ABUSE TRACKER

A digest of links to media coverage of clergy abuse. For recent coverage listed in this blog, read the full article in the newspaper or other media source by clicking “Read original article.” For earlier coverage, click the title to read the original article.

December 10, 2018

Se la acabó el plazo: cura O’Reilly cumple su condena y tiene 72 horas para irse de Chile

[His sentence served, priest John O’Reilly has 72 hours to leave Chile]

CHILE
El Mostrador

December 10, 2018

El sacerdote favorito de la élite política y empresarial termina este lunes los 4 años que pasó en libertad vigilada por abusar de una menor de edad del exclusivo colegio Cumbres. Ahora, debe abandonar el país luego que la justicia desechara un recurso de protección presentado por su defensa para evitar su expulsión. En paralelo a su situación judicial, aún está pendiente la definición de su caso a nivel de la justicia eclesiástica, donde todo indica que correrá el mismo destino de otros curas abusadores expulsados del sacerdocio.

Este lunes, el sacerdote John O’Reilly cumple sus cuatro años de condena bajo el régimen de libertad vigilada por el delito de abuso sexual contra una menor de edad del colegio Cumbres.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Fieles agreden a administrador apostólico en celebración de la Inmaculada Concepción en Puerto Montt

[The faithful protest apostolic administrator after Immaculate Conception celebration in Puerto Montt]

CHILE
BioBioChile

December 9, 2018

By Ariela Muñoz and Carlos Arismendi

Adherentes a curas investigados piden la salida del administrador apostólico de Puerto Montt. El representante del Papa salió escoltado por Carabineros, tras la celebración de la Inmaculada Concepción. Los fieles acusan a Ricardo Morales de dividir a la iglesia en Puerto Montt, tras las denuncias que realizó en la Fiscalía contra de los sacerdotes Tulio Soto y Darío Nicolás, por apropiación indebida de dineros y tráfico de estupefacientes.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Ex-priest worked in Liverpool middle school for 25 years after teen reported sex abuse

SYRACUSE (NY)
Syracuse.com

December 10, 2018

By Chris Baker

A Catholic priest who resigned following allegations of sexual abuse was able to go on to a 25-year career as a guidance counselor at a Liverpool middle school. He resigned only after the district learned of the allegations in 2003 and threatened to fire him. He died shortly after.

Donald J. Crosby remained in a position to have daily interaction with children after a teen-aged girl reported instances of sexual abuse to his superior, Monsignor H. Charles Sewall, at a Catholic school in 1974.

The victim came forward again, decades later, amid a national reckoning for abusive priests. She was outraged to learn Crosby was no longer a priest but was instead working in a school.

A diocesan spokeswoman said last week the church had no record of the victim’s first report, or any records of inappropriate behavior by Crosby. Sewall, it seems, never filed a report, and the school district didn’t learn of the allegations until 2003.

Crosby was one of 57 priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse against them who were identified by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse last week. Sewall was also on the list. Both are now dead.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Piden que renuncie el administrador apostólico de Puerto Montt

[There is pressure on Puerto Montt’s apostolic administrator to resign]

CHILE
Soy Chile

December 8, 2018

Al finalizar misa de celebración de la Inmaculada Concepción, fieles elevaron carteles y lanzaron gritos en su contra. Carabineros intervino para resguardar su seguridad.

Custodiado por efectivos de Carabineros y bajo gritos que pedían su renuncia, el administrador apostólico de Puerto Montt, Ricardo Morales, abandonó esta tarde el campo de oración, a los pies de la Casa Nazaret, donde tuvo lugar la tradicional celebración de la Fiesta de la Inmaculada Concepción.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Archbishop Scicluna and his recent appointment at the Vatican

MALTA
Malta Independent

December 10, 2018

By Simon Mercieca

A few days ago, I was invited to preside over the launch of a book by Antonio Ureta about Pope Francis. I shall be reviewing this book next week. What I wish to share is an interesting conversation that I had with one of those present during the coffee break. This gentleman is a person who follows thoroughly the church and attends even Catholic congresses abroad. What he told me was that not all the clergy, whom he met ata Congress in Rome were in tune with the positions that Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna has taken regarding the implementation of the encyclical Amoris Laetitia.

It is a fact that archbishop Scicluna was one of the first archbishops, if not the first, to have endorsed the encyclical Amoris Laetitia and put it into practice. I am here referring to stands taken by the Church in support of communion to divorced Catholics. I am not a theologian, therefore I will not be analyzing this fact from a theological point of view. But I am a historian and a commentator of current affairs. Hence, I shall be analyzing this from a political stance.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Norfolk priest on leave, accused of violating code of conduct

NORFOLK (VA)
WVEC

December 10, 2018

By Amanda Johncola

A well-known Norfolk priest was placed on leave after he was accused of violating a code of conduct.

Father Joseph Metzger, the pastor at Blessed Sacrament in Norfolk, was placed on leave after nonsexual misconduct accusations were made against him.

On Sunday, a letter from Most. Rev. Barry C. Knestout, Bishop of Richmond, was read to the parish community at Blessed Sacrament in Norfolk.

The letter stated that Father Metzger agreed to take a leave of absence as pastor from the parish due to complaints received by the Safe Environment Office concerning his interactions with young people.

Bishop Knestout made it clear that no allegations of child sexual abuse have been made, but the interactions complained of were not in keeping with the Code of Conduct with Minors in the Diocesan Safe Environment Regulations.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

S.C. Catholics outline plan to release names of priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse

CHARLESTON (SC)
WLTX TV

December 9, 2018

By Mike Ellis

The Catholic church in South Carolina plans to release in early 2019 the names of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors since 1950.

The state’s diocese, the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, said in a statement Friday evening that files are now being reviewed before the release.

Newer accusations, those made since a class action settlement was reached in 2007, are now being reviewed to be added to the list, according to the diocese.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

The Public Pulse: Not safe even in church

OMAHA (NE)
World Herald

December 01, 2018

Regarding the article “Some churches address abuse allegations” (Dec. 3 Omaha World-Herald), it is crazy to think how even in a church, you cannot feel safe. It is literally the house of God, a place where you should feel welcome and, most importantly, feel at home.

Where has the world gone to? What sickens me is the fact that there are allegations made toward 34 priests and four deacons, and only a few of the accused have faced criminal charges or civil lawsuits. There are roughly 230,000 Catholics in Omaha. It has been more than three decades that the Catholic Church has been rocked by the sex abuse situation.

In Pennsylvania, within six Catholic dioceses more than 300 “predator priests” had been accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 child victims. Is this situation not important enough to have more people charged with a crime, let alone the damage that has been done?

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

New Birth’s new pastor promises church’s rebirth

ATLANTA (GA)
Journal Constitution

December 10, 2018

By Shelia M. Poole, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jamal Bryant, the new senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, had a few words for doubters about the future of the DeKalb megachurch.

“New Birth has resilient people,” he said to a packed church in which nearly every seat on the lower level was filled.

“I feel almost like I need to take my shoes off, I’m standing on holy ground,” he said. “There are 100,00 angels circling this church.”

Bryant drew inspiration from Acts 28:1-6 for his message about recovering from difficulty.

After the death of Bishop Eddie L. Long and, later, the resignation of his successor, many people expected New Birth would die, but he said promised a “rebirth. … We are New Birth.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

What the Pennsylvania priests’ case reveals about the ‘right’ to reputation

LONDON (ENGLAND)
Spear’s Magazine

December 10, 2018

To what extent do we have a right to reputation? And to what extent does that right fall away when an accusation is made of criminal conduct, asks reputation lawyer Jennifer Agate

In a recent decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined that the names of eleven priests accused of sexual abuse in a grand jury report should remain permanently redacted. A necessary measure, the court said, to ‘protect their constitutional right to reputation’.

The allegations were of the utmost seriousness, the report described by the Pennsylvania Attorney General as the ‘largest, most comprehensive report into child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church ever produced in the United States’. While the names of 270 priests had already been made public, eleven were redacted. Those priests argued that they had not had the chance to respond to the serious allegations made against them, citing examples of serious factual errors in the evidence presented to the Grand Jury which, they said, could be easily rebutted. The court agreed.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Pope fiddles as faith goes up in flames

TRENTON (NJ)
The Trentonian

December 9 , 2018

By Dave Neese

Not to tell the Holy Father how to do his job, but aren’t there more troublesome issues facing the Church than, say, climate change and Trump’s wall? Just asking.

Francis himself has said, “I like it when someone tells me ‘I don’t agree.’ There is a true collaborator.” Taking the Pontiff at his word then, let us dare to proceed.

Pope Francis has declaimed on various worldly topics, sometimes at great length. Meanwhile, the lawsuits and indictments stirring up a ruckus over clergy sexual abuse proliferate, even as the number of worshippers in the sanctuaries dwindles.

Declining attendance at worship applies to the Christian flock generally, including Protestants, and to Jews as well.

Only 39 percent of U.S. Catholics attend Mass weekly, according to the Pew Research Foundation’s polling.

Only 33 percent of Protestants show up for their churches’ weekly services. And a scant 19 percent of Jews can be found in the temple on a regular basis.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

December 9, 2018

Denuncian que congregación La Salle protege a abusador

DURANGO (MEXICO)
La Jornada [Mexico City, Mexico]

December 9, 2018

By Sanjuana Martínez

Read original article

Fue trasladado a una casa en Monterrey

Ofreció terapia a voluntarias, durante la cual las indujo a desnudarse, acusan víctimas 

Cuando las seis alumnas denunciaron los abusos sexuales que habían sufrido por parte del hermano lasallista Alejandro Gaxiola Parra, la congregación, en lugar de ponerlo a disposición de las autoridades, prefirió esconderlo para protegerlo y lo trasladó a una casa en la colonia Contry, de Monterrey.

Así lo informa Sofía Vázquez, una de las víctimas que desde mayo pasado dio a conocer lo sucedido ante la congregación de La Salle. Y luego interpuso, en octubre pasado, una denuncia ante la vicefiscalía de Lerdo, Durango, por el delito de violación en grado de tentativa, con el número de carpeta 6746/18: Por su forma de actuar ya perdí la fe en los lasallistas. Nos dijeron que no se podía hacer nada contra él hasta que se presentara la denuncia. La presenté y lo trasladaron a Monterrey para esconderlo y seguirlo protegiendo.

En entrevista con La Jornada, afirma que mientras el agresor sexual lasallista vive tranquilo, sus víctimas padecen las secuelas de los abusos: En mi caso, sigo un tratamiento para la depresión con ansiolíticos, tengo trastorno del sueño y tomo medicamento todos los días.

A pesar de la denuncia penal, el llamado fuero eclesiástico lo protege, porque las autoridades judiciales tampoco han molestado al religioso lasallista, por el contrario, la carpeta de investigación no tiene avances: Queremos que dejen de protegerlo. Queremos justicia. Y es para que él no pueda dañar a nadie más. Estoy sufriendo todos los días por esto que me hizo y no quisiera que nadie más llegara a sufrir de esta forma, señala.

Las seudoterapias

La historia de abusos sexuales del hermano lasallista Alejandro Gaxiola Parra, de 46 años, inicia en El Salto, Durango, donde era el encargado del voluntariado de esta congregación católica. Ahí elegía a sus víctimas desde la vulnerabilidad, chicas de entre 17 y 18 años que sufrían miedos o baja autoestima.

Les ofrecía terapia, la cual consistía en pedirles por separado quitarse la ropa, caminar semidesnudas por los pasillos y después pedirles que permitieran los tocamientos, hasta llegar a distintos y variados niveles de abuso sexual.

Sofía cuenta que sus hermanas ya habían sido voluntarias y le llamó la atención continuar con esa tradición familiar de solidaridad en 2016: Tenía 18 años y él me asegura que me va a ayudar con mis miedos; me empieza a citar después de la oración, a las 11 de la noche, en el centro comunitario, y la primera noche de la terapia me pregunta que cuánta confianza le tengo y yo le digo que el 100 por ciento, porque era como mi papá. Y en esa primera noche me pide que me quite la blusa.

Como encargado del voluntariado lasallista, el hermano Gaxiola Parra ofrecía las terapias para atender, por ejemplo, el miedo a la oscuridad: “Mi miedo a la oscuridad era mucho y me dijo que tenía que caminar yo sola sin la blusa por un largo pasillo. Yo estaba paralizada, no podía moverme, hasta que pude y me pidió que caminara por encima de unos colchones donde dormíamos. Haz de cuenta que estás modelando, me dijo.

Añade: En las siguientes sesiones cada vez me fue pidiendo que me quitara más ropa. En una ocasión me encerró en un cuarto, yo estaba sólo con ropa interior y me dice que cuente hasta 60 y que él se iba a esconder; yo debía ir a buscarlo. Yo tenía mucho miedo y mi único alivio era encontrarlo a él. Así me fue trabajando. Durante el día, si estábamos solos, me daba una nalgada.

Cuenta que en una ocasión fue a la comunidad La Campana, en El Salto, Durango, y él la seguía a todas las comunidades donde ofrecían los servicios del voluntariado: Se quedó a dormir con nosotros y se durmió al lado de mí, y empezó a acariciarme la espalda y luego mis partes íntimas y mis pechos.

Sofía afirma que los abusos fueron constantes durante seis meses. En ese periodo sufrió depresión y ansiedad: Los abusos fueron subiendo de nivel. Cada vez era más y no lo podía hablar con nadie. Hasta que me animé a escribirle para mi mamá. Ahora me cuesta recordar, pero me siento más fuerte gracias a la ayuda sicológica y siquiátrica que estoy recibiendo.

El modus operandi

En un comunicado fechado el 6 de diciembre, la congregación La Salle distrito México Norte, anunció que el hermano lasallista Alejandro Gaxiola Parra fue separado de su cargo para iniciar una investigación, pero la misma orden católica se niega a dar información sobre su paradero.

Ana Lucía estudió en el Instituto Regiomontano Chepevera La Salle y también estuvo un año ofreciendo sus servicios en el voluntariado de El Salto, Durango.

En entrevista con La Jornadacuenta que el hermano lasallista utilizó el mismo modus operandi con todas sus víctimas. A todas les decía que se trataba de una terapia especial y única: “Nos pedía que nos entregáramos. Siempre nos decía que teníamos que salir de nuestra área de confort. Me dijo que yo tenía muchas inseguridades y que por eso no me podía dar a los pueblos, que mi trabajo era mediocre. Me sentía frustrada y recuerdo que una noche estábamos en la capilla y me dijo que necesitaba una terapia ‘privada’”.

El hermano Alejandro Gaxiola Parra le advirtió entonces que no contara a nadie el tipo de terapia que le estaba dando porque si hablaba iba a contar a los demás sus problemas: “‘Tú te tienes que desnudar’, me dijo. Él utilizaba esa frase, pero nunca pensé que se refiriera a quitarme la ropa. Una noche fuimos a la biblioteca y me dijo que dijera mis virtudes y defectos. Luego me pidió que subiéramos el nivel de la terapia”.

Explica que el método consistía que cada vez que dijera un defecto se tenía que quitar una prenda de la ropa: Yo no me sentía cómoda. Me sentí muy vulnerable y accedí. Me hizo que me subiera a una mesa y me pidió que caminara de un lado a otro como si estuviera modelando. Me iba pidiendo que me quitara todo, hasta que me quedé en ropa interior. Luego me pidió que me quitara el brasier. Al final me llevó a la casa de niñas y me dio un beso en la frente, algo que me dio mucho asco y me lavé la cara.

Añadió: Él me dijo: esto no lo hago por morbo, soy religioso e hice mis votos de castidad; a todas las considero mis hijas. Mira todo lo que te quiero que hago esto por ti.

Ana Lucía cuenta que al día siguiente la buscó preocupado y le preguntó si eran realmente amigos y le confesó que tuvo un sueño donde se veía tras las rejas: “Me dijo: ‘¿Verdad que yo no hice nada sin que tú quisieras?’ Le dije que no. Y me volvió a preguntar: ‘¿Yo me tengo que preocupar por este sueño?’ Y le contesté que no. Recuerdo que después me insistió para la segunda sesión, pero yo no quise”.

Cuenta que no pudo decirle a nadie, hasta que el último día de la misión se enteró de que otra de sus compañeras había sufrido lo mismo: Me quedé impactada porque me dí cuenta de que no fui la única. Y apenas hace tres meses hablé con mis papás.

El hermano lasallista Alejandro Gaxiola Parra ha atendido a cuatro generaciones de alumnas, por lo que creen debe haber decenas de víctimas. Ana Lucía interpondrá una denuncia penal mañana lunes: Lo primero que pedimos es que lo destituyan del cargo. La congregación no lo hizo, solamente lo quitó de El Salto, pero lo movieron a Monterrey donde él seguía conviviendo con jóvenes, incluso también en Tamaulipas. Lo que queremos es que lo detengan para que no siga haciendo daño, pero la congregación no dice dónde está.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Abuse Victims Still Don’t Get Justice

NEW YORK (NY)
Verdict

December 10, 2018

By Leslie C. Griffin

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently decided to permanently redact the names of eleven priests from the Fortieth Grand Jury’s report on sexual misconduct by the clergy in six Pennsylvania Roman Catholic dioceses. The court ruled that the priests’ interest in their reputations was one of the “inherent rights of mankind” that the court needed to protect by taking the priests’ names out of the report. Redaction was the only path they thought they could find to protect the priests’ due process.

This conclusion was counter to the release of the complete report, which CHILD USA and BishopAccountability advocated in our amicus brief, which I wrote along with Marci Hamilton, Founder and CEO of CHILD USA. The court’s decision neglects the history of child abuse, which is a constant story of individuals who are terribly and repeatedly abused, and then never get justice.

The facts of child abuse are terrible and the stories about them constant. The Miami Herald recently told the story of more than 50 girls who were abused by rich Palm Beach businessman Jeffrey Epstein. Instead of having their interests protected, the girls were never told of Epstein’s “deal of a lifetime” with then-prosecutor and now Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. The victims’ stories were kept quiet, and Epstein got a laughably short sentence. Epstein’s victims are still looking for justice.

Along with thousands of others. As many times as we read and re-read the statistics, they remain shocking. According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children’s Sexual Abuse Statistics:

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old.
Over 58,000 children were sexually abused last year.
8.3% of reported child abuse cases were sexual abuse.
34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members.
12.3% of girls were age 10 or younger at the time of their first rape/victimization, and 30% of girls were between the ages of 11 and 17.
27.8% of boys were age 10 or younger at the time of their first rape/victimization.
96% of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8% of people who sexually abuse children are adults.
325,000 children are at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation each year.
Caregiver alcohol or drug abuse is a child abuse risk factor putting kids at much higher risk for being abused.
The average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12 to 14 years old, and the average age for boys is 11 to 13 years old.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Pedophilia victims deserve justice

PROVIDENCE (RI)
Providence Journal

December 9, 2018

By Mary Ann Sorrentino

In a quarter-page advertisement in this newspaper on Nov. 29, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence encouraged alleged priest pedophilia victims to come forward. Those ongoing scandals underscore widespread disgust for historically unpunished, unspeakable crimes against children. Adult survivors of rectory or home seductions — sometimes with parents nearby, unaware of the horrors their children suffered — deserve justice, and courts need laws to dispense it.

Warwick Attorney Carl DeLuca estimates about 450 victims sought his help: his office alone settled at least 65 civil cases against the Diocese of Providence.

With blackmail used to bury dark secrets, victims are warned of grave harm and told no one will believe them (as is too often the case). By the time survivors reach adulthood and clear recall, the limit for civil relief often has expired.

Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin came from Pennsylvania, hotbed of an immense, ignored sex scandal. Grand jury reports estimate 300 priests participated in sexual crimes against more than 1,000 boys and girls. Charges include beatings, forced oral/anal sex, and the rape of a young girl later forced to abort.

As auxiliary bishop, and later as bishop, Tobin was surrounded by coverups and settlements during that scandal. He offers no explanation about what he knew, or did, to stop violence against Pennsylvania’s children, unbelievably claiming it was not his responsibility.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Taking Pen in Hand

DALLAS (TX)
VanishingPredators.com

December 2, 2018

By Dan Carlson

Question: What happens to predator priests after they have been laicized?

Answer: In most instances … nothing.

Though harsh, this is the cruel reality clergy sex abuse victims confront upon learning that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, their abuser will avoid prosecution because the statute of limitations has expired on the crimes for which he would have otherwise been charged. For the Catholic Church, of course, this is a good deal … it means they can simply cut the malefactor loose and remove him of his priestly vows. In other words, they can wash their hands of him.

By way of explanation, statutes of limitations are rules that prohibit prosecutors from charging someone with a crime committed more than a specified number of years earlier, and it is worth noting that the Catholic Church has spent millions of dollars lobbying in opposition to bills that would extend statutes of limitations for child sex abuse cases.

But back to that predator priest who has been defrocked and expelled from ministry … what comes next for him? Where does he go? Sadly, the answer is that nobody really knows for, in many cases, he just drops out of sight. Had he been convicted of a sex offense, he would have to register as a sex offender and thereafter comply with limits on his contact with children, living arrangements and employment. But absent a conviction, he can quietly take up residence in any unsuspecting neighborhood he chooses.

Think about that for a moment … a known child predator can reside, anonymously and without restrictions, in close proximity to children … and the position of the Church is: “Not my problem.”

There are three things the Catholic Church must do to correct this outrageous situation:

1. Create a national data base naming all clergy removed after credible allegations of child sexual abuse. This information should appear publicly in two places: on the website of any Diocese where the disgraced cleric served, and on a master list maintained by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Only on 10: Bishop Tobin addresses sex abuse scandal in Catholic Church

PROVIDENCE (RI)
WJAR Channel 10

December 7, 2018

By Katie Davis

Bishop Thomas Tobin spoke with NBC 10’s Gene Valicenti about the Catholic Church’s ongoing sex abuse scandal during a taping of 10 News Conference Friday.

Before coming to the Diocese of Providence, Tobin had previously worked in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. A grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania revealed decades of child sexual abuse by priests there, with hundreds of victims.

“When [allegations of sexual abuse] were reported, they were dealt with very quickly and very responsibly,” Tobin said of his time in Pennsylvania. “So, it’s not as if I didn’t care. It’s not as if those things were being ignored or covered up…but they were being handled by different people and different offices. And that’s why my name was not involved in the grand jury report, because I didn’t deal with those issues.”

A similar grand jury investigation in Rhode Island would require changing state law, something the incoming Attorney General told NBC 10 he supports.

“What allegations have been made? You let people know that you’re willing to listen to any allegations that are out there. Then, you review them and decide how to proceed,” said Attorney General Elect Peter Neronha.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Houston, we have a problem

LONDON (ENGLAND)
Catholic Herald

December 6, 2018

By Jordan Bloom

On November 28, District Attorney Brett Ligon of Montgomery County, Texas, led the raid on the chancery of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston-Galveston, the president of the US bishops’ conference, alongside Texas Rangers, the Conroe Police Department and an unnamed federal agency. The search warrant in Houston was issued to obtain evidence against Fr Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, who allegedly abused minors in Conroe, Texas. (He denies the allegations.)

The “main focus” of the raid was to gather information on Fr La Rosa-Lopez, but Tyler Dunman, a spokesman for the Montgomery County DA, told the Catholic Herald that if evidence of more crimes were uncovered in the raid, it could be used for more prosecutions.

“With any search warrant, if you uncover additional criminal evidence or evidence of wrongdoing then you can arrest it at that time,” he said.

When asked whether, if such evidence were found, they would pursue it, he said: “Sure, yes.”

Dunman confirmed that “we do have federal authorities who are working with us”, but declined to say what agency they came from.

In Monday’s Houston Chronicle, Cardinal DiNardo wrote: “This archdiocese takes every allegation of wrongdoing brought to our attention seriously, and is fully cooperating – and will cooperate – with any and all investigations related to the clergy abuse of minors.”

Yet Dunman struck a critical note. He said that “we have received certain items” when asked specifically, but added that investigators had not been given any kind of blanket access to diocesan records.

“Frankly, we knew that there were a ton more that we had not received,” he said. “Cooperation for us means that when you have a priest who’s arrested for child molestation, you would turn over everything voluntarily as soon as possible to the authorities. That would be cooperation in our mind, and that hasn’t happened.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

When It Comes to the Clergy Abuse Scandals, the Laity Are Not Going to Save Us

NEW YORK (NY)
Patheos blog

December 8, 2018

By Rebecca Bratten Weiss

In recent months, as revelations about the depth and breadth of the clerical sex abuse and institutional cover-ups continue to unfold, we Catholics return ever and again to the same question: what can be done about it? What changes are needed in the church, in order to prevent this atrocity ever from happening again, at least on so vast a scale?

For some, only a complete stripping down, overhaul, and reformation will suffice. Others have gone even further, to the point at which they no longer view the church, once their home, as authentic or valid. This is understandable, of course – but even many of us who understand and sympathize feel we must remain and work for change. But what change? What will make a difference. Clearly, greater transparency is needed. It seems obvious that the concentration of power in the hands of a few men – and only men – creates a breeding ground for abuse, on many levels. The church’s failures to deal directly with complex issues about sexuality need to be remedied. And yes, the laity need to be involved – much more involved.

However, simply dissipating the power of the clergy and distributing it among lay-persons is no automatic fix. This is evident in the extent to which lay women and men are themselves complicit in covering up sex abuse, both within the church, in its vicinities, and without.

Take, for instance, the many men who knew about Weinstein’s assaults on women, and kept their mouth shut. Consider the men – including Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton – who turned a blind eye to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal exploits with underage girls – or even worked to cover them up, leaving his many young victims abandoned without justice.

Or consider the case of the superstar feminist professor Avital Ronell, accused of repeatedly assaulting a student. Did her fellow feminists call her out? Did #MeToo mean being consistent, even when it was a “friend in the field”? Regretfully, it did not. Even Judith Butler, who should have known better, came to the rescue of Ronell.

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Catholic Church’s redress backflip angers survivors

AUSTRALIA
The World Today

December 7, 2018

By Samantha Donovan

Abuse survivors and their lawyers are furious the Catholic Church has changed its approach to the National Redress Scheme and will now have its dioceses and other entities join up individually rather than as a single national body.

They say the decision adds to the trauma of victims and will leave many wondering if they will ever get redress.

Duration: 3min 17sec

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Only on 10: Bishop Tobin addresses sex abuse scandal in Catholic Church

PROVIDENCE (RI)
WJAR Channel 10

December 7, 2018

By Katie Davis

Bishop Thomas Tobin spoke with NBC 10’s Gene Valicenti about the Catholic Church’s ongoing sex abuse scandal during a taping of 10 News Conference Friday.

Before coming to the Diocese of Providence, Tobin had previously worked in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. A grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania revealed decades of child sexual abuse by priests there, with hundreds of victims.

“When [allegations of sexual abuse] were reported, they were dealt with very quickly and very responsibly,” Tobin said of his time in Pennsylvania. “So, it’s not as if I didn’t care. It’s not as if those things were being ignored or covered up…but they were being handled by different people and different offices. And that’s why my name was not involved in the grand jury report, because I didn’t deal with those issues.”

A similar grand jury investigation in Rhode Island would require changing state law, something the incoming Attorney General told NBC 10 he supports.

“What allegations have been made? You let people know that you’re willing to listen to any allegations that are out there. Then, you review them and decide how to proceed,” said Attorney General Elect Peter Neronha.

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Long Island nuns push for change amid growing ‘#ChurchToo’ movement

NEW YORK (NY)
New York Post

December 8, 2018

By Melissa Klein

Two Long Island nuns have become defiant “#ChurchToo” activists, posting public messages to end abuse in “faith communities” at the same time their convent supervisor, a priest accused of sexual misconduct, was allowed to return to his Brooklyn church.

The Greek Orthodox sisters, shown in their habits, began their Instagram and Facebook campaigns in October as Rev. Gerasimos Makris was reinstated to the pulpit at Holy Cross Church in Bay Ridge.

Makris — an imperious figure who insists on his parishioners kissing his hand — confessed to “inappropriate interactions with two adult women” and an archdiocese “spiritual court” recommended he be banned. But church higher-ups put him back anyway.

The scandal is the latest black eye for the Greek Orthodox church and the Holy Cross parish, whose former leader, the Rev. George Passias, was defrocked after The Post revealed his affair with the married parochial school principal, whom he impregnated, and their kinky “cake crushing” fetish.

On Oct. 10, just as Makris was returning, the nuns began advocating for change, posting powerful photos of themselves holding signs with messages that read: “believe survivors,” “silence isn’t spiritual,” “end rape culture” and “take a stand.”

In a November post, they wrote “Sexual abuse is real. It happens in our families, our local communities + even our faith communities, in every Christian denomination including the Orthodox Church.”

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Catholic church abuse scandals not over yet

MARTINSBURG (WV)
Martinsburg Journal

December 9, 2018

By Mike Myer

Among the tragedies of the sexual abuse scandal that continues to rock the Roman Catholic Church is that trust in the institution can be restored only by adding names to the lists of predator priests being released all across the country. Undoubtedly, some of the clergy responsible for wrongdoing, sometimes decades ago, have not yet been named.

If they remain secret, some of the church’s critics, including many Catholics, will wonder whether the abuse did continue but was not punished.

Veteran newspaper journalists tend to be champion skeptics. We don’t really trust anyone unless they give us good reason to do so.

So take this as my professional opinion: I believe many in the Catholic Church, perhaps because laypeople have relatively new power, are as sickened as anyone else about the long, sordid record of abuse. It’s my impression attitudes really have changed.

Expect evidence of whether I’m right within the next year or so.

Last Thursday, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston released a list of clergy “credibly accused” of abusing minors sexually. It included 31 names, of which 18 allegedly sinned while working at Catholic institutions in West Virginia. The other 13 served here, but were not accused of wrongdoing until they went to other states.

The mere announcement on Oct. 24 that the church would compile and release such a list seems to have been the catalyst for at least one new complaint. A report of abuse was made to the diocese on Oct. 26.

Church officials say they hope their action will prompt other victims of clergy abuse to come forward. Again, there is reason to believe many who were targeted by predator priests have kept their silence for many, many years. The Oct. 26 report involved alleged abuse in 1982 or 1983. Someone waited that long before deciding church officials ought to be told.

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Raid of archdiocese office puts local priest back in spotlight

BAYTOWN (TX)
Baytown Sun

December 9, 2018

By Matt Hollis

Several files seized in a raid by law enforcement agencies at a Catholic archdiocese office in Montgomery County also included ones for a Baytown priest, who was cleared of sexual abuse allegations by the church years ago.

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Priest in dock who used to teach in Wigan on child sex charges

MANCHESTER (ENGLAND)
Wigan Observer Post

December 9, 2018

A Catholic priest who used to teach in Wigan has appeared before a judge accused of a series of historical child sex crimes.

Fr Michael Higginbottom is charged with a total of six indecent assaults, two counts of buggery, a rape and a further count of gross indecency. All the counts concern complainants who were boys at the time and date back several decades.

Higginbottom, now 75, taught physics at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic seminary at Roby Mill, Up Holland, in the 1970s.

Vince Latterly he has been a resident of West Farm Road in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He did not enter any pleas during a brief hearing at Preston Crown Court. This may take place on December 19. A provisional trial date, should he deny the charges, was set for June 19 at the same court next year and Higginbottom was released on bail.

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Late Pocatello priest on list of alleged abusers

POCATELLO (ID)
Idaho State Journal

December 9, 2018

Two Roman Catholic Jesuit provinces that cover nearly half the U.S. released the names Friday of more than 150 priests and other ministry leaders who were found to have “credible allegations” of sexual abuse made against them dating to the 1950s.

One of the names on the list is Segundo Llorente, who served at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Pocatello from 1982 to 1984. He also served at St. Stanislaus Church in Lewiston from 1984 to 1989. He died in 1989, according to the Jesuit’s release. The claims were for 1962-1963, and the mid-1960s, for alleged sexual abuse of a minor.

The Jesuits say many claims were received after accused priests had died. So in those cases thorough investigations could not be undertaken. Deceased individuals are included in the list based on the fact that an accusation was reported.

Jesuits West, which covers 10 western states, said its internal investigation found credible allegations against 111 priests, brothers or priests in training who were connected to it dating back to 1950. No one on the list is involved in public ministry any longer, it said.

Earlier, the Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province, which covers 13 states along with Puerto Rico and the Central American country of Belize, released the names of 42 men who had ties to the province going back to 1955. It said four are still members of the province but are not active in ministry and live in supervised housing.

Many of the men on the two lists have died, and others have been dismissed of ordination, officials said. Most of the men on the lists were priests.

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Catholic Church has work ahead to rebuild trust

SNTA FE (NM)
The New Mexican

December 9, 2018

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s decision to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection is the latest twist in a long and often sordid story of individual abuse against children, protected by one of the most powerful institutions in New Mexico.

That the bankruptcy announcement came just before Advent, the beginning of the church liturgical year — the countdown to the birth of a savior, the light of the world — brings an ironic touch to the whole proceeding.

In New Mexico, the ugly scandal of decades of abuse by predatory priests, the institutional church’s role in covering up crime and sin and the long suffering of thousands of victims is a lingering, open wound.

While this is a scandal across the U.S. church, indeed the world, New Mexico first faced it as a state back in the 1990s. We are facing it still. Even now, the future of the worldwide Catholic Church will be diminished if leaders do not correct the sins of the past. Patience is fast running out.

In the ’90s, the faithful and others watched with horror as numerous stories of pedophile priests surfaced, lawsuits were filed and settled and a new archbishop, Michael J. Sheehan, was brought in to clean up the mess. At least on the surface, it appeared that the zero-tolerance policy for dealing with offenses worked, that the church was setting things right with victims and that — blessedly — few new claims of abuse came to light.

The local church seemed determined to put the safety of the people in the pews ahead of its reputation. Finally.

Over the past several years, however, it has become apparent that the rot in the church was more entrenched than realized. More lawsuits were filed. Again, they were from incidents decades in the past, but it still meant more crimes against children had to be set right. The breadth and depth of the abuse would mean more millions in settlements; this is after 300 claims already resolved, with the archdiocese paying out millions. The bankruptcy will protect church assets, setting up a process to handle claims equitably.

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Believing the unbelievable: How an Altoona lawyer took on the Catholic church over clergy sex abuse

ALTOONA (PA)
Pittsburgh Tribune Review

December 9, 2018

By Deb Erdley

Mary Hutchison was desperate.

It was 1987 when the devout Catholic mother of three knocked on the door of Richard Serbin’s Altoona law office.

Hutchison had learned her troubled son Michael, then 19 and locked in a forensic psychiatric ward, had been raped repeatedly over seven of his then 19 years of life. The perpetrator: Father Francis Luddy, their beloved parish priest at St. Therese’s Catholic Church. The priest abused him between the time he was 11 and 17.

Two years later, he had become a male prostitute and petty criminal. He suffered addiction. He attempted suicide.

The desperate mother’s pleas for the church to help her son slammed headlong into a brick wall.

Serbin was Hutchison’s last hope. Michael was fast approaching his 2oth birthday, and the statute of limitations for civil cases was about to expire.

A Pittsburgh native, Serbin, who is Jewish, was the only personal injury lawyer in town who might take such a case, Hutchison was told. He agreed to interview Michael.

That interview launched a 20-year legal battle that pierced a veil of secrecy that protected predator priests for decades. It set down a trail of bread crumbs that eventually led to a statewide grand jury investigation and damning report. The odyssey took 30 years.

Details of that first meeting have not been dimmed by the decades that have passed.

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New legal troubles for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe

ALBUQUERQUE (NM)
Albuquerque Journal

December 9, 2018

By Colleen Heild

Former priest John Feit, center, appeared in a Hidalgo County, Texas, courtroom on Dec. 7, 2017, where a jury found him guilty of the 1960 murder of Irene Garza, a parishioner and schoolteacher. A new lawsuit filed in Albuquerque says Feit became a leader at the Servants of the Paraclete treatment center in Jemez Springs after the crime. (Nathan Lambrecht/The Monitor/AP)

Seven years after he murdered a female parishioner in Texas in 1960, Father John Feit found refuge in Jemez Springs, where he was a supervisor at the Servants of the Paraclete center for Catholic priests with psychosexual problems.

According to a new lawsuit, Feit documented an agreement with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1967 to supply pedophile priests to New Mexico parishes without telling parishioners or other working priests in the archdiocese about the potential danger to local children.

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Editorial: Archdiocese bankruptcy won’t hide ugly truth

ALBUQUERQUE (NM)
Albuquerque Journal

December 9, 2018

In announcing that the Archdiocese of Santa Fe would seek bankruptcy protection, Archbishop John Wester said the action would help ensure fair compensation for sex-abuse victims. His office went on to proclaim in a diocesan letter distributed to the faithful at Mass last Sunday that “for over 25 years, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has been a leader among its peers in addressing sexual abuse of children by clergy.”

Wester is correct on the first point, given the number of potential cases pending and others not yet filed. Victims will be represented and have their days in court. They may do so confidentially if they wish, but in general these proceedings will be public. And bankruptcy protection will allow the Archdiocese to continue to provide valuable services through parishes and schools even as lawyers and the court sort through financial questions like what the Archdiocese’s assets really are and determine the status of assets transferred to parishes by the Archdiocese in recent years.

No surprise here. Bankruptcy proceedings are about money, property and who gets what.

But the statement about being a national leader in the clergy sex-abuse area gives new meaning to the proposition that everything is relative, and that what happened here should NOT be judged alone but in context of what has happened in other states like Pennsylvania – where the church was rocked by the results of an investigation by that state’s attorney general.

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These ‘men of God’ sexually abused children. Then they found refuge at other churches

FT. WORTH (TX)
Star Telegram

December 9, 2018

By Sarah Smith

Pastor Bruce Goddard acted immediately when he learned the principal at Faith Baptist Church’s school in Wildomar, California, had been intimately involved with a 17-year-old student.

He rented the 35-year-old principal a U-Haul and shipped him out of state. He did not call the police.

The accused wound up at First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, a church affiliated with Goddard’s alma mater, working again with teenagers. The abused girl was later told that church officials in Indiana were aware of his involvement with her when he arrived.

An eight-month investigation by the Star-Telegram shows that what happened at Faith Baptist is just one example in a nationwide pattern of cover-ups and shuffling of suspected abusers among churches and universities that, like Faith Baptist, are part of the independent fundamental Baptist movement.

The cover-ups are reminiscent of the scandals of the Roman Catholic Church, but distinctly different.

Decisions in the Catholic Church are made within a hierarchical structure that governs all churches. Independent fundamental Baptist churches operate with no oversight or structure outside their own walls.

One thing does bind the churches that face abuse accusations: a culture that uses fear to control and gives men in power the role of unquestioned and ultimate authority. In that environment, abuse has visited scores of fundamental Baptist churches.

And many abusers have escaped consequence-free, often with the help of the pastor in charge.

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Victims of clergy abuse call for action against those accused in church lists

WESTWEGO (LA)
WWL TV

December 8, 2018

By Jacqueline Quynh

As more clergy accused of abuse are being named, victims say they’re tired of hearing about names. They want action.

“At first glance, it seems like a really good thing, but then you look a little bit closer,” Ashley Berry Allen said.

Berry is still working through the abuse she says happened at the hands of a priest when she attended Our Lady of Prompt Succor School in Westwego.

“But then you look a little bit closer and you see that these names are mostly coming from the 70s and 80s and back,” she said.

Just a month ago, she shared with Eyewitness News her difficult story after the New Orleans Archdiocese released a list of clergy members with credible accusations against them. Her alleged abuser wasn’t on the list and she says her case happened in the early 2000s. We contacted the Archdiocese then for comment, but it would not comment specifically on her case, only affirming it takes all accusations seriously and would add names as necessary following investigations.

“They could have released the names 5 years ago they could have released it 10 years, and they’re only doing it now because they’re forced to because they’ve been exposed by the grand jury in Pennsylvania,” Tim Lennon said.

Lennon is a victim’s advocate, and heads the Survivor’s Network of Those Abused by Priests. He’s critical of the new list.

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December 8, 2018

Sexual assault survivors react to allegations against Jesuits in Colorado

AURORA (CO)
Fox 31 News

December 8, 2018

BY Evab Kruegel

Catholic Jesuit provinces covering much of the United States have begun releasing names of hundreds of Jesuits who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse dating back to the 1940s.

The list includes 13 Jesuits who worked in Colorado, including 8 at Regis Jesuit High School, now located in Aurora.

“What we’re looking at now is the tip of an iceberg,” says Jeb Barrett the Denver leader of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests).

Barrett says it’s not uncommon for victim-survivors to wait years to share their stories. In fact, he says he waited years himself.

“I didn’t touch on my own abuse until I was 63 years old,” he says. “I never even told my parents.”

Barrett says he was abused by a number of people in power he trusted, including a priest in Montana.

“That freaked me out. A supposed man of God was doing those things and it involved me, and I lived with that shame for a long time.”

Barrett moved to Colorado in 2004 and has spent the past 14 years counseling victims of similar assaults.

In a letter to the Regis Jesuit community, President David Card said two Jesuits on the list, Mark A. Clark, SJ and Paul C. Pilgram, SJ, had allegations related to Regis Jesuit students.

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Chilean prosecutors look at rural Catholic diocese for evidence in abuse case

SANTIAGO (CHILE)
Los Angeles Times

By Jorge Poblete and Chris Kraul

The offices of the Roman Catholic diocese in Chillan, a small agricultural city in southern Chile, recently had some unusual and unexpected visitors: Chilean prosecutor Emiliano Arias and 10 armed police officers.

Arias walked briskly past the receptionist and climbed the stairs to the third floor, entering a green walled room dominated by a large framed photo of a smiling Pope John Paul II, who visited Chile in 1987.

After exchanging a few words with nervous church staff members and explaining his mission, Arias and police immediately began going over personnel records stored in file cabinets along one wall in the next office.

Currently, more than 190 people across Chile are being investigated for alleged sexual abuse and cover-ups linked to the Roman Catholic Church, including 113 priests and nine bishops, according to the Chilean national prosecutor’s office.

Of 251 victims, at least 109 were minors as young as 5 years old when they were abused, dating back to the 1940s. The number of cases under investigation has risen from a year ago when 83 people were being investigated in the alleged abuse of 162 people between 2000 and 2017.

Arias and his team were looking for evidence in the cases of eight priests from the Chillan diocese, including now removed Bishop Carlos Pellegrin, suspected of participating in or covering up the abuse of a dozen youths since the 1970s. While Arias pored over files in the town 250 miles south of Santiago, the capital, three other teams made similar raids on diocesan offices in Valparaiso, Concepcion and Osorno.

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A reality check on expectations for February child abuse summit

ROME (ITALY)
Crux

December 9, 2018

By John L. Allen Jr.

Under any circumstances, the announcement in September that Pope Francis plans to convene a summit Feb. 21-24 for all the presidents of bishops’ conferences around the world, along with the Vatican’s senior leadership, to discuss the clerical sexual abuse scandals in the Church would have been big news.

After the Vatican invoked that summit in November in instructing the U.S. bishops to stand down in adopting new accountability measures, however, telling them they need to wait until after February, it was foreordained that American analysts will treat February like Roosevelt and Stalin at Yalta – a high-stakes, history-making exercise.

Before expectations spiral completely out of control, however, it’s important to say this out loud: For all kinds of reasons, this is not going to be Yalta on sex abuse, and to hope that it will be is a fool’s errand.

Let’s lay out the reasons why, and then touch on what would actually count as success.

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Some California priests accused of misconduct named. Fresno Diocese still investigating

FRESNO (CA)
Fresno Bee

December 08, 2018

By Yesenia Amaro and Victor Patton

Officials at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno — which covers 87 Valley parishes — on Friday said they are continuing to investigate what information they may release regarding area priests accused of sexual misconduct, including the possibility of publicly identifying those priests by name.

Back in October the diocese acknowledged three of its priests were being investigated due to complaints.

A Friday news release from the diocese said it’s continuing to “survey how other dioceses are responding to the demand for an online posting of all accused priests, past and present, in addition to coming to a better understanding of any legal ramifications if due process of law has not been pursued according to Constitutional Rights.”

“Bishop (Armando X.) Ochoa will continue to engage a variety of professional opinions on this matter, both within the faith community and outside sources to ensure objectivity,” the release continued.

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Jesuits name accused priests, including 20 who worked in Oregon

PORTLAND (OR)
Oregonian

December 8, 2018

By Jeff Manning

An organization overseeing Jesuit operations in 10 states released the names Friday of 111 Jesuit priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse against minors. Twenty of the priests worked in Oregon at least part of their careers.

The alleged cases of abuse date back to 1950. Eighty-three of the 111 accused are dead.

Nine of the 111 spent time at Jesuit High School, the exclusive westside private school.

“We did this out of a desire for transparency,” said Tracey Primrose, director of communications for Jesuits West, which is based in Portland. “We hope this will allow the victims to heal.”

The Jesuits are an influential order of priests numbering more than 16,000 worldwide. Jesuits also operate several high schools and universities, including St. Louis University and Marquette University.

The Jesuits have previously settled lawsuits across the country, including a $166 million settlement involving about 500 abuse claims in Oregon in 2011, which was one of the largest settlements involving clergy abuse allegations.

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Former East St. Louis priest named on list of Jesuits accused of sexually abusing children

BELLEVILLE (IL)
Belleville News Democrat

December 8, 2018

BY Kelsey Landis

A priest with ties to a parish in East St. Louis has been named on a list of Jesuits accused of sexually abusing children.

Chester E. Gaiter died in August 2010 at the age of 70, but was assigned to five schools and parishes in the St. Louis area, including at St. Joseph’s Parish in East St. Louis.

The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province released the names of dozens of priests with ties to the St. Louis area.

Gaiter served at St. Joseph’s Church for a year beginning in 1993, according to a previous report by the Belleville News-Democrat.

The Jesuits estimate Gaiter abused children between the 1970s and 1980s. He was never removed from the ministry. At the time the allegations were made, Gaiter was mentally incapacitated.

In 2007, a man accused Gaiter and three other priests of molesting him, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from the time. Gaiter had already retired when he was accused of the abuse. Three of the priests, including Gaiter, were teachers at Cardinal Ritter High School in St. Louis.

The archdiocese settled that case settlement with payments totaling $140,000 and a written apology to the victim and his family from the archdiocese.

St. Joseph Church in East St. Louis closed in 2006, according to the Belleville Diocese.

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22 Jesuit clergy who served in Idaho mentioned in list of accused abusers

BOISE (ID)
East Idaho News

December 8, 2018

By Rett Nelson

More than 150 clergy are tied to “credible claims of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult, dating back to 1950,” according to a report from a Roman Cahtolic Jesuit province.

Twenty-two of the names on the list have ties to Idaho. The Associated Press reports most of the men on the list were priests and served at a parish somewhere in the state.

One of the men on the list is Peter O’Grady, who served at the Sacred Heart Church in Boise from 1980-1986. No one on the list is involved in public ministry any longer, reports the AP.

The Jesuits West Province of the Society of Jesus, the group who compiled the list says inclusion in the list does not imply that the claims are true and correct or that the accused individual has been found guilty of a crime or liable for civil claims. They also say many claims were received after an accused priest was deceased.

“While we attempted to be as thorough and accurate as possible in compiling the list, Jesuits West will undergo a review of our files in the spring of 2019,” their report states.

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El arzobispado de Barcelona ayudó a huir a un cura pederasta en 1990

[Archdiocese of Barcelona helped accused priest flee in 1990]

MADRID (SPAIN)
El País

December 8, 2018

By Íñigo Domínguez, Daniel Verdú and Oriol Güell

EL PAÍS localiza en Ecuador al sacerdote, que fue enviado de misiones para evitar un juicio por abusos y ha estado 28 años oculto. La archidiócesis sabía de su paradero.

Jordi Ignasi Senabre, párroco de Polinyá, en Barcelona, desapareció tras ser acusado de abusar de un menor de 13 años en 1988, con una petición fiscal de cinco años de cárcel y nunca más se ha vuelto a saber de él. La Audiencia de la capital catalana le llamó a declarar en octubre de 1991 y no se presentó. El arzobispado de Barcelona argumentó que había salido del país “de misiones”, pero no aclaró nada más. No hubo más noticias de su paradero hasta que Senabre fue arrestado en enero de 1994 en Uruguay, donde había entrado con un visado turístico. España pidió su extradición el 4 de marzo de ese año, pero fue denegada en junio. El país sudamericano no llegó ni a contestar, según confirma el ministerio de Justicia. El cura quedó libre y se perdió su pista. Hasta hoy. EL PAÍS le ha localizado en la diócesis de Santo Domingo de los Colorados, en Ecuador. Siempre estuvo allí, y el arzobispado de Barcelona siempre lo supo: lo mandó la propia diócesis en 1990 tras enviar una solicitud por carta, según confirma el vicario general de Santo Domingo, Galo Robalino. Contactado por este periódico, Sanabre ha colgado al saber que se trataba de un periodista español: “Se equivoca usted”.

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Los sacerdotes acusados de abusos que la Iglesia envió a las misiones

[Church sent accused priests on overseas missions]

MADRID (SPAIN)
El País

December 8, 2018

By Íñigo Domínguez and Daniel Verdú

EL PAÍS reconstruye la historia de 18 religiosos trasladados a América Latina y a África. Algunos fueron descubiertos en España; otros, arrestados en esos destinos

La Iglesia española no solo ha utilizado el sistema de cambiar a sacerdotes de parroquia, o destino dentro de una orden, tras ser acusados de abusos de menores. Otro patrón de conducta de las últimas décadas ha sido trasladarlos al extranjero. Así lo confirman fuentes de los organismos vaticanos de Tutela de Menores, que reconocen que ha sido una táctica común en España y otros países. EL PAÍS ha documentado hasta 18 casos de curas denunciados o condenados por abusos que han recalado en otros países o han sido acusados o detenidos en el extranjero. En Chile, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras, Estados Unidos, Benín y Kenia.

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Abusos en la Iglesia: Corte de Rancagua deja investigación en Santiago

[Rancagua Appeals Court leave clergy sex investigation to court in Santiago]

CHILE
BioBioChile

December 7, 2018

By Felipe Díaz and Erik López

La Corte de Apelaciones de Rancagua dejó en mano de tribunales capitalinos la tramitación de las causas que digan relación con sacerdotes de la Iglesia Católica que hubieran cometido abusos sexuales u otros delitos del mismo carácter.

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Obispado de San Felipe ratifica en su puesto a cura condenado por abusos

[San Felipe diocese returns priest convicted of abuse to ministry]

CHILE
La Tercera

December 6, 2018

By María José Navarrete

El sacerdote Juan Carlos Orellana había sido apartado de sus funciones en agosto de este año. Exobispo Cristián Contreras le había “aconsejado” pedirle al Papa Francisco su dimisión del estado clerical.

El pasado martes 27 de noviembre, el administrador apostólico de la diócesis de San Felipe, Jaime Ortiz de Lazcano, informó a la comunidad los cambios de párrocos que se iban a implementar dentro del obispado. El objetivo era que los sacerdotes puedan “cumplir la misión de evangelizar entre el pueblo”.

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Diocesan diddlers

SPRINGFIELD (IL)
Illinois Times

December 6, 2018

By Bruce Rushton

I wonder about Virginia Galloway.

In 2004, she sued the Diocese of Springfield, alleging an awful thing. In the late 1960s, when she was 10 years old, she said that the Rev. Richard Niebrugge took her under his care as a foster child and began sexually abusing her. A decade later, she said in her lawsuit, she gave birth to his child.

In 1983, five years after Galloway had a baby, Niebrugge died. But enablers remained, according to the lawsuit that named as defendants the Rev. Herman Niebrugge, the priest’s brother who died in 2004, and the Rev. Theodore Baumann, who retired in 2008 after a career spent as a holy man – last year, he was reported to be living at a retirement home for priests in Belleville. Both Herman Niebrugge and Baumann, Galloway said in her lawsuit, knew that she was being abused but didn’t report it and did nothing to stop it.

Courts ruled that Galloway didn’t sue soon enough, and her case was dismissed without being considered on its merits. Galloway had issues, her own lawyer acknowledged when she sued. Psychological problems included a multiple personality disorder brought on, at least in part, by being sexually abused by a priest, attorney Rex Carr said more than a decade ago. No DNA testing had been performed prior to filing suit, Carr told the media, but there were “millions of factual statements that connect him to her” and he expected that science would confirm claims made in court.

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Expelled priest continues fight to be reinstated after sexual abuse allegations

BUFFALO (NY)
WIVB TV

December 8, 2018

By Daniel Telvock

Civil attorneys who defend priests accused of sexual abuse do not have any standing in the legal proceedings run by the Catholic Church.

That is the instruction local attorney Mike Taheri received from the Archbishop of Boston.

Taheri is the attorney for The Rev. Samuel Venne, who has denied allegations of sexually abusing minors decades ago.

Venne, 76, is on administrative leave after the Diocese in June “substantiated” the allegations against him. The diocese has refused to give Venne a copy of the allegations made against him, but a church official met with him in the spring to go over the complaints.

Taheri’s July 30 letter to Cardinal Sean O’Malley raised objections to the process employed by the Diocese of Buffalo for investigating allegations of sexual assault. He said the Diocese of Buffalo is violating basic due process rights of clergy.

“In the spirit of advancing these notions of basic fairness,” Taheri offered four proposals for church leaders to consider for improving the diocesan legal process, including opportunities for priests to offer evidence during preliminary investigations and giving accused clergy copies of the written allegations made by the accuser.

O’Malley responded Sept. 14 that the concerns he raised are matters of canon law, a set of laws and principles enforced by authorities of the Catholic Church. O’Malley is the chief confidant of Pope Francis on setting rules that protect minors from sexual abuse.

“The grave matter of a cleric’s dismissal from the clerical state is deliberated and adjudicated under canon law, it is not considered by civil law and the final determination regarding the process is reserved exclusively to the Holy See,” O’Malley wrote.

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Vatican investigating reports of Chilean priests abusing nuns

ROME (ITALY)
PBS Newshour

December 7, 2018

The Vatican has launched an investigation into a small Chilean religious order of nuns after some sisters denounced sexual abuse at the hands of priests and mistreatment by their superiors, a turning point that shows the Holy See is now willing to investigate allegations of sexual violence against nuns.

The scandal at the Institute of the Good Samaritan was revealed publicly in an investigative report by Chilean national television earlier this year at the height of outrage over how Chilean Catholic hierarchy covered up decades of sexual abuse of children by priests.

In the report, a half-dozen current and former nuns said sisters were thrown out of the order after they denounced the abuse to their superiors. The report followed the sisters as they testified before two Vatican investigators sent to Chile by Pope Francis to get to the bottom of the church-wide scandal there.

In the report, a half-dozen current and former nuns said sisters were thrown out of the order after they denounced the abuse to their superiors.

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Jesuits release names of clergy accused of sex abuse who served in Shreveport

SHREVEPORT (LA )
WTAL TV

December 8, 2018

By Nancy Cook

The Catholic Diocese of Shreveport learned the names of the Jesuit priests and brothers who were accused of sexual abuse of minors and either served at then Jesuit High School (now Loyola College Prep) or St. John’s Parish/Co-Cathedral, when Shreveport was part of the Alexandria/Shreveport Catholic Diocese, prior to June 1986.

Jesuit priests, or members of the “Society of Jesus” order, are separate from secular priests who serve in the particular diocese to which they are assigned.

That list, which will come from the Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, has not, as yet, been released.

The names released today came from the Jesuit superiors of U.S. Central and Southern Province, which includes Louisiana.

In releasing the names of these offenders, the local diocese emphasized does not mean the allegations stemmed from their assignment here, only that these men once served here.

If there are or were any credible allegations of sexual abuse in Shreveport, the Diocese of Shreveport will be notified when the names of offenders from the Diocese of Alexandria are released.

Below are the names, the years served in Shreveport, and the resolution of their cases, and in the case of those already deceased, the year of their death:

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Bishop Zubik criticized during final listening session on abuse

PITTSBURGH (PA)
Tribune Review

December 7, 2018

By Jamie Martines

For healing to take place, a wound must be opened and inspected, according to Bishop David Zubik.

“And I think that happened tonight,” he said Thursday following the fourth and final listening session held by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Not everyone agreed.

“The bishop is sitting there expressionless and emotionless, and I don’t think he’s listening,” said Christine Saitta of Bethel Park, as she called for him to resign.

The meeting at St. Ferdinand Church in Cranberry Township was preceded by three other sessions held in Aliquippa, Jefferson Hills and Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood over the past week. They were an open forum for members of the Catholic community to share comments, reflections and questions about the Pennsylvania grand jury report on sexual abuse, released in August, directly with Zubik.

Similar listening sessions were held throughout the Greensburg Diocese in recent weeks.

As he did three times before, Zubik sat in a chair in front of the altar, shifting his body to face speakers lined up along the pews on either side of St. Ferdinand Church. Over about three hours, at least 30 people took to the microphone.

Some shared personal stories of abuse at the hands of clergy or other adults working in Catholic churches, schools or other facilities. Others thanked Zubik for his service to the church and urged him to continue supporting victims of abuse, while several criticized the bishop and implored him to resign.

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Diocese of Arlington priest, serving in Purcellville, placed on leave

ARLINGTON (VA)
Diocese of Arlington

December 7, 2018

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge has placed Father Ronald S. Escalante, Pastor of Saint Francis de Sales Church, Purcellville, on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation of alleged boundary violations involving a minor and adults which transgress the Code of Conduct for Clergy in the Diocese of Arlington. In accord with diocesan policy, these allegations were reported to local law enforcement and considered by the Diocesan Review Board. Father Escalante denies the accusations, and he has stated that he is cooperating fully with the investigation.

(Code of Conduct for Clergy: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/Child-Protection/bgc-code-of-conduct-clergy.pdf)

While Father Escalante remains the Pastor of Saint Francis de Sales Church, Bishop Burbidge will appoint a Parochial Administrator for the parish as the Diocese continues this investigation.

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72 Diocese of Orange priests accused of sexual misconduct in law firm report

ORANGE COUNTY (CA)
Orange County Register

December 6, 2018

By Scott Schwebke

A Los Angeles law firm on Thursday released the names of 72 priests it claims are associated with the Catholic Diocese of Orange and are suspected of sexual assault.

The priests’ identities, detailed in a 60-page report, have never been disclosed by the diocese and are kept hidden from public view in a “secret archive” maintained by the church, Mike Reck, an attorney for Jeff Anderson & Associates, said during a news conference.

“We are doing this because the Diocese of Orange has not,” Reck said. “It’s important because the release of these identities sends a message to survivors of abuse that they are not alone, that this matters and that healing can begin.”

On the same day, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles released an updated list of 54 priests accused of sexual abuse of minors since 2008, with the archbishop issuing a public apology to victims of clergy sex abuse.

The Register is not releasing the names of the priests on this list because they have not been criminally charged.

Although the Diocese of Orange has released two lists, one in 2004 naming 16 priests and another in 2016 naming 14 priests suspected of sexual abuse, those disclosures are contradictory, incomplete and inadequate, Reck insisted.

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Eleven who worked at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas are on list of clergy ‘credibly accused’ of sexually abusing minors

DALLAS (TX)
Dallas Morning News

December 7, 2018

By David Tarrant

Eleven men who previously worked at a Dallas high school were included on a list released Friday of clergy members “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of a minor.

None of the 42 priests and religious brothers on the list — published online by Jesuits of the USA Central and Southern Province — currently serves in the public ministry, according to a statement accompanying the list. Many served in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s.

Of the 11 clergy members who worked at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, eight are now dead. And many on the list had already been accused publicly.

“These allegations involve heinous acts committed many years ago,” said Michael Earsing, Jesuit Dallas president, in a written statement. “I personally know of no credible reports of sexual misconduct with a minor occurring here in more than 20 years.”

The list’s release comes as the Catholic Church worldwide continues to deal with its sex abuse crisis and allegations of cover-ups. As part of an effort toward more transparency, many dioceses and religious orders have published similar lists of “credibly accused” priests.

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Encino priest won’t be charged with sexual assault, but career in ministry is over

LOS ANGELES (CA)
LA Daily News

December 7, 2018

By Brian Rokos

The priest at an Encino parish who was placed on leave after allegations of sexually abusing minors will not be charged with crimes related to those six accusers, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Friday, Dec. 7.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles in January placed Father Juan Cano, an associate pastor at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, on administrative leave in January after reports of “inappropriate contact” involving “several females” in the parish. The Los Angeles Police Department and an archdiocese internal review board investigated the allegations.

Then Thursday, Cano was included in an updated list of 54 priests accused of sexual abuse of minors since 2008 that the archdiocese released.

But Friday, the District Attorney’s Office released documents explaining why Cano would not be charged in each of six cases. The accuser was victimized while Cano served at Our Lady of Grace in five instances; the sixth accuser was a parishioner at St. James Parish in Redondo Beach, where Cano was a visiting priest.

Although Cano will not be charged in these cases and new accusers could come forward, the Catholic Church is removing Cano from the ministry, said Adrian Marquez, the archdiocese’s director of media relations. The process will go through the Vatican. Cano has no right of appeal, she said.

“It’s not his choice. He is not going to be allowed to be a priest anymore,” Marquez said.

One accuser said Cano inappropriately touched her several times when she was a student and altar server; there was insufficient evidence to prosecute a felony or misdemeanor, the document said. A second accuser said Cano touched her inappropriately; the DA declined to prosecute when the accuser said she would not testify.

A third accuser said she and Cano befriended each other and he inappropriately touched her; the DA stated that it could not prove a crime had occurred. A fourth accuser said Cano committed two crimes against her; the DA said it could not prove that a crime happened in one instance and that the statute of limitations had expired in another.

A fifth accuser said Cano inappropriately touched her twice; the DA said it couldn’t prove that a crime occurred. The sixth accuser said she was a victim of lewd acts and sexual battery; the DA said the statute of limitations had run out on both crimes.

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Priests who worked in Yakima County over decades listed as potential abusers

YAKIMA (WA)
Yakima Herald

December 8, 2018

By Tammy Ayer

Several priests who served at Catholic churches in Yakima County appear on a list released Friday of Jesuits with credible claims of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adults.

The list includes Jesuits who are or were members of Jesuits West Province, the former California and the former Oregon Provinces, against whom a credible claim of sexual abuse of someone under age 18 or a vulnerable adult has been made, according to a news release. Jesuits West takes in Arizona, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

“This list of Jesuits with credible claims of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult, dating to 1950, is being published as part of our province’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,” the news release said.

“Inclusion on this list does not imply that the claims are true or correct or that the accused individual has been found guilty of a crime or liable for civil claims,” it said.

“In many instances, the claims were made several years or decades after the alleged events and were not capable of an investigation and determination.”

Jesuits with credible claims of abuse who served in the Yakima Valley are:

• Arnold R. Beezer, accused of sexual abuse of a minor in the 1970s. Beezer served at St. Joseph Church in Yakima from 1980-87. Beezer has been removed from ministry and lives at a retirement home for clergy in California.

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Jesuit list of credibly accused priests includes three who worked in Grand Coteau

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
The Advocate

December 7, 2018

By Ramon Vargas, John Simerman and Ben Myers

In a move aimed at restoring trust with parishioners amid a clergy abuse scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church worldwide, the Jesuit order on Friday revealed the names of 42 clergy members — mostly priests — suspected of sexually molesting children while they worked in a region that includes Louisiana.

Three of the former priests on the list released Friday had worked in Grand Coteau and one of those also worked at a Jesuit-run parish in north Baton Rouge. Friday’s disclosure also resurrected disclosures about the Manresa Retreat House in Convent in St. James Parish. Its former director, the Rev. Thomas Naughton of the old New Orleans Province of the Jesuits, was stripped of his duties in California in 2002 after accusations he had molested a boy in 1978 in Dallas.

The Jesuits’ disclosure Friday listed only where the men had served. It did not say where any of the alleged abuse occurred.

One of the priests who worked at Grand Coteau was Norman J. Rogge, who was twice convicted of sex crimes against minors but continued working for the church, according to previous news accounts and bishopaccountability.org, a website dedicated to tracking abuse by clergy.

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Forgotten victims of priest sexual abuse. They were not children but could they consent?

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA)
Sydney Morning Herald

December 8, 2018

By Farrah Tomazin

Christine James* was 17 when she met the man who would spend years treating her like his dirty little secret.

At first, she was flattered by the attention of a Catholic priest: confused yet elated that such a figure could be drawn to her.

Now, she realises she was his perfect prey: young and vulnerable, from a strict religious family where male authority was to be respected and feared. And in the hierarchy of her small-town church, there was no greater authority than Father Martin.*

Christine was barely an adult when the priest’s attention switched from pastoral to sexual. With that, Father Martin – 11 years her senior – became far more controlling.

He’d ask her to bring him breakfast after Mass, then got her to lie down so he could rub himself against her. He got her pregnant during university, and then enlisted two fellow priests to help him convince her to have an abortion.

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Dozens of Montana priests accused of sex abuse were moved to new posts, report shows

BILLINGS (MT)
Billings Gazette

December 8, 2018

By Matt Hoffman

A new report outlining abuse accusations against Jesuit priests includes dozens of priests who worked in Montana churches, missions and schools — and shows that at least 11 priests were accused while working in the state.

Many of the accusations are against priests already identified in bankruptcy reports for the Great Falls/Billings and Helena dioceses. But the Jesuit Order report includes dates of alleged abuse and new “credible claims” against priests. It also includes work history information that confirms priests were frequently shuffled between postings, including after alleged abuse.

“The People of God demand and deserve transparency,” Scott Santarosa, the leader of a Jesuit Order province covering 10 western states including Montana, wrote in an online open letter. “We hope that this act of accountability will help victims and their families in the healing process.”

Friday’s report shows the results of an internal investigation. Santarosa’s letter said the province will have a consultant and former FBI executive review files in 2019, and any priests with new credible allegations will be identified. The Jesuit Order is a branch of the Roman Catholic Church with about 17,000 priests and brothers.

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Dozens of Montana priests accused of sex abuse were moved to new posts, report shows

BILLINGS (MT)
Billings Gazette

December 8, 2018

By Matt Hoffman

A new report outlining abuse accusations against Jesuit priests includes dozens of priests who worked in Montana churches, missions and schools — and shows that at least 11 priests were accused while working in the state.

Many of the accusations are against priests already identified in bankruptcy reports for the Great Falls/Billings and Helena dioceses. But the Jesuit Order report includes dates of alleged abuse and new “credible claims” against priests. It also includes work history information that confirms priests were frequently shuffled between postings, including after alleged abuse.

“The People of God demand and deserve transparency,” Scott Santarosa, the leader of a Jesuit Order province covering 10 western states including Montana, wrote in an online open letter. “We hope that this act of accountability will help victims and their families in the healing process.”

Friday’s report shows the results of an internal investigation. Santarosa’s letter said the province will have a consultant and former FBI executive review files in 2019, and any priests with new credible allegations will be identified. The Jesuit Order is a branch of the Roman Catholic Church with about 17,000 priests and brothers.

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17 Jesuit priests with ties to St. Louis named on sexual abuse list

ST. LOUIS (MO)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
December 8, 2018

By Nassim Benchaabane

A regional Jesuit province based here became on Friday the latest in a number of Catholic institutions across the country to release lists naming priests credibly accused of sexual abuse.

The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province, which includes Missouri and Southern Illinois, released a list of 42 priests and other ministry officials. They said the abuse allegations went back to 1955.

“The storm that the Church experiences today calls forth from us an unprecedented and yet needed response,” Provincial Ronald Mercier said in a prepared statement. “Silence in the face of the events of recent months cannot be an option.”

Seventeen of those named worked in the St. Louis area, according to the list. Twelve of them worked at St. Louis University High School during their ministry.

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Re-opened sex abuse case against Catholic church ‘continuation of my fight’: survivor

REGINA (CANADA)
Regina Leader Post

December 7, 2018

By Jane Sims

When she accepted a civil settlement from the Roman Catholic Church 18 years ago, Irene Deschenes was defeated.

“We are tired, we want closure and are hesitant to believe we can or will get justice from the court process,” she wrote in an email to her lawyer before accepting the terms in 2000.

What Deschenes, the Catholic Diocese of London and disgraced ex-priest Charles Sylvestre wouldn’t know is that settlement would send Deschenes on a determined course to expose the abusive Sylvestre and hold the church accountable.

In a ground-breaking decision, Superior Court Justice David Aston, who quoted Deschenes’ email, granted her motion and allowed the sexual abuse survivor to re-open her settlement after almost two decades.

“My goal here is to hold the Roman Catholic Church accountable for their unspeakable treatment of survivors,” Deschenes said at a news conference here on Thursday. “This is a continuation of my fight for justice, for me, and other known and unknown survivors of sexual abuse by priests and other religions.”

When Deschenes, abused between 1970 and 1973 when she attended St. Ursula’s Church in Chatham, and another survivor filed a civil suit against the diocese, Sylvestre hadn’t been convicted of 47 counts of indecent assault of little girls across the region and the church hadn’t been swamped with civil claims.

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Bankruptcy just latest shield for rapist priests

ALBUQUERQUE (NM)
Albuquerque Journal

December 7, 2018

By Martin J. Chavez, former Albuquerque mayor

Faced with civil and possible criminal litigation from victims of the horrific rapes of children by area priests, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has announced its intent to declare bankruptcy. Archbishop John C. Wester disingenuously says this is to assist the “pursuit of justice for all victims.” The Chapter 11 filing is simply a way of avoiding responsibility and is just one part of a continuing cover-up by the Archdiocese.

Contemplate for a moment the horror of a child raped by a priest and the impact of that rape on the child as he or she grows into adulthood. The trauma doesn’t go away. I’m lucky to have spent eight years in parochial school – St. Charles and Holy Ghost – the latter years as an altar boy, and was never a victim. But some of my friends weren’t so fortunate, and I write this for them.

We now know that the Archdiocese was substantially aware for years that its priests were raping children and that it did little or nothing to rectify it. Most of what it did was cover it up and shield itself from the justice afforded victims through the courts. Here are just a few of the ways:

• To avoid liability, the Archdiocese began incorporating each parish separately to shield the individual parishes from the conduct of its rapist priests. Instead of moving priests from parish to parish, they moved assets from parish to parish.

• It then formed a trust to keep real estate away from victims. And as each victim comes forward, the church’s attorneys have grilled them as they would liars, questioning their integrity and their pain, as any insurance defense lawyer might in an auto accident case. They threaten to subpoena parents, children and siblings of victims. Most New Mexico Catholics don’t appreciate that our “one holy and apostolic church” is actually hundreds of separate corporate entities and that the place where Mass is held is held in a trust, primarily to keep it out of reach of rape victims.

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Jesuits name 11 Sacramento priests accused of sexual abuse

SACRAMENTO (CA)
ABC 10 News

December 7, 2018

By Giacomo Luca

Eleven priests who served in Sacramento over the last 50 years were among a list of priests with credible sexual abuse allegations against children, the Catholic Jesuit West province released on Friday.

The priests served in the Diocese of Sacramento at Jesuit High School, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish or St. Elizabeth Parish, Bishop Jaime Soto of the Sacramento Diocese said in a statement.

In October, the Sacramento Diocese announced that it had begun compiling a list of priests credibly accused of who served in the organization.

“We are compiling that list now, and have enlisted the help of an independent auditor respected for her work in protecting children and the vulnerable from abuse,” Soto said.

Dan McNevin, 59, was abused by a priest in the Oakland diocesed when he was a child, he said.

Now, he’s an advocate with the Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests, a national support network of more than 25,000 members who have been abused by clergy.

“A lot of people are devastated by this,” McNevin said. “This is a rape of the soul, not just of the body. Because these priests are there spiritual conduits to heaven.”

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New list released accuses 17 Catholic priests from St. Louis area of sexual abuse

ST. LOUIS (MO)
KMOV TV

December 8, 2018

By Marielle Mohs

A St. Louis based Jesuit province released a list of 42 Catholic priests and other ministry officials who are accused of sexual abuse. The list shows the allegations date back to 1955.

The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province, which includes Missouri and Southern Illinois, released the list on their website Friday night.

The list shows that 17 of the 42 priests accused of sexual abuse by the province worked in the St. Louis area. According to the list, 12 of the 17 who worked in the St. Louis area worked at St. Louis University High School (SLUH).

The Jesuits says for each name listed there has been a credible claim of sexual abuse of a minor or a vulnerable adult. They make it clear that this list does not imply that the abuse allegations are true or that the accused individual has been found guilty of a crime.

In addition to the names on the list, the Jesuits have also provided the list of all the parishes, schools or Catholic hospitals they’ve worked at, the number of accusations of sexual abuse against them and the years the alleged abuse took place.

The list does not include photos of the accused priests, however. If they are still living, the list also does not provide their current location or place of work.

One of the St. Louis area priests listed is John “Jack” Campbell (1920-2009). The Jesuits say he has been credibly accused of sexually abusing 13 people, including a SLUH student back in the 1970s. The Jesuits say the Missouri Province of Jesuits paid a $185,000 settlement to that former student who now lives in Virginia and went public about his high school molestation after Campbell had already retired.

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December 7, 2018

German prosecutors launch crackdown on church sex abuse

BOSTON (MA)
The Pilot

December 7, 2018

By Zita Ballinger Fletcher

German police and prosecutors are launching investigations into clergy sexual abuse following the Sept. 12 leak of a report containing evidence of 3,700 alleged child sex abuse cases in the Catholic Church over a 68-year-period.

Authorities in Cologne, Passau and Gorlitz have publicly initiated criminal proceedings following the release of the report, according to Welt news. Six law professors filed criminal complaints against all 27 dioceses in October. A further 20 public prosecutors nationwide are currently examining evidence against church officials in Germany’s 27 Catholic dioceses.

According to a Dec. 6 report by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, public prosecutors who have not yet openly brought charges are doing so with an aim to identify all parties involved in cover-ups and root out larger conspiracies within the church. Details of the investigations are being kept confidential. Authorities currently doing investigative research include those of Osnabruck, Wurzburg and Bamberg.

Archdioceses currently being affected by criminal proceedings have been asked to reveal all details of known cases and to hand over all relevant documents to government authorities.

The abuse cover-up scandal, which caused widespread shock in Germany, has also drawn attention from Germany’s national government. On Nov. 22, the permanent council of the German bishops’ conference announced it was cooperating with the federal government to take further steps following the release of the report, including the standardization of file management in all dioceses, establishing contacts for victims not affiliated with dioceses, and identifying, through an independent review, who exactly was responsible for institutional cover-ups.

Spokesmen for the German bishops’ conference have declared its “full cooperation” with judicial authorities. Some archdioceses have already made their files available to public prosecutors, according to KNA, the German Catholic news agency.

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Diocese of Charleston to release names of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors

CHARLESTON (SC)
Post And Courier.com

December 7, 2018

By Rickey Ciapha Dennis Jr.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston will release the names of priests in South Carolina credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors dating back to 1950, the diocese announced Friday. The names will be released by mid-February.

“We are committed to transparency,” Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said in a statement. “Releasing the names of those credibly accused is another step in the healing process for all who have been harmed by priests.”

For decades, Catholic officials knew of the abuse but often preferred to reassign clergy to posts in other jurisdictions, protecting the church while putting additional children in harm’s way.

As early as 2002, the diocese had received allegations against 24 priests since the 1960s, 12 of whom were removed from the ministry.

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Jesuits to Release Names of Abusive Clerics, SNAP Responds

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

December 6, 2018

According to reports, US Jesuit provinces will begin to release the names of proven, admitted and “credibly accused” child molesting clerics tomorrow.

We are glad that officials from the Jesuit order are taking this first step towards transparency. Releasing these names publicly not only helps survivors heal, but also encourages victims who may be suffering alone and in silence to come forward. These lists also expose men who may not have been previously identified as dangerous but who may be living and working in places that gives them access to children.

Still, the fact remains that this is a long-overdue move prompted only by pressure from prosecutors, parishioners and the public.

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Archdiocese of Mobile Releases Names of Accused Priests

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

December 6 2018

Today, the Archdioceses of Mobile, AL released a list of 29 priests who have served in their diocese and been accused of child abuse. We are grateful for this development and urge further action.

Releasing these names publicly is crucial not only for the healing of survivors, but also to encourage victims who may be suffering in silence to come forward and to deter future clergy sex crimes and cover-ups. However, releasing these names is only the first step on the path towards healing and deterrence.

If Archbishop Thomas Rodi is confident in the accuracy of this list, we think he should reach out to Alabama’s attorney general and urge an outside, independent investigation into his diocese and other dioceses in the state. Only trained law enforcement professionals can truly judge when an accusation is credible or not and compel full transparency.

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New list of abusive Jesuit priests begs question: How many more are out there?

YORK (PA)
York Daily Record

December 7, 2018

By Candy Woodall

Until Friday morning, Terry McKiernan had 178 Jesuit priests on a list of abusive clergy members in the U.S.

His list grew after the U.S. Central and Southern Province released the names of 42 Jesuit priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children.

The wholesale release of names of abusive priests has been trending among dioceses around the world since August, when a grand jury report identified 301 predator priests in Pennsylvania. Friday marked the first time a Jesuit order named their abusers in a long list.

While the Catholic priest abuse scandal might seem more transparent than ever, McKiernan said we know fewer than half of all abusive priests by name.

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Charleston diocese to name clergy accused of sex abuse

CHARLESTON (SC)
WCIV TV

December 7, 2018

The Catholic Diocese of Charleston is preparing to release the names of its clergy “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors, a spokesperson said Friday.

Bishop Robert Guglielmone plans to release the list of names no later than mid-February, diocese media relations director Maria Aselage said in a news release Friday.

The list will span decades, to include “all priests” from the diocese accused of sex crimes against minors dating back to 1950, per Aselage.

“The Diocese is currently in the process of reviewing its priest personnel files from 2007 through today,” Friday’s release says. “Once the current review is complete, the list will be released.”

The diocese already has such files largely compiled, as they were collected during a detailed review of Diocesan priest personnel and other relevant files in 2007 as part of a class action lawsuit settlement agreement, Aselage says.

Law enforcement officials are already privy to the contents of the files, per Aselage.

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Jesuits West Releases Names of Jesuits Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor or Vulnerable Adult Since 1950

PORTLAND (OR)
Jesuits, Western Region

December 7, 2018

Dear Friends in the Lord:
Today, Jesuits West Province releases the names of priests and brothers who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors since 1950. We do so because the People of God demand and deserve transparency. We do so because we hope that this act of accountability will help victims and their families in the healing process. We do so because while the vast majority of Jesuits of our province are not on this list, it is important that parents not wonder whether their children are safe in a church, in a school or in any other setting where a Jesuit may be present.

On behalf of the Society of Jesus, I apologize to the victims and families who put their trust in a Jesuit, only to have that trust so profoundly betrayed. It is inconceivable that someone entrusted with the pastoral care of a child could be capable of something so harmful. Yet, tragically, this is a part of our Jesuit history, a legacy we cannot ignore.

Thankfully, sixteen years after shocking cases of clergy sexual abuse were brought to light in Boston in 2002, there has been significant reform in how the Church and religious orders like ours handle allegations of sexual abuse. Jesuits West has both a zero-tolerance policy for credible allegations made against a Jesuit involving a minor or a vulnerable adult and stringent procedures to ensure the safety of minors. No Jesuit who has a credible allegation of sexually abusing a minor is allowed to remain in public ministry. The majority of the cases related to the names that we release today date back decades. While even one case is abhorrent, it is consoling to know that the safeguards we have put in place are helping to create safe environments for everyone.

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More priests accused of sexually abusing children served in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM (AL)
AL.com

December 7, 2018

By Christopher Harress

Eight Catholic priests who served at Spring Hill College in Mobile have been named as part of a list Friday that accuses former Jesuits of sexually abusing children.

The list of 42 comes one day after the Archdiocese of Mobile named 29 former priests and clergy who had similar accusation of sexual child abuse made against them.

Fr. Ronald Mercier, the leader of the Central Southern organization, said in a letter that the names represented a “sinful part of history.”

He added: “Words cannot possibly suffice to express our sorrow and shame for what occurred, our promise of prayers for healing, and our commitment to work with them. Caring for these survivors – and preventing any such future events – must be our focus as we move forward.”

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Vatican Launches Investigation After Chilean Nuns Report Sex Abuse by Priests

ROME (ITALY)
Associated Press

December 7, 2018

The Vatican has launched an investigation into a small Chilean religious order of nuns after some sisters denounced sexual abuse at the hands of priests and mistreatment by their superiors, a turning point that shows the Holy See is now willing to investigate allegations of sexual violence against nuns.

The scandal at the Institute of the Good Samaritan was revealed publicly in an investigative report by Chilean national television earlier this year at the height of outrage over how Chilean Catholic hierarchy covered up decades of sexual abuse of children by priests.

In the report, a half-dozen current and former nuns said sisters were thrown out of the order after they denounced the abuse to their superiors. The report followed the sisters as they testified before two Vatican investigators sent to Chile by Pope Francis to get to the bottom of the church-wide scandal there.

In a statement, the Vatican embassy to Chile announced that an “apostolic visitation,” or investigation, had begun Wednesday in the institute. It said over the coming months the probe would take testimony from current and former sisters and those affiliated with the institute so the Vatican can understand the situation and make whatever changes are necessary.

The institute is located in the diocese of Talca, which since 1996 had been headed by Bishop Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca. Pope Francis removed Valenzuela as bishop in June as part of his cleanup of the Chilean hierarchy. Valenzuela had been one of the bishops trained by Chile’s most infamous predator priests, the Rev. Fernando Karadima.

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Catholic priests with KC connections on Jesuits’ list of accused sex abusers

KANSAS CITY (MO)
KMBC TV

December 7, 2018

The Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province released a list of names of Jesuit priests and brothers with credible allegations of sexual abuse involving minors.

Six on the list had pastoral connections at some point in their ministry to either Rockhurst High School or Rockhurst University.

They include:
Burton J. Fraser, SJ, was ordained in 1935 and died in 1971. Of his eight pastoral assignments, one was at Rockhurst High School. The Jesuits estimated the time frame of abuse happened in the 1950s. Fraser had died by the time the allegation was received.

Francis J. Kegal, SJ, had a pastoral assignment at Rockhurst High School and St. Louis University High School in St. Louis. The Jesuits estimated the time frame of abuse happened in the 1940s, and Kegel had left the Society of Jesus when the allegation was received. He died in 2009.

Paul C. Pilgram, SJ, who was ordained in 1970, spent time at Rockhurst High School in his six pastoral assignments. The Jesuits estimate the suspected abuse happened from the 1970s to the 1990s. Pilgram’s ministry with minors was restricted in 1991. He was removed from the ministry in 2003.

Chester E. Gaiter, SJ, who was ordained in 1976, had six pastoral assignments, including Rockhurst High School. The Jesuits said the alleged abuse happened between the 1970s and 1980s. Gaiter was ill at the time of the allegations and died in 2010.

Philip D. Kraus, SJ, was ordained in 1975, and was suspected of abuse in the 1970s. Kraus had pastoral assignments at St. Francis Xavier parish and Rockhurst University. The Jesuits said Kraus’ ministry with minors was restricted in 1996 and he was removed from the ministry in 2003 and lives under supervision.

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Diocese of Cheyenne to release list of all clergymen credibly accused of sexual abuse since 1950

CASPER (WY)
Casper Star-Tribune

December 7, 2018

By Seth Klamann

The Diocese of Cheyenne is compiling a list of priests, bishops and deacons who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse since 1950, Bishop Steven Biegler announced this week, signaling that the Wyoming diocese is joining a wave of public self-examinations by dioceses across the country.

“The Diocese should have a current master list so it can be confident that it has applied the current standards to all living credibly accused offenders — and especially the standards of zero tolerance — in all situations,” Biegler wrote in a column in the December issue of the Wyoming Catholic Register. He added the review will also examine how the six bishops who have served since 1950 — himself included — handled the allegations.

The diocese previously conducted a review in 2002 — the same year that former Bishop Joseph Hart was cleared of abuse allegations by the Natrona County District Attorney’s Office — of clergymen who were working in it at the time. That review “verified that no priest with a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was serving in the public ministry in any way in the Diocese of Cheyenne,” Biegler wrote.

This latest examination comes as dioceses across the country conduct sweeping reviews of their own troubled histories with clerical sexual abuse. On Thursday, the church named 29 men accused of abuse in southern Alabama, allegations that dated back to 1950. In November, a diocese in Missouri named 33 priests and religious brothers who had been credibly accused. In August, a grand jury in Pennsylvania wrote that more than 300 Catholic priests had molested more than 1,000 children for decades.

The work on this latest review began after mid-September, when the Star-Tribune requested information regarding all credibly accused priests, all settlements and the amount paid in these agreements dating back to 1950, said Rev. Carl Gallinger, the diocese’s vicar general. He said the “commitment” to conducting the review predated the newspaper’s request. He said he had no time estimate on when the review, which will be conducted by an “independent law firm,” would be completed.

Biegler was unavailable to comment Thursday. It’s unclear how much detail will be in the list.

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FBI engaged in wide-ranging probe of clergy sex abuse in Buffalo Diocese

BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News

December 7, 2018

By Jay Tokasz and Dan Herbeck

Mark Lynch says he was molested by a priest when he was 13. The abuse happened 50 years ago, well beyond when a sex crime could be prosecuted.

But the FBI wanted to know more, anyway.

Lynch said two federal agents visited him at his Youngstown home about a month ago, armed with questions about the abuse and the Buffalo Diocese’s response to his allegations against the Rev. Joseph Schuster.

“We sat at my kitchen table for about an hour, and I told them what happened. They were very thorough and already had a file on me. They had done their homework,” said Lynch. “They asked a lot of questions about who I spoke to, who I reported the incident to at the diocese. They told me they hope to talk with everyone who has come forward with a complaint.”

Federal authorities have fanned out across Western New York to learn more about a clergy abuse scandal that until now largely has been ignored by law enforcement.

“They’re really looking for proof of a cover-up,” said Nicole Delisio Wright, an advocate for victims of clergy abuse. “Any type of proof that there’s a widespread cover-up.”

The aggressive federal interest is happening in other parts of the country, as well.

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Jesuits release preliminary list of members credibly accused of sex abuse

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Times-Picayune

December 7, 2018

By Kim Chatelain

The Jesuit religious order on Friday (Dec. 7) released the names of 42 priests, brothers and scholastics who are credibly accused of sexual abuse over the past several decades, supplementing a list of 57 similarly accused Roman Catholic clergymen named by the Archdiocese of New Orleans last month.

The new list includes six clergymen who were included in a list of credibly accused men of the cloth released by the Archdiocese of New Orleans last month. There are 13 Jesuits with ties to Louisiana who were not previously named.

Those named Friday were members of the U.S. Central and Southern Province and its predecessor entities: the New Orleans Province, the Missouri Province, or the Independent Region of Puerto Rico of the Society of Jesus.

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Maryalice Demler responds after comments at Catholic forum strike a nerve

BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News

December 7, 2018

By Alan Pergament

At a Catholic church forum Monday designed to move forward from the sexual abuse crisis in the Buffalo Diocese, WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) anchor Maryalice Demler ended up upsetting some in attendance who interpreted her remarks as an unprofessional critique of a competing TV station.

Multiple people came away from the panel at St. Joseph University Church near the University at Buffalo campus on Main Street calling Demler “unprofessional” in what they termed her “insinuations” about the way whistle-blower Siobhan O’Connor and WKBW-TV (Channel 7) and reporter Charlie Specht handled the story – without mentioning the two by name.

In an email response, Demler said her remarks were misrepresented by those offended and that she has the support of another panelist.

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Polish Church urged to check sex abuse claims against priest

WARSAW, POLAND
Associated Press

December 7, 2018

By Czarek Sololowski

The mayor of the Polish city of Gdansk has asked the local Roman Catholic archbishop to investigate allegations that a now-deceased priest who rose to prominence in the Solidarity pro-democracy movement sexually abused minors.

The allegations against the late Mgr. Henryk Jankowski surfaced this week when Barbara Borowiecka told the “Duzy Format” magazine and TVN24 television he abused her and others when she was a girl and his parishioner in the 1970s, before his pro-Solidarity activity.

Another woman — who did not show her face — also told TVN24 that Jankowski touched her inappropriately when she was only six.

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DIGITAL EXTRA: News 5 Investigates where accused priests served

MOBILE (AL)
WKRG TV

December 6, 2018

By Chris Best

The Archdiocese of Mobile released the names of 28 clergy members who have been “credibly accused” of child sex allegations since 1950. News 5 Investigators are mapping out their service, where they served, and when the abuse allegations occurred. We’ve discovered some disturbing trends just based on the minimal information provided by the archdiocese. Several of the 28 priests or deacons served at several different locations. The Catholic church has faced harsh criticism in the past for moving pedophile priests from parish to parish or school. Several parishes or schools have the multiple accused clergy. Some of clergy served at several of the the same parishes or schools. And the allegations against them overlap in time period as well.

For example, three who served at McGill-Toolen also served at Little Flower Parish. Allegations against Vernon Dahmen span from the mid ’70s to the early 80s. At the Same time from the 1960s to 1982 Arthur Schrenger is accused of sexual misconduct with minors. He also served at McGill-Toolen and Little Flower.

Patrick Nicolson was accused in 1976, and again served at McGill-Toolen and Little Flower.

News 5 Investigators mapped out other connections, watch the video for more. And click here for the entire list and complete letter from the Archbishop. We’ll also have LIVE team coverage on News 5 at 5 and 6.

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Statistical analysis seeks context for Pa. grand jury report

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CNA/EWTN News

December 6, 2018

A new statistical analysis seeks to contextualize data about child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania, four months after a grand jury report detailed hundreds of abuse allegations in six of the state’s diocese, spanning nearly eight decades.

To “properly understand the import” of the grand jury’s findings, the statistical analysis compares the number of abuse allegations to other institutions during similar time periods, and seeks to better understand when most of the cases of alleged abuse took place.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia commissioned the analysis, which was conducted by the law firm Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP.

The 884-page grand jury report, released Aug. 14, was written by 23 grand jurors who spent 18 months investigating the six dioceses with the help of the FBI, examining half a million pages of documents in the process. The six diocese are Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Scranton.

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Clergy sex abuse: why the SBC’s ‘studying it’ response isn’t enough

WINSTON-SALEM (NC)
Baptist News Global

December 7, 2018

By Christa Brown

Since last July when Southern Baptist Convention president J.D. Greear announced the formation of a sexual abuse study group, people have been asking me, “Do you think they’ll finally change things?”

Often, I hear a note of hopefulness in the question and remember when I too might have believed that such an announcement meant Baptist officials were rising to the task of addressing clergy sex abuse. Not anymore. After 12 years of hearing the stories of survivors of Baptist clergy abuse, I’ve learned that, on this subject, the words of Baptist leaders are worthy of wariness.

SBC officials say they’re “studying it.” So what?

First, let’s remember that SBC officials have sung this “studying it” song before. Their prior 2008 “study,” with its seemingly predisposed do-nothing result, left many of us Baptist abuse survivors with a healthy measure of skepticism.

“But this is a new generation of Baptist leaders,” people say, and true enough, there are some younger faces. However, this is not a problem of old-guard versus new-guard.

“Decades of institutional patterns will not be changed by simply repopulating the same inadequate structures with new faces, no matter how well-intentioned they may be.”

The problem is that the SBC system fosters a climate for abuse and cover-ups because it lacks effective structures for clergy accountability and for information-sharing among congregations. Decades of institutional patterns will not be changed by simply repopulating the same inadequate structures with new faces, no matter how well-intentioned they may be.

Second, it’s not even clear exactly what SBC officials are “studying” this time around. The details of their process are not transparent, and some of their remarks provide little reason for confidence. It’s hard to imagine that these leaders will be able to remediate effectively their own institutional failures when, so often, they avoid even speaking of them. For example, Executive Committee chairman Mike Stone claimed there had “never” been any “hesitancy about addressing these issues” in the SBC, and said it was engaging the study because of the increased emphasis on sexual abuse “in the culture and in the media.” Executive Committee interim president Augie Boto talked about the study as a way “to address evil, human failure and the consequences of sin.”

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Long Beach Priest Among 54 Abusers Identified By Archdiocese

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Patch

December 6, 2018

By Paige Austin

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles Thursday released the names of dozens of local priests accused of abusing children, a move likely to stir up trauma and catharsis across LA parishes. The list includes 54 priests, most of whom are dead or defrocked, included 30 who had not be publicly identified before.

Most of the abuse took place decades ago but only came to light in the last decade. Twenty-seven of the priests were identified well after hey were dead. The announcement is a move designed to increase trust and transparency. It’s the first time the archdiocese has publicly updated its list of abusers in a decade, when the archdiocese agreed to a $660 million settlement with 508 victims.

The list does not identify the parish where the priest ministered.

“To every one of you who has suffered abuse by the hand of a priest, I am truly sorry. Nothing can undo the violence done to you or restore the innocence or trust that was taken from you,” Archbishop Jose Gomez said at a news conference at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. “I am humbled by your courage and ashamed at how the church has let you down.”

According to the list, only three priests in the county have been accused of abusing children within the past decade. Two were investigated, removed from the ministry and referred to law enforcement while a third one left the country. According to the church, the archdiocese has publicly identified all living priests accused of abuse since 2008 in announcements to the communities where they served. But on Thursday, they decided to release the names of deceased priests that were accused in the last decade as well as “plausible” accusations, in an effort toward transparency. The plausible” allegations could not be investigated because the priest had died or had long ago left the archdiocese. However, authorities determined the accusation matched up with the priest’s time of service and place of ministry.

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Jesuit West Province to release priest abuse report Friday

PHOENIX (AZ)
NBC Channel 12

December 6, 2018

By Joe Dana

Tomorrow, faculty and staff at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix and 70 other Jesuit high schools and colleges throughout the west will likely pay close attention to what is revealed in a new report on priest abuse.

Jesuit West is a religious order of the Catholic Church that oversees Jesuit high schools and universities.

“While this is a necessary part of the healing process and reconciliation, I think what you will see with this list is the majority are cases dating back decades,” said Tracey Primrose, Director of Communications for Jesuits West Province. “There is no one who has a credible claim who is working actively in ministry in the Jesuits.”

Some of the men named in the report are deceased and did not have a chance to defend themselves against the accusations. But, the claims against those men have been evaluated and substantiated by the Jesuit West review board, Primrose said.

“This is us, on our own, deciding to do something transparent to be accountable,” Primrose said. “Some of those names will have already been out there.”

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Attorneys, Activists Demand More Data on Priest Sexual Misconduct

LOS ANGELES (CA)
City News Service

December 6, 2018

Attorneys, Activists Demand More Data on Priest Sexual Misconduct

A Camarillo man is suing multiple Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the state, claiming he was abused by a priest as a boy.

The group alleges there has been widespread covering up of sexual abuse misconduct among clergy in Orange County for years.

They called on Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann to release the names of all clergy accused of sexual misconduct.

A Camarillo man, who is suing multiple Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the state and who claims he was abused by a priest in Anaheim as a boy, Thursday joined attorneys and other clergy abuse activists to call on the Diocese of Orange to release “secret” files on priests accused of misconduct.

At a news conference at a hotel in Orange Thursday morning, the group alleged there has been widespread covering up of sexual abuse misconduct among clergy in Orange County for years.

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LA Archdiocese releases 54 new names of priests accused of sex abuse

LOS ANGELES (CA)
KABC TV

December 7, 2018

Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has released an updated list of the names of priests accused of sexually abusing minors.

This is the first update since 2008.

The list now has an additional 54 priests, added because the criteria has changed. The list already held almost 300 names of priests directly or indirectly associated with the Archdiocese who had been accused of abuse. Of those on the list, 120 are now deceased and six were exonerated.

“To every one of you who has suffered abuse at the hand of a priest, I am truly sorry,” Gomez said. “I am humbled by your courage and ashamed at how the church has let you down.”

The church says the names were added if there was “a single plausible report of sexual misconduct against the priest which could not be confirmed since the priest died or left the archdiocese long before the allegation was received.”

Since the 2008 report, three priests accused of abusing children were removed from the priesthood.

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Records show priest accused of sexual abuse worked in Cincinnati as ‘Brother Pius’

CINCINNATI (OH)
WKRC TV

December 6, 2018

By Walter Smith-Randolph

Fr. Kenneth Hendricks, a priest from Cincinnati, is now accused of molesting 10 boys while living and working in the Philippines, but American investigators believe there may be more victims of Hendricks.

Hendricks has been working in the Phillippines for 37 years, but investigators say he would visit Cincinnati in the summers. Local 12 has found archived newspapers that say Hendricks worked at St. Francis Seraph Church in Over-the-Rhine and was known as Brother Pius Hendricks.

“Given what we know, we believe thus far that there’s a high possibility that other children may have been impacted by his alleged actions,” said Special Agent Steve Francis with the Department of Homeland Security.

A spokeswoman for the Franciscan order confirms Hendricks took his vows in 1962 in Cincinnati but left the order in 1986. That’s when Hendricks went to the Phillipines and was ordained a priest.

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Sacramento Diocese removes priest accused of sex abuse

SACRAMENTO (CA)
KCRA TV

December 6, 2018

By Vicki Gonzalez

The Diocese of Sacramento is taking action following two new claims of sex abuse against two former priests.

The man who came forward said the assaults took place at Camp Pendola and Holy Family Catholic Church in Citrus Heights in 1985. He said he wants to be identified as John Doe.

The alleged abuse took place when he was 17 years old while on a camp work trip with former director of Camp Pendola, Monsignor Murrough Wallace.

Wallace is now retired.

“In light of the allegation raised (Thursday) by Mr. Doe, Bishop Soto has directed Msgr. Murrough Wallace, retired pastor of St. Theresa Parish in South Lake Tahoe, to withdraw from ministry until more facts can be gathered,” Fr. Michael Vaughan said in a statement.

KCRA was able to reach Wallace on the phone about the sex abuse allegations. He did not want to comment.

A couple years ago, John Doe said after years of counseling he was able to confront Wallace about what happened.

“I went on to tell the details of what he did, and as I finished telling my details, he was crying and he apologized,” he said. “I am asking him to come forward and tell the truth and help those suffering in silence.”

The second sex abuse allegation involves a former monsignor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Citrus Heights. The priest has since died.

The diocese did not acknowledge the second priest in their statement.

“I have come to know two additional victims. One of each priest, both male,” John Doe said. “I am coming forward and telling my story as John Doe because all of my family doesn’t know.”

His attorney, Joseph George, said there is not a lawsuit due to the statute of limitations. But, his client chose to move forward after the diocese announced they are delaying the public release of each accused priest until next year.

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December 6, 2018

DA urges victims of priest abuse to come forward, so she can prosecute

MOBILE (AL)
WKRG TV

December 6, 2018

By Chris Best

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich is urging victims of priest and clergy abuse to come forward so she can prosecute. The Archdiocese of Mobile Thursday released the names of 29 priests and deacons who have been “credibly accused” since 1950. Although of them are now dead, several are not. Rich says victims must come forward and ask her office to prosecute. She’s also asking anyone with evidence to come forward. Rich says there’s no statute of limitations on any sex offense if the victim is under 16, regardless if it involves force or serious injury.

The sexual misconduct allegations range from 1950 up until at least 2012.

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Advocates say 72 priests in Orange County abused kids

ORANGE (CA)
Associated Press

December 6, 2018

Advocates for survivors of child sex abuse say they have compiled a list of 72 priests who served in the Southern California Diocese of Orange and who are accused of abusing kids.

Lawyer Mike Reck on Thursday said that’s many more than those reported by the Diocese and demanded greater transparency.

He says the list was compiled with publicly available information including criminal cases, lawsuits and press statements.

dvocates have issued similar reports in other jurisdictions in a push to hold church officials accountable for child sex abuse cases.

The Diocese of Orange says the lawyers are trying to re-litigate old claims and that the church takes any accusations of abuse “extraordinarily seriously.”

Diocese officials issued a report in 2016 saying 14 clergy accused of abuse were removed from min
California United States North America

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Lawyer on trial for revealing confidential Delbarton sex abuse settlement

MORRISTOWN (NJ)
Morristown Daily Record

December 6, 2018

By Peggy Wright

A civil trial that stems from a six-year-old lawsuit brought by Delbarton School against an attorney involving a confidential 1988 sex abuse settlement began Wednesday in Morris County.

The jury heard testimony from Gregory Gianforcaro, the attorney who represented a former student, who in 1984 claimed he had been abused by Rev. Timothy Brennan.

Gianforcaro is being sued by The Order of St. Benedict, which runs the school, for allegedly disclosing in 2012 the confidential settlement sum reached with the student in 1988.

While trying to get a gag order lifted in the case in 2012, Gianforcaro said, at a news conference, the settlement between former student William Wolfe and the school had been about seven figures. The Order alleges the attorney at that time violated the confidentiality agreement.

The suit also alleges Gianforcaro committed a breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing. Delbarton attorneys Christopher Kinum and Robert Gold want the jury of six men and two women to award damages that equal Wolfe’s 30-year-old settlement, which has never been precisely disclosed.

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Catholic school sex-abuse confidentiality case is resolved

NEWARK (NJ)
Associated Press

December 6, 2018

By David Porter

A lawsuit filed by a Catholic school against an attorney it claimed breached a confidentiality clause in a clergy sex abuse settlement has been resolved, both sides said Thursday.

Neither side offered details on the resolution.

It brings an end to a six-year battle among the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, the private Delbarton School and Gregory Gianforcaro, an attorney who has represented numerous clergy sex abuse victims.

The suit claimed Gianforcaro violated a confidentiality clause in a former Delbarton student’s 1988 settlement with the school when the lawyer told reporters in 2012 that the settlement was “approximately seven figures.”

At the time, Gianforcaro was seeking to have the confidentiality clause lifted, and it eventually was. Gianforcaro denied violating the agreement because, among other factors, he was not representing the former student in 1988 when it was signed.

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Archdiocese of Los Angeles reveals list of 54 clergy it says abused children

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Los Angeles Times

December 6, 2018

By Laura Newberry

For the first time in a decade, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Thursday updated its list of clergy accused of molesting children, addressing renewed outcry about how the Catholic Church responds to abuse allegations.

“We owe it to the victim-survivors to be fully transparent in listing the names of those who perpetrate this abuse,” Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said in a statement in releasing the list of 54 names.

The decision to disclose names of accused clergy has been made by bishops across the United States after the release in August of a Pennsylvania report, which revealed a decades-long cover-up of child sex abuse involving more than 1,000 victims and hundreds of priests. Dioceses in San Diego, San Jose, Orange County and San Bernardino have also released names of accused clergy this year.

In 2006, a Los Angeles Times analysis found that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles partially or completely omitted 11 known cases of clerical abuse from its “Report to the People of God.” This was after then-Archbishop Roger Mahony said the report provided the “fullest possible disclosure” of how the church responded to sex abuse allegations.

The report reveals two cases of alleged abuse of minors reported in the jurisdiction since 2008, when the list was last updated. Those accused priests, Juan Cano and Jose Luis Cuevas, have since been investigated by law enforcement and removed from the ministry, according to the archdiocese. Cuevas was charged with groping a girl in Long Beach. He later pleaded no contest to sexual assault charges. Cano is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

In all, 54 names were added to the archdiocese’s “Report to the People of God,” originally published in 2004. Most of those names belong to clergy who allegedly committed abuse before 2008 and had already been publicly accused. Twenty-seven are dead.

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Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Disclosure: Statement from Jeff Anderson & Associates

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Law office of Jeff Anderson

December 6, 2018

In response to pressure from the public, survivors, the lawsuit filed by Tom Emens in October 2018, and a report exposing 307 clergy offenders released by Jeff Anderson & Associates, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has updated its list of credibly or publicly accused clergy after 10 years. This is a positive step in the right direction for the Archdiocese.

However, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and its officials have repeatedly shown that they cannot be trusted to self-report without oversight. The next step is the public disclosure of documents regarding the histories of these offenders and the identities of Church officials who were complicit in the cover-up of these crimes. This can only be accomplished by requiring the Archdiocese release this information to law enforcement and trained third parties to verify that it is complete and accurate. Until this information is released, the Archdiocese’s efforts remain a half-truth.

Now the survivors who have been waiting for acknowledgement of their perpetrator’s identity can take steps toward healing and accountability. Thank you to every survivor who has come forward to share their truth to make our communities safer for children.

The report naming 307 offenders and the complaint filed by Tom Emens can be found at www.andersonadvocates.com.

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He’s never spoken out publicly before

SACRAMMENTO (CA)
Law office of Joseph C. George

December 6, 2018

He’s “outing” two accused priests for the 1st time
One worked at Sacramento Cathedral and the other predator headed youth camp for 20 years
Victim is upset by local diocese’s “recklessness & secrecy”

WHAT:
At a news conference, a survivor of clergy childhood sexual abuse (who will be identified as John Doe) will disclose the sexual abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of two Sacramento priests who have never been publicly identified as credibly accused perpetrators: Msgr. Murrough Wallace and Msgr. Vito Francis Mistretta. Bishop Quinn and Bishop Weigand knew that Msgr. Mistretta sexually abused a minor and never warned parents.

John Doe is frustrated by Bishop Soto’s delay in publicizing the list of predators and wants to alert other victims of these two priests that they are not alone and need not suffer in silence. There are resources for victims of clergy sexual abuse to get help. The church’s current system to “help” survivors is inadequate and shameful.

WHERE:
Law Offices of Joseph C. George, Ph.D., 601 University Avenue, Suite 230, Sacramento, CA

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Report to the People of God List of Priests Accused of Sexual Misconduct with Minors 2018 Update

LOS ANGELES (A)
Los Angeles Archdiocese

December 6, 2018

Below is the 2018 Update which supplements the 2004 Report to the People of God. The status of those listed in the 2004 Report, as amended through 2008, is also being reissued to show their current status . The 2018 Update includes priests accused since 2008. We recommend that you read the introduction page and FAQs below before exploring the lists.

The names of living priests in the 2018 Update include instances where the allegations were found to be credible. The names of those who were in ministry at the time of the accusation have previously been made public through announcements at parishes and schools where the accused served in the Archdiocese. In addition, the list includes names of deceased priests or priests who had long ago left the Archdiocese before the allegations were received and, where there is a single, plausible allegation of sexual misconduct against the priest even though it could not be investigated. Those names are being included in the 2018 Update out of respect and deference to the victim-survivors who made the reports.

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LA Archdiocese adds new names to list of accused priests

LOS ANGELES (CA)
Angelus News

December 6, 2018

By Pablo Kay

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles released on Thursday an updated list of priests accused of sexual abuse of minors, with the report showing two cases of alleged abuse of current minors in the archdiocese since 2008.

The two cases were made public at the time the allegations were first received. Upon receiving the accusations, the archdiocese removed the two priests, Juan Cano and Jose Luis Cuevas, from ministry and reported them to law enforcement. Following separate investigations by police and by an Archdiocesan oversight board, the men were permanently removed from ministry.

“As disturbing as their behavior was, it shows that thanks to the swift action of alert teachers, parents and even children themselves, we can catch signs of abusive behavior early,” said Dr. Heather Banis, Victims Assistance Ministry Coordinator for the Archdiocese.

Overall, the update added the names of 54 priests—27 of them now dead—to the Archdiocese’s “Report to the People of God,” originally published in 2004 by Cardinal Roger Mahony, and updated in 2005 and in 2008. The archdiocese has posted the full list, along with a message from Archbishop José H. Gomez, on a new website.

“We owe it to the victim-survivors of abuse to be fully transparent in listing the names of those who perpetrate this abuse,” Archbishop Gomez said.

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Finding hope and healing in the face of the abuse crisis

NEW YORK (NY)
America Magazine

December 4, 2018

By Louis J. Cameli

In February of next year, Pope Francis will meet with presidents of episcopal conferences throughout the world to talk about the Catholic Church’s response to clerical abuse. The U.S. bishops met in November of this year and discussed the same topic. In many dioceses, parishes have been or will be hosting listening sessions for concerned parishioners. All these meetings are meant in some way to address the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.

The current round of gatherings and news coverage strikes many people as sadly familiar—a replay of what happened in the early 2000s. But this is different. Today’s conversations have shifted. The focus now falls on bishops who were negligent, incompetent or downright devious in dealing with clergy who had perpetrated abuse against minors. This new scrutiny of abuse in the church, one earnestly hopes, will lead to necessary structural realignments. Reforms may include new paths for accountability and transparency, a more rigorous application of existing church law or its amendment if needed, and closer cooperation with civil authorities to deal with criminal activity and any related cover-up.

Structural reform and renewal are absolutely necessary to reclaim a measure of integrity for the church and—some would even say—for her very survival.

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New Optimism Among State Democrats Over Potential Passage of Child Victims Act in 2019

BUFFALO (NY)
Spectrum Local News

December 5, 2018

By Mark Goshgarian

Democrats will head both the Assembly and the Senate next month after taking control away from the Republican majority in last month’s election.

Tim Kennedy, Western New York’s only Democratic senator and soon to be part of that majority, said in a statement:

“With a change in leadership, I’m confident we’ll finally see powerful reform and long-overdue justice.”

One of those reforms is the Child Victims Act, a measure that, in part, extends the age limit abuse victims can file civil suits or seek legal charges.

The measure passed the Assembly twice, but has stalled in the current GOP-controlled Senate.

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USA Gymnastics Bankruptcy May Leave Sex-Abuse Victims Unpaid

UNITED STATES
Bloomberg

December 5, 2018

By Allison McNeely, Josh Saul and Eben Novy-Williams

USA Gymnastics, under threat of being decertified by the U.S. Olympic Committee, filed for bankruptcy after running short of funds to pay victims of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse.

The organization filed for Chapter 11 status in the Southern District of Indiana on Wednesday with estimated total assets and liabilities of $50 million to $100 million, according to a court filing. USAG aims to continue operating while it settles the victims’ claims, which its says are covered by insurance previously purchased by the organization, according to a statement.

But in court filings, USAG said there may not be enough to go around. It estimated the potential impact of these lawsuits at $75 million and $150 million, while the organization has assets of just $6.5 million in cash and investments, and said that the insurance policy might prove insufficient.

“We owe it to the survivors to resolve, fully and finally, claims based on the horrific acts of the past and, through this process, seek to expedite resolution and help them move forward,” chair Kathryn Carson said in the statement.

The bankruptcy extends a tumultuous year for USA Gymnastics, which installed new leadership after the trial of former team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges and another 40 to 125 years in prison for a decades-long string of sexual abuse. His victims number more than 150 current and former gymnasts, including several Olympic champions.

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USA Gymnastics files for reorganization under Chapter 11 of Bankruptcy Code

INDIANAPOLIS (IN)
USA Gym

December 5, 2018

USA Gymnastics today filed a voluntary petition for protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana. This filing will enable USA Gymnastics to continue to support its athletes, to fully operate and meet its responsibilities to the entire membership and to expeditiously resolve the claims made by the survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar.

“We owe it to the survivors to resolve, fully and finally, claims based on the horrific acts of the past and, through this process, seek to expedite resolution and help them move forward,” said Kathryn Carson, who was recently elected chair of the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors. “Our sport is safer and stronger thanks to the bravery of these women. The Chapter 11 filing and the expedited resolution of these claims are critical first steps in rebuilding the community’s trust.

“At the same time, the filing will allow us to continue the important work of supporting our outstanding gymnasts at all levels, including the current and next generation of Olympic hopefuls,” continued Carson. “Since joining the Board last June, I have been inspired by the commitment of our members — the administrators, judges, coaches and club owners — who work daily to foster a safe, positive and encouraging environment where thousands of young people can learn gymnastics and life skills, compete and pursue their dreams.

“We are moving forward with our plans to strengthen our organization to further support the work of our members and gymnasts,” said Carson. “We have made significant progress in implementing safety initiatives and are in the process of searching for a new CEO who has the experience to build a leadership team that will restore confidence in USA Gymnastics, and set and execute a clear vision for a successful future.”

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USA Gymnastics files bankruptcy. Here’s what it could mean for Larry Nassar survivors

INDIANAPOLIS (IN)
Indianapolis Star

December 5, 2018

By Tim Evans, Nancy Armour, Rachel Axon and Marisa Kwiatkowski

USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, a move it says will help resolve lawsuits stemming from Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse, but one it’s also counting on to hold off the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The filing, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, stays all “pending actions” against the governing body. That includes lawsuits filed by hundreds of Nassar survivors as well as the USOC’s Section 8 complaint aimed at stripping USA Gymnastics of its status as the national governing body.

“Our board has been talking about this bankruptcy strategy for a while now — well before the Section 8 complaint was filed,” said Kathryn Carson, chair of the USA Gymnastics board. “Our primary reason to do this is to expedite those survivor claims.”

But John Manly, an attorney who represents many of the survivors, was skeptical.

“Today’s bankruptcy filing by USA Gymnastics was the inevitable result of the inability of this organization to meet its core responsibility of protecting its athlete members from abuse,” Manly said in a statement.

“The leadership of USA Gymnastics has proven itself to be both morally and financially bankrupt. They have inflicted and continue to inflict unimaginable pain on survivors and their families.”

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