sexually abused by Bishops Christopher Weldon and Joseph Maguire more than 50 years ago when he was 4 or 5 years old while residing at Brightside, a residential institute for children owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield.New $600M justice center to replace Springfield courthouse

The suit claims the abuse began around 1973 or 1974. It alleges Bishop Weldon fondled Senuta and made him perform sexual acts, and that Bishop Maguire also victimized Senuta on more than one occasion at Brightside.

The bishops allegedly told Senuta that no one would believe him or that God would not forgive him. Senuta said he struggled for years with the alleged abuse until he disclosed it to his wife in 2022.

Senuta’s attorneys…

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A lawsuit filed last week alleges that two bishops with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield sexually assaulted a young victim in West Springfield in the 1970s.

Our Lady of Providence, also known as “Brightside” in West Springfield, was where the alleged abuse took place.

The victim who filed the lawsuit said he was about four to five years old at the time of the abuse. He alleges that Bishop Christopher Weldon and Bishop Joseph Maguire assaulted him and coerced him into silence.

On or around 1973 or 1974, Weldon allegedly touched the boy inappropriately and told him he would go to hell if he said anything.

On a different occasion, the victim was confined to a closet as punishment when Maguire entered and sodomized him, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit, filed against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield (RCBS) as a whole, says that the victim “will continue to…

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Key Takeaways

• Father Roland M. Lepire is accused of sexually abusing at least six boys between 1975 and 1980, according to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report.
• The Attorney General’s Report states that Lepire continued serving in ministry after allegations of abuse were reported.
• Multiple civil lawsuits have been filed in relation to the allegations against Lepire, including a lawsuit filed in 2026 under Rhode Island’s child sexual abuse revival law.

Who Was Father Roland Lepire?

Father Roland M. Lepire was a priest of the Diocese of Providence.

Ordained in 1975, Lepire served at several Rhode Island parishes before being placed on administrative leave in 1996. In 2004, he was dismissed from the clerical state.

Holden was publicly identified on Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence and the Diocese of Providence’s List…

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On July 2, 2026, Constable Ryan Gable’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit and Safe Harbor Detectives arrested Noel Walker, 20, of Conroe, Texas, following an extensive investigation that originated from a CyberTip referral from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

After receiving the CyberTip, Precinct 3 detectives initiated a comprehensive investigation utilizing search warrants, digital forensic examinations, and other investigative techniques, ultimately developing sufficient probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant for Walker.

Walker has been charged with:

• Five (5) counts of Possession of Child Pornography, classified as First-Degree Felonies under Texas law.

• One (1) count of Promotion or Possession of a Child-Like Sex Doll, classified as a State Jail Felony under Texas law.

At the time of his arrest, Walker publicly identified himself as a Youth Pastor and Worship Leader at Infinity Church in the Houston area. Publicly available social media posts depict…

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‘How the Church engages with survivors is not an optional add-on to safeguarding – it is  safeguarding,’ Steve Ashley, the chief executive officer of the CSSA said. ‘Their experiences, their voices, their needs must be at the heart of all safeguarding practice.’

Pastoral care for survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church can be a “postcode lottery”, the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) has warned.

The CSSA published its first thematic report of safeguarding across the Catholic Church in England and Wales on 6 July.

The report said “communications, consistency and compassion for survivors” are crucial for safeguarding and called for a “one-Church approach” to end inconsistencies in support for survivors.

The CSSA examined how Catholic dioceses and religious orders in England and Wales engage with and support survivors of church abuse.

This included looking at how church bodies respond to disclosures of abuse, how they communicate with survivors, and how…

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The Christian Brothers have defended their decision to retain nine convicted child sex offenders within their religious order, saying they have a “Gospel imperative” to continue caring for all members, according to court documents filed in Australia.

The documents emerged as the Catholic religious order secured a court-ordered moratorium on current and future civil claims brought by survivors of abuse. The ruling has paused numerous legal proceedings while the order seeks to address what it describes as a severe financial crisis.

An affidavit submitted by Brother Gerard John Brady, leader of the Christian Brothers Oceania Province, states that the order has around 176 members, the majority of whom are based in Australia. Nine of those members are convicted child sex offenders, including one who is currently serving a prison sentence. The court also heard that other current members have faced allegations of child abuse.

Explaining the decision not to dismiss…

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Discalced Carmelite priest is remanded in custody in Kerala after woman accuses him of multiple assaults

A Catholic priest has been arrested and remanded in custody on allegations of repeatedly raping a woman in the southern Indian state of Kerala after she filed a police complaint on July 3.

Father Dennis Praveen, 43, a member of the Kerala province of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) and a well-known retreat preacher, was arrested in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

The woman, now 24, alleged in her complaint that the priest raped her multiple times between 2022 and 2024 at various locations.

“The priest was produced before a local court after his arrest and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days,” a police official involved in the investigation told UCA News on July 5.

“The priest has been charged with rape,” the official said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. The…

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A lawyer fined $400,000 after helping remove an abusive priest from a school lost his final appeal at the Supreme Court.

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from an attorney who was fined $400,000 after taking steps to get an abusive Roman Catholic priest removed as chaplain of a high school campus.

In a notice on Monday, the Supreme Court’s justices indicated without explanation that they would not take up the case of Richard Trahant, whose clients include dozens of people victimized by a clergy abuse scandal that drove New Orleans’ Catholic archdiocese into federal bankruptcy court.

Monday’s ruling all but closed the book on one of the most contentious chapters of that bankruptcy protection case, which the New Orleans archdiocese filed in 2020.

Trahant’s work on the archdiocesan bankruptcy positioned him to learn that a New Orleans priest named Paul Hart had secretly admitted to his religious superiors that he had…

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Madeline Folsom contributed to this report.

Former Irish national swimming coach George Gibney has been convicted of sexually abusing four swimmers and attempting to rape one of them in the 1970s and 1980s.

A jury deliberated for over seven hours on Monday before reaching the verdict, according to Irish national broadcaster RTE.

Gibney was charged with 79 counts relating to sexual abuse last year, but pleaded guilty to five of them at the beginning of the trial in Ireland’s Central Criminal Court.

The 77-year-old pleaded not guilty to a total of 73 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape of four girls in the 1970s and ’80s, according to RTE.

On Monday, the jury found Gibney guilty of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

Jurors were directed to return not guilty verdicts on 33 counts relating…

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A survivor’s $10M lawsuit says kids were sexually abused and forced to dig their own graves at a NY boarding school. See what the case alleges.

Asurvivor of the now-defunct Family Foundation School in Hancock, New York, says in a new federal lawsuit that children at the $80,000-a-year boarding school were sexually abused, strip searched, locked in closets, and forced to dig their own graves while local authorities looked away. The $10 million suit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, names the school’s owners, the Village of Hancock, the local police, and others. One of the school’s teachers, music instructor Paul Geer, was found guilty of sexually abusing children and sentenced in September 2024 to 27 years in federal prison.

The civil claims against the school’s owners and local officials remain unproven. Those defendants are presumed innocent of the allegations unless and until they are found liable.

The Incident

The lawsuit…

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• An advocacy consultant specializing in canon law suggests that a diocesan consultation may be a precursor to bankruptcy.
• The Diocese of Providence states the consultation is part of a pastoral planning process and is unrelated to bankruptcy or lawsuits.
• Rhode Island recently opened a two-year window for civil suits alleging childhood sexual abuse, a move the diocese opposed.

A notice in the church bulletin at the Cathedral of SS. Peter & Paul in Providence caught Patrick Wall’s eye in early June.

A former Benedictine priest and advocacy consultant specializing in canon law, Wall says he has seen similar notices before.

“In the 44 prior Roman Catholic bankruptcies in the United States, that was one of the precursors. That they did a reorganization. …
They started the consultation process. It looks very inert,” said Wall, an advocacy consultant with the national law firm Grant…

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The jail sentence for a former pastor convicted of child sex abuse has been increased from 80 years to 130 years. Terry Reed, who in May was convicted of four charges, had previously been convicted for similar offenses. 

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

Reed, 66, reportedly operated his church, Vessels of Christ Ministry, out of his home in Terrytown, Louisiana, which is in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

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

In 2023, Reed was arrested after a victim came forward to allege that Reed sexually abused him…

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[PHOTO: John Thomas Lawrence (left) and his lawyer Mark Magazanic speak to the media in 2020, after Mr Lawrence, a child migrant from the UK, was awarded more than $1.3 million in damages after suffering abuse in the care of the Christian Brothers in Western Australia in the 1950s]

THE Christian Brothers Oceania Province, which includes Australia, has won a court moratorium on all current and future civil sexual-abuse claims, while it seeks court permission to create a creditors’ scheme to pay out sexual abuse survivors.

If the scheme is not approved — the hearing is set down for September — the Order will have to go into liquidation. In either case, the Order will then cease to exist in Australia.

The decision, by the NSW Supreme Court, has thrown ongoing sexual-abuse cases into chaos, and caused dismay among sexual-abuse survivors; there are more than 240 claimants and prospective claimants.

The…

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‘Good practice is the exception when it comes to caring for survivors,’ the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency found.

The quality of engagement with abuse survivors varies significantly across the Catholic Church in England and Wales, a major new report said Monday.

A 116-page report by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, issued July 6, concluded that a robust, survivor-centered approach to safeguarding was “exceptional rather than assured” among dioceses and religious life groups in England and Wales.

The report from the CSSA — which describes itself as an independent inspectorate — suggested that while initial complaints were generally handled well, dioceses and religious orders sometimes failed to sustain engagement with survivors, leaving them with a sense of abandonment.

The document also said that, despite considerable progress, the unified “One Church” approach to abuse advocated in the 2001 Nolan Report on safeguarding in the Church in England and Wales remained unrealized 25 years…

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The Survivor Thematic report by the CSSA paints a picture of the Catholic Church in England and Wales lamentably failing to adequately care for people abused within it. 

We see a postcode lottery, where the inspection has found good practice to be the exception when it comes to caring for survivors. That is a stark message to absorb. The heartbreaking reality it points to is of a Church seemingly without the will, wisdom, or heart to care consistently for those it has harmed.

One of the realities Church leadership must confront is that people are still being harmed, and too often harmed again if they seek engagement with the Church.

The findings of the report show too little evidence that, as a group, they take seriously enough their responsibility – the responsibility to engage in coherent, meaningful, consistent, and appropriate ways with victims and survivors of abuse within the Church.

Six years…

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Carlos Zamora faces multiple felony counts in the 341st District Court

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – A former employee at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School accused of sexually assaulting a child is headed to trial, with jury selection set to begin Monday, July 6.

Court records show Carlos Zamora faces multiple felony charges, including two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child by sexual contact, and an improper relationship between educator and student.

The case is proceeding in the 341st District Court.

By Kobe Arriaga

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Exclusive: Victorian supreme court case halted just weeks out after Catholic order obtains moratorium on all claims against it

When Curtis Hogan* was about nine, he was called to the front of his classroom at St Patrick’s primary school, Ballarat.

Brother Ryan, a member of the Christian Brothers Catholic order, told him to sit on his lap, court documents allege.

The brother was breathing heavily.

“You are my favourite boy,” he allegedly told Hogan.

Hogan alleges Brother Ryan abused him while he sat on his lap.

He was abused by two other Christian Brothers at the same school, according to allegations in court documents.

Hogan has waited 60 years for justice.

The civil trial against the Christian Brothers and a Catholic bishop was due to begin in three weeks in the Victorian supreme court.

Instead, his lawyers at Ken Cush and Associates say the trial will likely be abandoned. It is…

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Exclusive: Documents also show the Catholic order sought financial support from the Holy See months before it declared it lacked money to pay survivors

The Christian Brothers has deliberately kept nine convicted child abusers, one who is currently behind bars, as members of its religious order because it says it has a “Gospel imperative” to “care for all Brothers” and “the needy”.

Court documents also reveal the head of Christian Brothers Oceania met with representatives of the Holy See in an attempt to obtain support six months before it declared it was going broke and could not afford to meet abuse claims from survivors, but received no financial assistance.

The Christian Brothers on Thursday obtained a moratorium on all current and future civil claims by abuse survivors, throwing dozens of pending trials into chaos and halting hundreds more cases in their tracks.

The order says it is about to go broke and cannot…

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The Michigan Attorney General’s office released its report June 25 detailing the findings of its investigation related to clerical sexual abuse in the Diocese of Saginaw, the sixth of seven such investigations into the handling of abuse in each of Michigan’s Catholic dioceses.

Over a 75-year period, the report said, allegations were made against 37 Saginaw priests and 1 deacon, with the vast majority before 2002. No criminal charges were filed.

So far, reports have covered the dioceses of Marquette, Gaylord, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Grand Rapids. The final report is expected to cover the Archdiocese of Detroit.

“All seven dioceses have cooperated with the AG’s investigation,” which began in 2018, including the Diocese of Saginaw, the latest report said. Representatives of the diocese have met regularly with members of the attorney general’s team throughout the course of the investigation.

The Saginaw report covers a period dating to 1950…

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A defrocked Belgian bishop whose admission of child sexual abuse triggered a national reckoning on the scale of paedophile crimes in the Catholic Church, has died, authorities said Friday.

The Belgian Bishops’ Conference announced Roger Vangheluwe’s death at the age of 89, saying it was “aware this news may trigger a new wave of emotion among victims.”

The former bishop of Bruges resigned in 2010 after acknowledging he had sexually abused two nephews — one of them over a 13-year period from the 1980s onward.

He was not prosecuted due to Belgium’s statute of limitations but his case prompted thousands to come forward with accounts of sexual violence in the Church spanning decades.

The scandal resurfaced in Belgium in 2023 following the broadcast of a hard-hitting documentary denouncing decades of Church inaction over clerical sexual abuse.

That led Belgian bishops to renew their call for Pope Francis to defrock Vangheluwe,…

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[To see video, click here.]

1. Church abuse survivor Brigid Crotty walks through botanical garden

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Brigid Crotty, Church abuse survivor: “Approximately 55 years ago, O’Shea, a then Monsignor in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, abused me multiple times to say the least. What I think is worth reiterating is what he told me during those times, which is this: ‘You are a bad girl, and if you tell anyone, everyone will know you are a bad girl.’ Hence, the 55 years of silence and darkness.”

3. Crotty sits on bench in garden

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Brigid Crotty, Church abuse survivor: “There are 14 high-level points that are outlined in this quote-unquote settlement. One of them being that each of the victims will be receiving a note of apology from Archbishop Cordileone. That is one of them. The others mainly have to do with…

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The week in review, from the perspective of a veteran Catholic journalist

Happy 4th of July!

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence hasn’t prompted nearly the sort of celebration that attended the 200th: yet another sign (as if you needed it) that things are not right in our nation.

But for the Lawler family, the 4th has become the occasion for a Gathering of the Clan. Children and grandchildren began more arriving than a week ago, and the party will reach its peak just in time for the fireworks— after our annual re-reading of the Declaration.

With many grandchildren to chase around (and be chased by), I haven’t been working my usual schedule this week, as you’ll see. Look for more next week.Subscribe

Article

The illicit ordination of new bishops by the SSPX marked a sad day in Church history, made sadder still by the fact that some…

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What would the Pope make of recent reporting that reveals the Christian Brothers in Australia is set to declare itself bankrupt after shifting at least $500 million in assets into a separate legal entity, making it inaccessible to church child abuse victims seeking compensation?

Pope Leo XIV last month denounced the “scourge” of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy before he met privately with abuse victims in Spain. The Pope said some of his most painful encounters had been with those who have been wounded by those who were supposed to care for them, including members of the clergy.

“The Church community must respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation and an even more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care,” the US-born Pope told Spanish bishops.

As a Catholic priest of nearly 60 years, I’m ashamed that those poor kids were damaged and burdened for life by…

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Roger Vangheluwe, Bishop Emeritus of Bruges and expelled from the clerical state in 2024 by decision of Pope Francis after admitting to sexual abuse committed against several minors, passed away this Friday at the age of 89. The news was confirmed by the Belgian Episcopal Conference, which acknowledged that his death may reawaken the pain of the victims of sexual abuse committed within the Church.

The Vangheluwe case marked a turning point for the Catholic Church in Belgium. His confession in 2010 triggered a wide-ranging judicial investigation into sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy and opened one of the greatest institutional crises experienced by the Church in the country in recent decades.

The admission of abuse led to an unprecedented investigation

In April 2010, Vangheluwe admitted to having sexually abused his nephew, who was a minor when the acts began. The abuse occurred both before and after his appointment…

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The Christian Brothers Oceania province has retained nine convicted child sex offenders as members of its religious order, citing a Gospel imperative as justification, according to court documents reported by The Guardian on Thursday.

Brother Gerard John Brady, head of the Oceania province, stated in an affidavit that 176 brothers remain in the order, most based in Australia.

One convicted offender is currently imprisoned, while others face allegations.

“While dismissal of an offender from the Christian Brothers is an option open to us, I believe that it is not always the appropriate response,” Brady said.

The provincial leader argued that discharging offenders could create a financial burden for taxpayers, as many lack independent means of support.

“Accommodating known sex-offenders in the wider community following their discharge remains a difficult issue for society.

The [Oceania leadership team] believes that the Christian Brothers have obligations both to the wider community and to…

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The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has substantiated a sexual abuse allegation against former teacher James Zimmer.

The Archdiocese announced on Thursday, July 2, that Archbishop Shawn McKnight found the allegation against former Bishop Miege High School teacher James Zimmer to be credible following a review.

Zimmer worked at Bishop Miege from 1969 to 1984, according to church leaders. The allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is reported to have occurred during that time.

The Archdiocese said Zimmer later worked at Rockhurst High School from 1987 to 1993. No allegations of misconduct or abuse have been received for that time period.

Church leaders noted that the school collaborated with the investigation conducted by the Office of Prevention and Care for the Archdiocese of KCK.

Zimmer died on June 1, 2000, officials said.

ALSO READ: Olathe man found guilty of more…

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News 15 Investigates has uncovered that the Diocese of Lafayette has hired a well-known bankruptcy attorney for at least one of its mounting clergy sex abuse lawsuits. Some in the legal community suggest this could indicate the diocese itself is preparing to file for bankruptcy.

The attorney, Francis LoCoco, is based in Wisconsin and previously represented the Diocese of Milwaukee in its bankruptcy case. LoCoco is also working with the Diocese of Alexandria, which declared bankruptcy in 2025. LoCoco’s bio for the Husch Blackwell firm describes him as a lifelong Catholic and cites his work on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

“Frank approaches these cases with deep humanity, prioritizing both healing for survivors and resolution for client organizations so that they can return their full attention to their charitable missions,” his bio states.

This week, the Diocese of Lafayette filed a motion to enroll LoCoco as…

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A Lexington County man was charged with sex crimes with a minor, according to court records.

Daniel Keith Rabon was arrested June 30 and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree. He was a pastor at Taylor Street Baptist Church in Cayce, WIS reported. While his name was removed from the Lexington Baptist Association’s website by Thursday afternoon, internet archives identify him as the church’s pastor. The church’s Facebook page was unavailable.

According to an arrest warrant, Rabon was found at 5436 Platt Springs Road in possession of a cell phone with more than 26 image and video files of “morphed images of identifiable minors engaged in sexual activity” or in a state of “sexually explicit nudity.”

Rabon’s bond was set at $125,000 on Wednesday, according to court records. As of Thursday afternoon, Rabon was not being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, the…

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Statement from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is announcing that an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against former teacher James Zimmer has been substantiated following an independent review process.

Mr. Zimmer was an employee at Bishop Miege High School from 1969 to 1984, during which time an allegation was reported to have occurred. The allegation was determined to be credible and substantiated by Archbishop Shawn McKnight following a review by the Independent Review Board. Mr. Zimmer was also an employee at Rockhurst High School from 1987 to 1993. Mr. Zimmer died on June 1, 2000. While no allegations of misconduct or abuse have been received originating from his time of employment at Rockhurst, Rockhurst collaborated with the investigation conducted by the Office of Prevention and Care for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

We are grateful for the…

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A Christian priest was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman multiple times in Chavara here, police said.

The arrested person has been identified as Fr Dennis Praveen.

According to police, the alleged incidents took place between 2022 and 2024 after the priest befriended the woman while she was attending retreats at a Christian worship centre in Chavara, where he was serving.

Police alleged that the priest sexually assaulted the woman at various places in Kollam during this period.

Even after he was transferred to a retreat centre in Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district, he allegedly continued to sexually assault the complainant, police said.

Following a complaint lodged by the woman at the Chavara police station recently, the accused allegedly went into hiding.

He was arrested from a hideout in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

The accused was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody, police added. PTI TBA…

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The two-year “revival window” newly opened for Rhode Islanders to file civil claims against alleged sexual abusers and institutions can be triggering, not only for those bringing lawsuits but for survivors overall, including those who’ve remained silent.

With that in mind, Ann Hagan Webb, a psychologist, advocate and survivor, compiled a list of resources for individuals who are affected. Webb was molested by her parish priest from ages 5 to 12.

“Many of us will feel elated at the sudden sense of power in taking this step. I applaud everyone who files suit this week and in the months and years to come. It takes courage,” Webb said in a statement.

She emphasized that even contemplating such a step can stir up latent emotions; so, too, will the arduous journey through the legal system with its inevitable delays.

“I urge everyone to seek help in some…

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Oldest case so far dates back to 1958

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and churches across Rhode Island are so far facing 33 state lawsuits and at least one federal complaint alleging decades of sexual abuse committed by clergy and other officials.

That’s just the number of cases filed on Wednesday, the first day victims could file complaints under a two-year revival window allowing previously expired claims against institutions such as the diocese to begin again. The General Assembly passed landmark legislation in June amending the state’s statute of limitations. Gov. Dan McKee signed the legislation into law on June 11.

The window closes June 30, 2028, under the new law. Previously, those victims had 35 years after turning 18 to sue individual priests, teachers, coaches and others who molested them, or up until they turned 53.

Complaints reviewed by Rhode Island Current contain abuse allegations dating…

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The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas on Thursday announced it has substantiated an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against a former teacher who worked at two area high schools.

Archbishop Shawn McKnight determined the allegation against James Zimmer to be credible following an investigation by the Independent Review Board, the archdiocese said in a statement posted on its website.

Zimmer taught at Bishop Miege Catholic High School in Roeland Park from 1969 to 1984, the archdiocese said. The allegation was reported to have occurred during that time.

Zimmer also taught at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City from 1987 to 1993, according to the announcement. He died on June 1, 2000.

“While no allegations of misconduct or abuse have been received originating from his time of employment at Rockhurst, Rockhurst collaborated with the investigation conducted by the Office of Prevention and Care for…

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SNAP commends every survivor and witness who came forward to share their testimony with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s investigation into clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Saginaw. The recent report is number six of seven investigations in the office’s ongoing pursuit of accountability in the state. 

“Survivors’ courage and tenacity made this report possible,” said Judy Larson, a Michigan survivor and SNAP’s Board Secretary. “SNAP stands in solidarity with all Michigan survivors, including those who were unable or chose not to participate. This report has been years in the making and proves the resilience and bravery of Michigan’s survivors who came forward and demanded their day of reckoning.”

The Attorney General’s report offers acknowledgement to the victims of these alleged crimes and a public accounting of what lengths the office will go to to protect survivors and provide an environment that’s safe from preventable sexual violence.  

SNAP exhorts…

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A Liberty County pastor was arrested Monday, June 29, after being charged with three felony offenses, including continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.

George Finney, 52, pastor of New Life Church in Kenefick, was arrested at his home in Dayton by deputies with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Billy Knox, Finney was taken into custody without incident following an investigation that began after what Knox described as a public outcry.

Finney has been charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 14 Years of Age, Indecency With a Child by Exposure and Assault Causing Bodily Injury/Family Violence.

Court records show bond was set at $50,000 on each charge, for a total of $150,000.

As of publication, details surrounding the allegations, including the circumstances of the investigation and the ages of the alleged victim or victims, had…

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Elizabeth Greenop was placed on leave from the University on Monday

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story which references allegations of sexual misconduct whose authorship has not been identified by The Observer or administrator(s) of shareyourstory.notredame, an Instagram account where the allegations originated. References to allegations are not intended to be construed as evidence of their accuracy or credibility. An account administrator has been granted anonymity by The Observer for their role in disclosing information relevant to the University’s investigation.

Elizabeth Greenop, rector of McGlinn Hall since August 2024, is under investigation by the Office of Institutional Equity at Notre Dame for alleged sexual misconduct, arising from anonymous posts on the Instagram account shareyourstory.notredame. She has been on leave since June 29.

“We have been made aware of the online allegations. The University takes allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, particularly when persons in positions of authority may be involved,…

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A former teacher at the soon-to-be defunct Holy Cross Catholic School in Santa Cruz pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday, admitting he sexually assaulted one of his students in 2021.

Calvin Robinson, 44, of Española, was initially charged with seven counts, including criminal sexual penetration, four counts of criminal sexual contact and enticement of a child. Together, those charges exposed him to decades in prison.

As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty in state District Court in Santa Fe to one count of second-degree criminal sexual contact and one of third-degree criminal sexual contact as part of plea deal with prosecutors.

If sentenced concurrently, the counts could have exposed Robinson to up to 15 years in prison. However, state District Judge Jason Lidyard suspended all but 31⁄2 years Thursday, per Robinson’s plea deal. After receiving credit for approximately three years spent on house arrest while the…

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The federal government says it would be very concerned if the Christian Brothers were trying to shield their assets from claims made by abuse victims in a dramatic intervention into the winding up of the 183-year-old Catholic order.

The warning came at a NSW Supreme Court hearing that halted all legal cases currently in process against the Christian Brothers, and after media attention on the property transfers made by the Christian Brothers to their education arm that have left the order unable to meet its liabilities to victims.

The transferred properties – mostly signed over before the abolition of the liability-limiting Ellis defence and which The Australian Financial Review reported on Friday would now be worth $2 billion – have left the order unable to meet $774 million in known liabilities to abuse victims. Last week, the court heard the Christian Brothers had just $23 million in cash and a property portfolio worth…

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Three more former residents of a shuttered Wolverine Human Services facility in Saginaw County have filed a lawsuit, alleging staff subjected them to prolonged sexual abuse.

They join more than a dozen others who have filed similar suits against the operators of the juvenile detention facility.

Chicago attorney Nicholas P. Wainwright on Monday, June 22, filed the lawsuit against Wolverine Human Services (WHS) in Saginaw County Circuit Court on behalf of two men and one woman, identified by their initials to retain their anonymity. The plaintiffs are all younger than 28 and reside in Detroit, Royal Oak, and Ann Arbor.

Read more here.

No charges following Saginaw diocese abuse probe, AG’s office says

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a report this week identifying 37 priests and one deacon accused of misconduct in the Diocese of Saginaw spanning 75 years,…

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A Lexington County pastor was recently behind bars on a sexual exploitation charge.

Court and jail records show Daniel Rabon was arrested on June 30 and charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to an arrest warrant from the Attorney General’s office, Rabon had 26 or more image and video files of morphed images of identifiable minors engaged in sexual activity or in a state of sexually explicit nudity. The files were located on his cell phone.

The Lexington Baptist Association website and multiple public social media posts identify Rabon as the pastor of Taylor Street Baptist Church in Cayce. The church has also appeared to have removed its Facebook page.

Records show Rabon was released on a $125,000 bond on July 1. He was also ordered to be under GPS monitoring.

Taylor Street Baptist Church provided the following statement to…

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A 65-year-old Jacksonville pastor was arrested June 22 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation involving two juvenile victims, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Anthony Doyle is listed as a pastor at Friendship Primitive Baptist Church, according to the arrest report. News4JAX also learned he is employed by Duval County Schools.

The charges

Doyle faces two separate charges. The first is one count of sexual battery — victim over 12 but under 18 by a custodian without consent — a first-degree felony. The second is one count of lewd/lascivious molestation — offender 18 or older, victim 12 or older but under 16 — a second-degree felony.

Molestation charge

On May 28, a JSO detective was assigned to investigate a lewd molestation allegation involving Doyle and a juvenile victim at Friendship Primitive Baptist Church. According to the arrest report, the victim disclosed that Doyle grabbed his butt under his…

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Last year, the Archdiocese of Newark retained an outside law firm to review a years-old investigation at Seton Hall University that had become the focus of stunning allegations:

What did the school’s newly appointed president know about past sexual abuse allegations involving former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and who did he tell?

That report by the law firm of Ropes & Gray, commissioned by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, released on Wednesday, concluded that Monsignor Joseph Reilly, who was named Seton Hall’s president in 2024, had never been implicated in the earlier investigation.

The controversy over Reilly first surfaced in connection with a never-released 2019 report by another outside law firm, Latham & Watkins, into McCarrick’s alleged sexual misconduct on campus.

McCarrick, who died last year at the age of 94, had been accused of sexually harassing seminarians while he was Archbishop of Newark between 1986…

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Australia’s Christian Brothers have paused abuse compensation cases, warning mounting claims threaten financial collapse

A Catholic order in Australia has halted a wave of abuse compensation cases because it is running out of money, leaving some victims feeling like their “suffering is being extended”.

The Christian Brothers order, which ran more than 100 schools across Australia at the height of its influence, said it had paid out more than AU$480 million (US$330 million) to abuse victims since 1980.

It successfully applied in the Supreme Court of New South Wales to temporarily pause a spate of upcoming cases on July 2, arguing that further payouts would lead to financial ruin.

Instead, the order has proposed to sell off property and assets to pay for settlements negotiated out-of-court.

“We accept that we have now reached a pivotal moment facing a very difficult financial position, and consequently the proposed scheme is the most…

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Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Monsignor Joseph Reilly “responded promptly” to sexual harassment allegations, though he failed to follow Title IX requirements due to a lack of training.

Seton Hall University President Monsignor Joseph Reilly was “not implicated” in an internal report examining the school’s response to sex abuse allegations, the Archdiocese of Newark said this week.

The archdiocese on July 1 announced the release of its own report into whether an internal investigation commissioned by Seton Hall — the latter known as the “Latham report” — revealed that Reilly knew about abuse allegations at the university and yet failed to report them. Reilly was appointed president of the school in 2024.

Archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin said in the July 1 announcement that the archdiocese’s report, which was launched in February 2025 and performed by the law firm Ropes & Gray LLP, revealed that Reilly “was not implicated…

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• A new Rhode Island law creates a two-year window for victims to file civil lawsuits for past clergy sex abuse.
• Lawsuits are expected against the Diocese of Providence, other institutions, and several named priests.
• The new law allows suits against institutions that failed to protect children, not just the direct abusers.

On Wednesday, July 1, the first wave of what may be a tsunami of clergy sex abuse lawsuits against the Catholic Church will hit Rhode Island Superior Court.

And July 1 is just the first day in a two-year “revival window” the General Assembly created for long ago victims to file civil claims against their abusers and the institutions that failed to protect them, which until recently were barred by statutes of limitations and other legal restrictions.

Before the day is out, the filings may come in from law firms…

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Under a new state law giving childhood sexual abuse survivors their first chance in decades to obtain justice against their perpetrators, attorneys from Grant & Eisenhofer and their partner counsel today filed the first Federal complaint by a survivor of Rhode Island clergy abuse and issued a public plea for The Church to embrace truth and reconciliation, and flatly reject bankruptcy to resolve all claims against their assailants and enablers. Besides the lawsuit filing, the legal team is lodging an emergency motion to prevent The Church from destroying any evidence – including Church records of internal investigations – that might be relevant in litigating the cases. That request is largely based on concerns voiced in the recent report by Attorney General Peter Neronha

The plaintiff, a Rhode Island native and longtime Georgia resident, (identified as J. Doe to protect his privacy) in the Federal lawsuit (J. Doe vs….

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On Wednesday, July 1, the first wave of what may be a tsunami of clergy sex abuse lawsuits against the Catholic Church will hit Rhode Island Superior Court.

And July 1 is just the first day in a two-year “revival window” the General Assembly created for long ago victims to file civil claims against their abusers and the institutions that failed to protect them, which until recently were barred by statutes of limitations and other legal restrictions.

Before the day is out, the filings may come in from law firms in a number of states, and the targets may extend well beyond the Diocese of Providence’s realm to public and private schools, camps, athletic coaches, hospitals doctor’s offices and beyond, if the ubiquitous client-seeking on social media are any indication.

Close to home, law firm Decof, Mega & Quinn was heading to court Wednesday with an initial batch of around 30 of…

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Stollar, a child liberation theologian who fought for homeschooled kids, died by suicide this week. A fellow survivor on grief, legacy and what advocates owe themselves.

On June 28, 2026, Ryan Stollar — age 42, writer, child liberation theologian and advocate for children’s rights — died by suicide. The impact of his death has been rippling through my community of survivors and advocates the past few days. I feel intense grief over his loss, as well as mixed feelings about his public legacy and his final words to us. What I know for certain is Ryan helped change my life.

The first time I crossed paths with Ryan was around 2013, when I discovered Homeschoolers Anonymous, which I later learned Ryan had co-founded. I was in my mid-twenties and finding my way out of the Christian patriarchy movement. I was a stay-at-home daughter, which meant I was not allowed to…

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The 46-year-old was charged in connection with seven incidents that began in March of last year.

A man pleaded guilty Monday to 16 misdemeanor charges related to taking videos of men inside public restrooms last year at several places in Virginia Beach.

Aloysius Marcus Albritton, 46, was charged in connection with seven incidents that began in March 2025. Several men told authorities that Albritton filmed them as they used the bathroom, according to court records.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of use of a peephole to view a non-consenting person, seven counts of unlawful creation and one count of attempted unlawful creation. All charges are Class I misdemeanors.Shortly after 3 a.m. May 20 of last year, a man who was identified by his initials in court records noticed Albritton in the parking lot of the Chimney Hill Crunch Fitness. Surveillance footage of the gym entrance shows Albritton followed the…

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Date: Monday, July 27
Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
End Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual
Register here

“And” is one of the most important words in the English language. It allows us to hold more space for the complexity of human experience. Every human being has both beauty and brokenness. Every family has both goodness and dysfunction. One of the most common symptoms for trauma survivors is black-and-white thinking, which helps us feel in control and tells a distorted story about ourselves or others. Sometimes this all-or-nothing thinking gets embedded in our collective narrative – the stories we tell ourselves in our family, community, church, or nation. “And” allows us to tell a more truthful story, embrace more fully the paradox of human existence, and live more abundant lives.

Presenting this webinar is Derek Sakowski, who was ordained a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse in 2003. He holds a Licentiate in Philosophy from…

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The archbishop of Newark ordered the probe after POLITICO reporting that Monsignor Joseph Reilly did not properly report allegations.

Investigators hired by one of the country’s highest-ranking cardinals found that the new president of Seton Hall University did nothing wrong in responding to a sexual abuse allegation more than a decade ago.

A report released Wednesday by the law firm Ropes & Gray also concluded that findings from a previous investigation into clergy abuse inaccurately said Monsignor Joseph Reilly should have been removed from leadership and governing boards at the North Jersey-based university.

The newest findings effectively clear Reilly, who was elevated to the presidency of Seton Hall in 2024 following the resignation of Joseph Nyre, who later filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the university. Shortly after Reilly became president, POLITICO reported that he had been implicated in a 2019 investigation connected to allegations of sexual misconduct by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the longtime archbishop…

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An Australian court has granted the religious order Catholic Brothers a pause on payouts to child sex abuse victims after it claimed that it was running out of money to settle millions of dollars in civil claims.

The group had told the court it was going broke and that it planned to sell its remaining properties to fund a partial settlement. It sought the payment moratorium to give victims time to consider this scheme, local media reported.

The order estimates the group owes victims A$774m ($534m; £400m), which exceeds its $23m cash and $216m property holdings.

Founded in Ireland, the Christian Brothers has run schools and orphanages in Australia and New Zealand since the 1850s.

According to its website, the Oceania chapter’s work involves “adult education, social justice activities with refugees, asylum seekers, indigenous people and disadvantaged youth”.

But investigations have found that the Christian Brother’s schools and orphanages have…

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Overview:

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

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

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

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

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

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