DEUTSCHLAND
Express

[A 49-year-old woman who lives in Switzerland has raised serious allegations against priest Winfried Jansen, 73. She alleges she was sexual abused 40 years ago but the priest has denied it. ]

Von ROBERT BAUMANNS

ERFTSTADT –
Eine Frau (49), die in der Schweiz lebt, erhebt schwere Vorwürfe gegen Pfarrer Winfried Jansen (73). Der Geistliche, der die sechs Gemeinden des Pfarrverbands Ville leitet, soll vor 40 Jahren “sexuell grenzverletzend übergriffig” geworden sein.

Der Pfarrer streitet das ab. Erzbischof Rainer Maria Kardinal Woelki (58) hat ihn dennoch mit sofortiger Wirkung von seinem Priesteramt entpflichtet.

Am Sonntagabend begründete Stephan Weißkopf als Seelsorge-Personalchef die Entscheidung: “Nach den Leitlinien der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz blieb uns keine andere Wahl. Die Vorwürfe des mutmaßlichen Opfers sind plausibel.”

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.

IRELAND
Limerick Leader

by Colm Ward
colm.ward@limerickleader.ie
Published on the 02 February 2015

Limerick priest Fr Alphonsus ‘Phonsie’ Cullinan has been appointed Bishop of Waterford and Lismore.

The popular priest has served in several Limerick parishes since 1995 and has been parish priest in Rathkeale since 2011.

Fr Cullinan’s appointment as bishop was announced this Monday morning in the Vatican. He replaces Bishop William Lee who retired in 2013.

Speaking in Waterford cathedral following the announcement, Fr Cullinan said he was “honoured and humbled and excited to have been nominated as bishop of this Diocese”.

“This is an historic city and Waterford and Lismore is an historic Diocese with a Christian heritage going back to the earliest days of Christianity on this island and I am very proud to be called to do something to continue that wonderful tradition,” he added.

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.

MINNESOTA
Post-Bulletin

Kay Fate, kfate@postbulletin.com

WINONA — Catholic parishes in Dodge and Fillmore counties were hit particularly hard this weekend in the Vision 2016 strategic plan announced by the Diocese of Winona.

Vision 2016, which is billed as “a strategic pastoral plan” for the diocese, has been in development since late 2011. Over the past two years, clergy and lay leaders have developed a plan designed to address changing demographics and the Church’s claim that fewer priests are available to serve the Diocese.

The goal is to finalize the plan by the spring of 2016.

Two Catholic churches in Dodge County — West Concord and Claremont — will no longer hold worship services, according to the proposal. Instead, the church in Dodge Center, St. John Baptist de la Salle, will serve as the hub parish.

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.

IRELAND
Irish Examiner

By Conall Ó Fátharta
Irish Examiner Reporter

Adoption campaigners are concerned that tens of thousands of unmarried women and girls whose children were forcibly or illegally adopted will be excluded from the upcoming mother and baby homes inquiry.

In a briefing note prepared for all TDs and senators in advance of last week’s second Dáil debate on the terms of reference for the inquiry, Adoption Rights Alliance (ARA) expressed concern that the Government was determined to avoid fully examining the scale of forced and illegal adoptions.

The group argued that most illegal adoptions were undocumented and were carried out by individuals and institutions with no connection to mother and baby homes.

It said it feared that the State’s role through the then Adoption Board, State-funded maternity hospitals and all bar a handful of adoption agencies “will either not be uncovered or will be entirely underestimated”.

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.

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

[with video]

February 2, 2015

Jane Lee

Yeshivah Melbourne tried to “cure” serial sex offender David Cyprys and continued to employ him more than 20 years after victims reported he had sexually abused them, a Royal Commission has heard.

The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse began its second hearing in Melbourne on Monday, focusing on the ultra-orthodox Jewish organisation Yeshivah.

The two-week hearing at the County Court will examine Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi’s response to child sexual abuse allegations against their former employees, convicted sex offenders David Cyprys, David Kramer and Daniel Hayman.

Cyprys was found guilty of indecent assault in 1992 and released on a good behaviour bond. In 2013, the County Court found him guilty of five charges of rape, five charges of indecent assault, attempted indecent assault, and two counts of gross indecency. He is still serving his eight-year prison sentence for these crimes.

One of Cyprys’ victims, known as AVA, said he was sexually abused between the ages of 14 and 17, when he took private kung fu lessons from Cyprys.

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.

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

LEADERS of Melbourne’s orthodox Jewish community failed their duty of care by allowing a known child abuser to work with children, the royal commission has heard.

The royal commission investigating institutional responses to child sexual abuse today began its first examination of Jewish institutions, looking at the orthodox Yeshivah centres and schools in Sydney and Melbourne.

The commission will probe whether religious law or cultural attitudes influenced the response of the Chabad leaders and the Yeshiva community towards people who speak out against abuse, have publicly criticised past practices or called for the institutions to be accountable.

A man known by the pseudonym AVA was the first witness, testifying about the abuse he experienced over three years at the hands of David Cyprys, who is currently serving an eight year prison sentence.

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.

AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun

Senior orthodox Jewish rabbi David Groner accused of shunning child sex abuse claims

SHANNON DEERY HERALD SUN FEBRUARY 02, 2015

A LEADING rabbi accused of involvement in a string of child sex crime cover ups within the orthodox Jewish community will escape giving evidence at the royal commission into child sexual abuse.

The commission has started a two-week hearing investigating the way Yeshivah centres in Melbourne and Bondi in Sydney responded to allegations of abuse.

But leading Yeshivah figure Rabbi Boruch Lesches, one of Australia’s most senior Orthodox Jews for more than 25 years, won’t be called to answer allegations he turned a blind eye to abuse.

Despite numerous attempts to contact the New York based rabbi, he has ignored requests to appear at the hearing.

Frustrated officials offered to arrange for Rabbi Lesches to appear via video link but have received no response from him.

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.

AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Melissa Davey
@MelissaLDavey
Monday 2 February 2015

Former students of the Yeshivah centre in Melbourne have told a royal commission how they were groomed for sexual abuse by staff, then bullied and ostracised by religious leaders when they sought help.

Manny Waks told the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse he had received abusive emails and messages from senior members of the orthodox Jewish community since going public about his abuse in 2011.

One came from Rebbetzin Pnina Feldman, an executive of the Sydney Yeshivah centre, he told the commission at Melbourne’s county court on Monday.

“Just because a security guard molested you, don’t blame Yeshivah,” the email read. “Get over it. I haven’t met a person yet with one nice word to say about you. Most people consider you a low life.”

Waks said his abuse began in 1987, when he was 11, by a man identified only as AVP, who now lives in the US.

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.

AUSTRALIA
news.com.au

MANNY Waks is astounded no one from Yeshivah leadership has ever been held to account for the sexual abuse of children under their watch.

HE and another victim of abuse at Melbourne’s Yeshivah College insist at least one Jewish community leader knew abuse was going on but did nothing to stop it.

Mr Waks has told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse the head of Yeshivah Centre, Rabbi Dovid Groner, was aware as early as 1986 of abuse by pedophile David Cyprys.

But the rabbi’s response was that he believed Cyprys had been cured, the commission was told on Monday, as it began hearing from victims of sexual abuse in the Melbourne and Sydney Jewish communities.

Mr Waks said he was only 11 when he was first sexually abused during the Jewish festival of Shavuot by the son of a Yeshivah Centre community leader in Melbourne.

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.

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Sarah Farnsworth

Child abuse victims and their families have been abused and ostracised by people within the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community for breaking the Chabad code of silence, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard.

The role of the Jewish law and the concept of Mesirah, the religious code dictating Jewish people do not report or “hand over” other Jewish people to the authorities, will form part of the inquiry into abuse at the Yeshivah centres in Melbourne and Bondi.

One victim told the inquiry he was groomed by serial child abuser David Cyprys in the 1980s while he was a student at the Yeshivah College.

He told the inquiry the then head of the Yeshivah, Rabbi Dovid Groner, said “I thought we’d fixed him”, when he was told of the abuse.

The victim, known only as AVA, said he had absolutely no doubt people at Yeshivah knew Cyprys had a penchant for young boys.

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.

AUSTRALIA
9 News

The Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse has held hearings into abuse within the Catholic Church, the Salvation Army and other religious groups – but today was the first involving the Jewish community, and in particular the ultra-Orthodox Yeshivah College.

Three convicted child abusers were under the spotlight of the commission including David Kramer, who pleaded guilty to molesting four young boys at the college.

A second pedophile at the same Jewish school, David Cyprys, was convicted of five counts of rape and admitted interfering with nine children.

And in Sydney’s Yeshiva centre, Daniel Hayman was handed a suspended sentence over child sexual abuse.

Manny Waks was a victim of Cyprys, and it started when he was just 11.

“I was taunted and bullied and called gay, because I had been sexually abused by a man,” he said.

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.

MINNESOTA
KSTP

By: Rebecca Omastiak

The Diocese of Winona announced a plan to reorganize its parishes on Sunday.

Although the “Vision 2016” plan isn’t yet finalized, diocese leaders said they hope it will address three issues: a shortage of priests to attend to roughly 114 parishes, changes in participation trends, and demographic shifts of both growth and decline in the diocese.

“Nearly half of our parishes have received recommended organizational change as a result of the draft plan,” Msgr. Richard Colletti, Vicar General and Director of Planning for the Diocese, said in a statement. “These may include variations in how parishes are clustered, the residence of a pastor, or the merging of parishes.”

Part of the plan includes moving 21 smaller parishes toward “oratory status.” This means that as they merge with larger parishes, the smaller churches will no longer offer a Sunday/Vigil mass, but could host weddings, funerals and small prayer groups until congregants can no longer maintain the facility and wish to close it.

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.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA/SOLOMON ISLAND
Radio Australia

Victims of sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy are being encouraged to come forward under a new policy released by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

The policy, which the Catholic Church has been working on since the 1990s, outlines clear steps for investigating wrongdoing within the church and encourages members of the congregation to report sexual abuse.

The Director of Right Relationships in Ministry, Brother Frank Hough, helped formulate the new policy.

He told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program, under the new framework, people wanting to report sexual misconduct could seek advice from a contact person.

“We have what is called a contact person who is the first port of call, so to speak, for a person to make a complaint,” he said.

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.

UNITED STATES
Our Stories Untold

By HILLARY KOBERNICK on Jan 31, 2015

Editor’s note: This is a cross-post from Hillary’s blog, www.gatheringthestones.com, first published on January 30, 2015.

Even though this week a Goshen College student was slapped by Jennifer Lopez, John Howard Yoder is still the biggest Mennonite celebrity we have. While at Pastors Week, I heard stories about how he would takes notes on a lecture in a foreign language, just for practice. Or how he could listen to a lecture and engage in conversation while writing a sermon. Or from students who said, “I didn’t grow up Mennonite, but I’m studying at AMBS because I read John Howard Yoder.”

As the Mennonite Church dives into its first real attempt to name him as a serial abuser with a distorted sexual politic, one question surfaces over and over: “Can we still honor and use his work even though we now know he harassed and assaulted as many as 100 women?”

I heard this question for the bajillionth time this week, talking to a Mennonite student at AMBS. He was one of those who came to the church by way of John Howard Yoder, finding a belief system he could truly resonate with. He mused, “I wonder how we respond to his work.” After some more thought, he said, “Yoder was brilliant. He’s such an articulate thinker and he lays such an important foundation for Mennonites. I think we can still redeem his work and use it to represent our church.”

I asked him if he was, as he seemed to be, a straight white male with no history of sexual abuse. He said he was. Then I got angry, and with less grace than I wished I had. “That is not your question,” I said. “You do not get to decide how we use Yoder’s scholarship. You don’t get to answer anything.

Your job, right now, is to sit down and listen to the women who were abused. Women who are in their 60’s and 70’s now who have spent 40 years keeping their mouths shut. They took the brunt of the pain. They suffered for us, among us, so we could maintain our rosy-eyed ignorance about the man himself. Why don’t you bring this question to them, and let them answer it in their own good time? It might take years, but it’s not your job to answer.”

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.

VATICAN CITY
The Guardian (UK)

Rosie Scammell in Rome
Sunday 1 February 2015

Two cases of child pornography possession were uncovered within the walls of the Vatican last year, along with numerous other crimes in the city state, the Holy See’s prosecutor general has announced.

Following worldwide allegations of sex abuse by priests, Gian Piero Milano, the Holy See’s Promoter of Justice, said the Vatican was now taking action against paedophilia in the heart of the Catholic church.

Unveiling the Vatican’s justice report, Milano stopped short of naming those accused of possessing child pornography. Holy See spokesman Federico Lombardi however identified Josef Wesolowski, a disgraced former ambassador, as one of the people facing charges.

Wesolowski was stripped of his diplomatic immunity last year following accusations that he abused young boys during his time as envoy to the Dominican Republic. The Polish former archbishop is currently awaiting trial at the Vatican, in what will be the first sex abuse trial ever held at the Holy See.

Beyond the child pornography cases, Vatican authorities are battling an array of crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering. Three drug deliveries addressed to the Vatican were intercepted last year, including a packet containing cocaine-filled condoms. The drugs were discovered at Germany’s Leipzig airport and handed to the Vatican in the hope of ensnaring the buyer, but no one came forward to claim the package.

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.

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Daily News

By City News Service
POSTED: 02/01/15

LOS ANGELES >> An advocacy group representing Native Americans said will hold a demonstration in downtown Los Angeles today to protest Pope Francis’s plans to canonize Father Junipero Serra, the 18th-century Spanish priest who is both revered and reviled for founding nine of California’s 21 missions.

The Mexica Movement is an indigenous rights educational organization that says it represents native peoples on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We attempted to meet with Archbishop (Jose) Gomez over the proposed canonization of Junipero Serra. He refused to meet with us or to return our phone call,” the group said in a statement. “He does not care about the truth of the crimes and immorality of this white supremacist priest.”

Gomez, who, as Archbishop of Los Angeles heads the nation’s biggest Roman Catholic archdiocese, has hailed the pope’s decision to confer sainthood on Serra, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988. Gomez called Serra one of his “spiritual heroes” and said the pope’s decision to canonize him is a “gift to California and the Americas.”

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.

PHILIPPINES
Gulf Today

By Manolo B. Jara
February 02, 2015

MANILA: The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday lashed back at a cabinet official who said she did not regret bringing poor families and street children to a posh resort in Batangas province in Southern Luzon where the maximum room rate was $500 a night during the visit of Pope Francis to the country.

The Reverend Jerome Secillano, the executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, said the poor should be taught livelihood projects to help improve their lives instead of treating them to a “taste of luxury.”

“Can’t the government show enough sincerity by giving them permanent dwelling places and livelihood projects?” Secillano asked in an article posted on the CBCP website.

Secillano added: “They are not even supposed to be trained to live like they have because, in truth, what they need to know is simply how to live.”

The strongly-worded Secillano statement indicated that the controversy over the alleged government attempt to hide the face of poverty from the Pope refused to die less than two weeks after he brought his message of “mercy and compassion” during his visit to the Philippines Jan.15 to 19.

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.

AUSTRALIA
Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

The child sex abuse royal commission is turning the spotlight on Jewish institutions in Sydney and Melbourne.

A public hearing by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse into Yeshivah Bondi and Yeshivah Melbourne opens today in Melbourne.

It is the first time Jewish institutions have been examined by the commission, which will look at the responses of the two centres to allegations of sex abuse against staff members.

The Yeshivah Centre and the Yeshivah College in Melbourne will be asked how they handled complaints against David Cyprys, David Kramer and Aaron Kestecher.

The commission will also look at how the centre and college in Bondi dealt with allegations of sexual abuse against Daniel Hayman, a former Yeshivah director.

Hayman, 50, pleaded guilty last June to the aggravated indecent assault of a then 14-year-old boy at a Jewish camp south of Sydney in the 1980s.

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.

UNITED KINGDOM
The Mail on Sunday

Yet another blow for child abuse inquiry after it’s revealed that the Home Office coached ‘independent’ experts about how to answer ‘difficult questions’

By Martin Beckford and Simon Murphy for The Mail on Sunday

The troubled inquiry into historic child abuse is facing fresh criticism after it emerged that panel members were told what to say to MPs by a long-serving Home Office official.

Experts and abuse survivors were given a 23-page document advising them how to answer ‘difficult questions’ when they appeared before a high-profile committee, prompting fears that the huge Government-ordered investigation is not independent.

It can also be revealed that the woman in charge of administration for the inquiry was seconded from the Home Office, where she has worked for 36 years – even though the department is at the centre of many of the allegations of cover-ups and VIP paedophile rings.

Last night critics said it was yet another blow to the reputation of the inquiry, which has barely begun work more than six months after it was announced.

Baroness Butler-Sloss and Fiona Woolf both had to quit as chairman over conflicts of interest, with the replacement due to be announced this week.

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.

AUSTRALIA
Jewish Business News

A Royal Commission in Melbourne will investigate sexual abuse charges in the Jewish community that have been the focus of a conspiracy of silence for many years, as reported by AU News. The alleged abuse took place at the Yeshivah Center, where Manny Waks says he was a victim of David Cyprus. The family moved to press charges years ago, Cyprus ended up in prison, but the result was that Waks’ parents were put in cherem, or became official pariahs in the community, emigrated to Israel and still have been unable to sell their home. Manny Waks grew up in an Orthodox family with 16 siblings, and his family have paid a high price for their support of his pressing charges for the abuse he suffered. Waks told AUNews, “Those who were involved in facilitating the abuse, cover up, intimidation, they’ve gotten away scot free until now.”

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.

UNITED STATES
Publishers Weekly

God’s Bankers: A History of Money & Power at the Vatican by Gerald Posner (S&S) – Posner uses his superlative investigative skills to craft a fascinating and comprehensive look at the dark side of the Catholic Church, documenting “how money, and accumulating and fighting over it, has been a dominant theme in the history of the Catholic Church and its divine mission.” He opens with the various spiritually creative methods the Church has used to make ends meet, such as the sale of indulgences and Pope Urban II’s offer of full absolution to those who volunteered to fight in the Crusades. The bulk of the book focuses on the mid-20th century and includes the Papacy’s accommodations to the Nazis. While this is familiar terrain, Posner convincingly buttresses his unusual position that money swayed Pope Pius XII “to remain silent in the face of overwhelming evidence of mass murder.” And the author’s access to previously undisclosed documents enables him to flesh out the Vatican Bank scandal, which reached its nadir with the mysterious hanging—from London’s Blackfriars Bridge—of Italian banker and convicted fraudster Roberto Calvi. Accessible and well written, Posner’s is the definitive history of the topic to date.

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.

CALIFORNIA
Orange County Register

BY TERI SFORZA / Staff Columnist

It was one thing when the faithful at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church raised $8 million to build a new parish center, then heard little more about the project.

But when they learned that the Diocese of Orange planned a $3 million renovation of their beloved church sanctuary – perched on a Dana Point precipice and designed to showcase spectacular ocean views – dozens balked, saying it seemed like a colossal waste of money. They sent a letter to church leadership, trying to stop the renovations and demanded a detailed accounting of money raised and spent.

They didn’t get far. And so last week, with a heavy heart, one longtime parishioner filed a lawsuit against the church and its administator, the Rev. Brandon Manson, along with Bishop Kevin Vann and the Diocese of Orange, claiming breach of trust.

“I have struggled greatly over filing this action,” said Bill Robinson, a parishioner for 39 years, who is a lawyer. “In the end, I have to follow my conscience. We saw what happened in the child abuse scandal in the early 2000s. The shame brought upon the Church was not because of a handful of bad priests, but because of the arrogance of the bishops who considered themselves above the law and not accountable to their congregants.”

It’s a potentially ground-breaking case that’s a microcosm of a larger issue the Watchdog has been talking about lately: Churches and their tax exempt status in America.

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.

UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism

Jerry Slevin

Pope Francis is entering the most critical period of his papacy. He meets soon with all of his Cardinals and his “go slow” abuse commission under Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley holds its first full meeting shortly. And in a matter of a mere several months, the pope holds his Final Synod (without any women as full participants, incidentally), as he then moves into his 80th year, on one lung no less.

Francis is surely a remarkable person . Yet by now he must know what the ex-Pope’s sudden quitting really signified. Popes now cannot save both the Catholic Church and the Vatican for the reasons discussed below. Francis’ Christmas attack on Vatican officials perhaps confirmed this. Francis appears, however, to have chosen mainly to protect the Catholic hierarchy, a losing proposition, and likely has as a result set the stage for an accelerated division into various Church factions.

Pope Francis is quite old and yet is working non-stop. He appears, unfortunately, to be surrounded by some men who seem to be oblivious to the Vatican’s precarious position. Francis faces at least three major scandals involving priest child abuse, sexually repressive teachings and officials’ financial corruption, while his hierarchy debate arcane matters like “graduality” and most of the media still focus on counting papal “tweets” and other irrelevancies.

The scandal that has changed everything for the previously “untouchable” Vatican is the child abuse scandal. The pope clearly has not done nearly enough here. And his efforts to change the sexually repressive teachings are facing strong resistance from conservative Cardinals as discussed below. He is almost out of time. While the pope has made a start, in Rome at least, on curtailing his hierarchy’s financial corruption, he still has a long way to go.

Pope Francis’ response to date on the most sensational scandal, the abuse cover up, seems to be mostly more of the same half measures used by his failed predecessors. Bishops are still not required under Church rules generally to report child abuse claims to the police, for example, and accused clerics are investigated secretively by other clerics mainly. Francis has not acted to improve priest selection by expanding the selection pool to include married men and women, and he has not acted on predatory priest management oversight by making bishops accountable.

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.

MASSACHUSETTS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Sunday, Feb. 1

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com , davidgclohessy@gmail.com )

We are deeply saddened by the Revere Catholics who feel Boston church officials have erred in letting three staffers resign because they refused to call 911 when they suspected child sex crimes. They are wrong to minimize the harm such refusals cause.

[Revere Journal]

Refusing or delaying calls to law enforcement gives criminals and potential criminals more time to destroy evidence, intimidate victims, threaten whistleblowers, discredit witnesses, fabricate alibis and even flee the country. Such refusals and delays often enable more kids to be hurt.

So they must be harshly punished. Sadly, that’s not what happened here. Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley took the easy way out.

O’Malley must do more than let a priest, principal and teacher resign. He must defrock the cleric and fire the other two.

Nothing will more effectively deter future recklessness and secrecy in child sex cases than to publicly and permanently remove all three of these wrongdoers from any future work with the church in any capacity. The preferences of adult parishioners pale beside the safety needs of children.

If there’s an archdiocese on the planet where refusing to promptly call police about child sex allegations should be most harshly punished, it’s Boston.

Police say the staffer who used the bathroom did nothing criminal. But it just as easily could have turned out very differently.

Child predators are often sick and compulsive individuals who have little control over their actions. Their crimes often can’t be deterred. Supervisors and colleagues, however, have no excuse whatsoever. They merely need to overcome their cowardice and call 911. Catholic staffers will do this if they see that those who refuse lose their careers.

We beg these parishioners to reconsider their views. And we beg O’Malley to act more decisively and harshly toward these offenders and more responsibly toward his flock.

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.

MASSACHUSETTS
South Coast Today

By Peggy Aulisio/Editor
Posted Feb. 1, 2015 @ 8:54 am

FAIRHAVEN — Prominent Boston Attorney Mitchell Garabedian has charged Catholic church officials with not properly supervising the late Father James R. Nickel, who the lawsuit claims sexually abused young boys during his time in local churches.

In one lawsuit, the alleged abuse took place while Father Nickel supervised and counseled young boys at St. Mary’s Parish in Fairhaven. The plaintiff in this case is anonymous, but is said to live in Fairhaven. In the other lawsuit, the charges come from Brian Blackmore of Orlando, Fla.; the abuse allegedly occurred when Father Nickel was at Holy Trinity Parish in West Harwich.

Among those named in the suit are Fathers William Heffron and Gabriel Healy who live on Adams Street in Fairhaven and Bishop Daniel Cronin. Cronin lives in Connecticut, but was bishop in Fall River during the time the alleged sexual abuse occurred. They are accused of not properly supervising Nickel.

The sexual abuse is spelled out explicitly in both Superior Court complaints, which call for a jury trial. Others with supervisory authority are simply noted as unnamed defendants.

Garabedian told The Advocate on Jan. 23 the church did settle a previous suit in 2012 involving Father Nickel with a payment in the “low six figures.”

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.

VATICAN CITY
Wall Street Journal

Associated Press
Updated Feb. 1, 2015

VATICAN CITY—The Vatican investigated two cases of child pornography possession in the past year, officials said Saturday.

The chief prosecutor of the Vatican City state’s criminal tribunal, Gian Piero Milano, cited the two cases in a speech summarizing the tribunal’s work in 2014.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said one of the cases concerned the Vatican’s former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski.

The Polish-born Mr. Wesolowski was recalled from his post in 2013 following accusations that he had sexually abused young boys. Mr. Wesolowski has been defrocked and placed under modified house arrest inside Vatican City pending a decision by the Vatican court on whether to indict him.

Neither Rev. Lombardi nor Mr. Milano identified the second child pornography possession suspect.

In his speech, Mr. Milano referred to a separate case involving another Polish prelate who was convicted by the Vatican tribunal of fraud. Rev. Lombardi confirmed that the prelate was Msgr. Bronislaw Morawiec, an administrator at St. Mary Major Basilica, a Rome church where Pope Francis sometimes prays.

A Vatican spokesman said Mr. Wesolowski had no comment, and declined to provide a contact for Msgr. Morawiec or his lawyer. Mr. Wesolowski couldn’t be reached directly. The spokesman confirmed Msgr. Morawiec has appealed the fraud conviction and is awaiting a ruling.

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.

UNITED KINGDOM
Birmingham Mail

1 February 2015
By Mike Lockley

Child abuse victim continues campaign to get Brownhills “Father Jim” kicked out of priesthood

A jailed priest who preyed on young boys has NOT been defrocked by the Roman Catholic church – despite pleas directly to the Pope.

The news will sicken victims of Father James Robinson, currently serving a 21-year sentence for vile crimes dubbed “unimaginably wicked” by a Birmingham Crown Court judge.

One man, a victim of fellow twisted cleric Eric Taylor, has spent two years lobbying the Vatican, Birmingham Archdiocese and the Archbishop of Westminster in a bid to get Robinson “laicised” – kicked out of the priesthood.

He has also called on Pope Francis to bestow the ultimate punishment on the predatory priest – excommunication.

Taylor died in prison after being jailed for abusing boys at Coleshill’s Father Hudson Society home, but former boxer Robinson, now 76, is still alive and well, although behind bars.

He was collared in the American sunshine state of California six years ago and extradited to face the music for his monstrous crimes.

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.

AUSTRALIA
SBS

Public hearings into abuse at Melbourne’s Yeshivah College and Yeshivah Centre will begin on Monday as part of the Royal Commission into Child Abuse.

Source: AAP
31 JAN 2015

A public hearing into abuse in Melbourne’s Jewish community will bring vindication but mixed emotions when it begins, one witness says.

Manny Waks had hoped there would be no need for details to be played out in public hearings, which begin on Monday, but now concedes it’s likely the only way to bring about the changes needed.

Mr Waks will appear as a witness at this week’s hearing into abuse at Melbourne’s Yeshivah College and the Yeshivah Centre as part of the Royal Commission into Child Abuse.

“I think there’s an element of justice automatically by the very fact there is a public hearing taking place,” Mr Waks told AAP.

“I certainly feel vindicated. But it’s with mixed emotions.”

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.

NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

Kincora: the name is a byword for the most notorious child sex scandal in Northern Ireland history. Whistleblower Colin Wallace has vowed to reveal all to the Historical and Institutional Abuse Inquiry. But is the former Army officer a Deep Throat or a Walter Mitty? Liam Clarke reports

31 JANUARY 2015

You know, if my parents were told all this was going on, they would never have believed it, Colin Wallace told me. What the 71-year-old former Ballymena Academy pupil is referring to is a half-world, lurking just below the surface of official Ulster life, with its rules and its proprieties.

This was a place where an intelligence agency might turn a blind eye to child abuse to get information from the perpetrators, where the government might launch black propaganda assaults against politicians and would plot the downfall of Ian Paisley as readily as Gerry Adams.

Wallace himself wouldn’t have believed it initially, but he has spent the past 40 years trying to lift the lid on the intelligence scandals which he says swept through Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. He has also spent it trying to clear his name after being wrongfully dismissed from his job in the Ministry of Defence and then wrongfully convicted of manslaughter.

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.

UNITED KINGDOM
Mirror

31 January 2015 By Nigel Nelson

The Home Secretary has finally been shamed into belatedly beginning her inquiry following a Sunday People campaign

Theresa May has finally been shamed into launching her long-awaited historical child sex abuse inquiry this week.

The Home Secretary’s decision to get cracking at last is a victory for the Sunday People .

Our May-o-meter now stands at 210 days without progress since she announced the probe.

And Mrs May was also hammered by last Sunday’s appeal by abuse survivor “Becky” – by yesterday her ­­change.org petition had received nearly 29,000 s­ignatures from people urging the Home Secretary to get a move on.

Becky demanded: “Start the inquiry you promised to abuse ­survivors without further delay.”

Campaigners fear those involved in an alleged paedophile ring cover-up might take their secrets to their graves before they can ever give evidence.

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.

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By court reporter Peta Carlyon
Sun 1 Feb 2015

The response of the Australian Jewish community to child sexual abuse will come under the spotlight as a royal commission reconvenes in Melbourne on Monday.

Several paedophiles who taught at the Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne have been prosecuted, but critics say the Orthodox community has covered up persistent abuse for decades.

The organisation’s Sydney chapter, in the eastern suburb of Bondi, will also be examined by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Abuse victim Manny Waks dreamt of a royal commission years ago.

He was abused as a child at the Yeshivah College by David Cyprus, who is now in prison, and famously blew the whistle on child abuse within the Yeshivah organisation.

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.

MEXICO
Pulso

[The Catholic church said it knows of only five cases of suspect pedophilia but the attorney general said there are six arrest warrants.]

Rubén Pacheco / Pulso

La Arquidiócesis de San Luis Potosí aseguró desconocer la existencia de un sexto caso de pederastia en la iglesia local, luego del anuncio hecho por la Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado (PGJE), quien reportó tener giradas seis órdenes de aprehensión en contra de sacerdotes potosinos.

Cabe informar que el año pasado se suscitó la detención de dos curas, lo cual supondría que sólo están pendientes cuatro órdenes giradas para la captura de los sacerdotes denunciados.

En entrevista, el vocero de la Arquidiócesis potosina, Juan Jesús Priego Rivera señaló que si bien la PGJE anunció una sexta orden de aprehensión, la iglesia católica desconoce a qué cura se hace referencia, y consideró que probablemente las personas afectadas acudieron a la autoridad judicial. Sólo tiene información de cinco casos, añadió.

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.

MEXICO
SDP Noticias

[The San Luis Potosi attorney general has reported that sex priests accused of pedophilia are fugitives from justice. They included the prelate Eduardo Cordova Bautista, who is accused of sexual abuse of 19 children. Miguel Angel Garcia Covarrubia said there are six arrest warrants drawn by judges.]

La Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado (PGJE) emitió una ficha de localización a la Interpol y a otras procuradurías de justicia del país, para dar con el paradero de los presuntos delincuentes.

México.- La Fiscalía de San Luis Potosí informó que seis sacerdotes acusados de pederastia se encuentran prófugos de la justicia, entre los cuales destaca el caso del prelado Eduardo Córdova Bautista, quien es acusado de abuso sexual contra 19 menores de edad.

El titular de la dependencia, Miguel Ángel García Covarrubias, detalló que existen seis órdenes de aprehensión giradas por jueces penales, en contra de igual número de clérigos acusados de abuso sexual.

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.

UNITED STATES
Providence Journal

BY DONALD D. BREED
Special to The Journal

“GOD’S BANKERS: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican,” by Gerald Posner. Simon & Schuster. 728 pages. $30.

“Money is useful to carry out many things,” Pope Francis has said, “but when your heart is attached to it, it destroys you.” As the pope well knows, attachment to money has wreaked much destruction in his own Catholic Church. This is related in a stunning exposé by investigative reporter Gerald Posner.

As exciting as a mystery thriller, “God’s Bankers” starts with an unsolved murder in London and races from one financial scandal to another, explaining how monetary considerations led several popes to disgraceful moral transgressions. It’s long, but the history is so long and intricate that a reader will agree that none of it could be left out. And there’s more than one murder.

The church’s zeal in raising money goes back centuries, whether to finance the lavish lifestyles of some popes or to finance the Crusades. One of the schemes was selling indulgences, which riled Martin Luther and led to the Protestant Reformation.

In the 19th century, the unification of Italy caused the church to lose the Papal States and the income they had raised. But in 1929, after much negotiation, Pius XI concluded the Lateran Pacts with the Fascist government under Benito Mussolini, an avowed atheist. The cynical agreement defined the 108.7 acres in Rome as a sovereign state, and gave the Vatican a big chunk of cash as compensation for Papal States. In return, the pope endorsed the Fascist government.

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.

PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Inquirer

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, INQUIRER COLUMNIST
POSTED: Sunday, February 1, 2015

Pope John Paul II had Doylestown on his mind when, just two months into his papacy, he summoned the head of the Vatican Bank to the Apostolic Palace for a private chat. The pope had decided to bail out the Pauline Fathers, the religious order that ran Our Lady of Czestochowa, the shrine in Bucks County, and that was then enmeshed in a financial scandal.

That nugget is buried in a new, more-than-700-page book called God’s Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican, the result of a nine-year investigation by Gerald Posner, perhaps best known for having written Case Closed, about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Gannett News Service reported the financial improprieties from Czestochowa on the front pages of many of the chain’s 80 newspapers one month before John Paul’s Oct. 16, 1978, election, coverage that would both win a Pulitzer Prize and draw an unsuccessful lawsuit from the Pauline Fathers. Gannett reported: “Vatican documents show that in less than a decade, the order squandered a substantial portion of $20 million in charitable donations, loans, investments, and bond proceeds through mismanagement, dubious business practices, and what Vatican investigators described as ‘chaotic’ and ‘immoral’ lifestyles.”

Among the highlights: $250,000 in donations was received for Masses that were never offered; more than $400,000 solicited for memorials was spent without plaques having been erected; and automobiles and gasoline credit cards were given to the monks despite their vows of poverty. It was reportedly left to Cardinal John Krol, head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, to clean up the mess by raising millions to resolve outstanding debt.

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.

UNITED STATES
NPR

NPR’s Rachel Martin speaks with John Boyne about his novel, A History of Loneliness, which addresses the difficult subject of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests.

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.

SPAIN
The Asian Age

Feb 01, 2015 | AFP | MADRID

Spain’s Catholic church, which has long been accused of silencing cases of priests sexually abusing children, is starting to take a hard line against offenders, spurred by Pope Francis.

A judge in the southern city of Granada on Tuesday charged 10 priests and two Catholic lay workers with sexually abusing altar boys in their care, or being complicit in such acts, from 2004 to 2007.

It is the biggest and most serious paedophilia case involving members of the Catholic Church known so far in Spain.

The case was brought to light by a former altar boy, now 25 and a member of the Catholic institution, Opus Dei, who wrote to the pontiff to say he had been molested.

Pope Francis called the unidentified man to offer the Church’s apology and in November the pontiff said he had ordered a church investigation into the case, saying it had caused him “great pain”.

The young man who wrote to the pope “ever imagined the issue would take on the significance that it did”, his lawyer, Jorge Aguilera Gonzalez, said. “If it wasn’t for the pope’s intervention, it would still have been an important issue, but just one of many.”

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.

UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism

Jerry Slevin

Pope Francis is about to meet with all his Cardinals. He needs to change his basic losing strategy before he meets with them. The pope has admitted that he has made many mistakes. The pope, unfortunately, continues to make them with his flawed strategy, including mistakes (1) on his self policing of clerical sex abusers, as indicated here,

[ABC News],

(2) on disregarding Catholic women, as indicated here,

[ABC News],

and here,

[New York Review of Books],

and here

[National Catholic Reporter],

and (3) on aligning through his US bishops with the “low tax” billionaire Koch Brothers, as indicated here

[Religion News Service].

The Vatican continues to err in handling sexual abuse by priests. Pope Francis would do well to read the wise advice of Dr. Rosemary McHugh. a priest abuse survivor and an expert on women’s reproductive health. Please see her remarkable story entitled “Ireland: A Priest Predator & A Young US Doctor & An Archbishop” here.

Oddly, the usually meticulously careful AP Rome earlier today (1/31/15) reported that the pope’s regular (and overworked) Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, indicated that two Polish-born prelates were being investigated by Holy See authorities for alleged possession of child pornography.

AP earlier had reported that Lombardi on Saturday identified one of them as Monsignor Bronislaw Morawiec, an administrator at St. Mary Major Basilica, which was Boston’s disgraced former Cardinal Bernard Law’s former Rome base and is a church where Pope Francis sometimes prays. Presumably, Morawiec had been investigated by then top Vatican prosecutor, Fr, Robert Oliver, Cardinal Law’s former canon lawyer. Cardinal Law’s former key legal aide, Oliver, is now the top staffer at the pope’s new “go slow” abuse commission that, after almost two years, will have its first full meeting soon.

AP’s original report indicated that the spokesman said Morawiec has already been convicted of fraud by the tiny city-state’s justice system. AP later withdrew the original story linked above, saying in a subsequent report, that Morawiec was not under investigation for child pornography possession, while still indicating that Morawiec has been convicted of fraud by a Vatican tribunal. Got that! He has been shown apparently to be a crook, but not a pervert, thank God.

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.

MARYLAND
Episcopal News Service

By Mary Frances Schjonberg | January 30, 2015 2

[Episcopal News Service] The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland wants Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook to resign her position in the diocese in the wake of her involvement in a fatal car accident.

“The Standing Committee has concluded that Bishop Heather Cook can no longer function effectively in her position as Bishop Suffragan. Therefore, we respectfully call for her resignation from her service to the Diocese,” the committee said in a Jan. 28 statement.

Diocese of Maryland Bishop Suffragan Heather Cook, who remains on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into her involvement in a fatal accident, has been as by the diocesan standing committee to resign. Photo: Diocese of Maryland

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.

MINNESOTA
Canonical Consultation

01/31/2015

Jennifer Haselberger

One of the less reported on aspects of the many appearances by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in US Bankruptcy Court is the Archdiocese’s requests to keep information under seal (meaning filed with the Court but protected from becoming part of the public record). This week, one such request related to information regarding settlements paid to victims of sexual abuse by clergy. The Archdiocese sought ‘wide discretion’ in withholding information about settlements, including financial details, but that motion was challenged by the Star Tribune, which argued that ‘a policy of openness promotes actual fairness and the appearance of fairness, and enables the press to perform its watchdog function’. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kessel seemed to agree, ruling that the Archdiocese’s request was ‘too vague’. All parties were in agreement that the names and identifying information of victims would remain confidential.

Of course, this is not the first time that the Archdiocese has sought to protect its information from disclosure, especially information that could be perceived as detrimental to the Archdiocese or its leadership. I am sure that you recall the (unsuccessful) motions filed in court last year to try and block the releases of the names of accused clergy and also the deposition of Archbishop Nienstedt. These arguments generally repeated the Archdiocesan mantra that such actions would cause ‘irreparable harm to the Archdiocese and its clergy’. For instance, the Archdiocese challenged an earlier court decision requiring it to disclose the names of all clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors after 2004, arguing that it was obligated to ‘vigorously defend the rights of clergy members who have been the subject of false, frivolous or malicious claims against them’. We now know that this attempt included files such as that of Father William Stolzman.

It may have been this connection between the Archdiocese’s expensive and exhaustive attempts to protect ‘its’ information (based on arguments that to do otherwise violated ‘the Archdiocese’s constitutional due process, equal protection and free exercise rights of the United States Constitution’), and Father Stolzman that called to my mind the contrast between the Archdiocese’s aggressive legal protection of clergy and settlement records and its laissez faire attitude towards the records of the lay faithful, and in particular the sacramental records of Catholics in this Archdiocese.

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.

VATICAN CITY
The New York Times

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JAN. 31, 2015, 1:33 P.M. E.S.T.

VATICAN CITY — The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about two Polish-born prelates being investigated by Holy See authorities for alleged possession of child pornography. The AP reported incorrectly that one of the prelates named in the story, Monsignor Bronislaw Morawiec, was under investigation for child pornography possession.

Morawiec is not under investigation for child pornography possession. Morawiec was convicted of fraud by a Vatican tribunal.

The AP

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 YORK
Catholic Whistle Blowers

The Catholic Whistle Blowers, a group that has formed to support victims of clergy sexual abuse, will present the NYC premiere of its movie, “A Matter of Conscience,” at Cardozo Law School, 55 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, Manhattan, this Thursday, February 5, 2015 at 6:00 PM (first floor auditorium).

Attorney and Cardozo Law Professor Marci Hamilton will host the event (she also appears in the movie), and following the showing of the film, the Boston College-based producers, Professors Susan and John Michalczyk, and a few members of the Catholic Whistle Blowers who “star” in the movie will answer your questions about the film.

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to defray the cost of the film. Please tell your friends and neighbors. The Catholic Whistle Blowers are:

Rev. John Bambrick, Jackson, NJ
Sr. Sally Butler, OP, Brooklyn, NY
Rev. Patrick W. Collins, Douglas, MI and Peoria, IL
Rev. James Connell, Milwaukee, WI
Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, OP, Vienna, VA
Robert M. Hoatson – West Orange, NJ
Rev. Ronald Lemmert – Peekskill, NY
Rev. Kenneth E. Lasch – Pompton Plains, NJ
Helen Rainforth – Diocese of Peoria, IL and Lincoln, IL
Sr. Claire Smith, OSU – Bronx and New Rochelle, NY
Sr. Maureen Paul Turlish, SNDdeN – New Castle, DE and Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Bruce Teague – Diocese of Springfield, MA
Patrick Wall – Stillwater, MN

(not all persons listed above are featured in the movie)

Also appearing in the film: Attorney Mitchell Garabedian of Boston, MA and Anne Barrett Doyle of Bishopaccountability.org

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.

VATICAN CITY
Vatican Radio

[with audio]

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican Tribunal opened its 86th session on Saturday morning. At the Mass to mark the occasion, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the application of the law must be both rigorous and compassionate. But its application must also be free of vengeance and of popular notions of justice, he told the judges and members of the Vatican Tribunal. …

Following the Mass, the Tribunal’s Promoter for Justice, Gian Piero Milano, gave his opening address for the new judicial year. He spoke of the disturbing increase in the case law of financial crime and corruption. This is “a veritable plague,” which affects an inviolable right of the individual to his human dignity, he said.

He spoke of the process of reform launched by Benedict XVI and intensified by Pope Francis citing, for example, the establishment of the Council and of the Secretariat for the Economy. He also referred to the Motu Proprio of July 2013, which punishes certain crimes committed against the security, fundamental interests or assets of the Holy See and creates significant changes for the Vatican Tribunals.

Regarding crimes against minors, the promoter said there are ongoing investigation measures being put in place, including an initiative related to crimes against children committed abroad by a public official of the Holy See, including those with diplomatic duties and archbishops. This initiative is assumed to activate tools of international judicial cooperation, he said.

Regarding the prevention and fight against money laundering, the promoter noted that a Motu Proprio in August two years ago introduced “strict requirements” on cross-border transportation of cash. As a result, he said, checks were performed on more than 4,000 people and 7,000 vehicles entering and leaving the Vatican in the past year.

With the globalization of crime, the Promoter said the Vatican Tribunal has experienced an increase in international cooperation, with 10 requests for legal assistance from foreign countries, of which eight were from Italy.

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.

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Jan. 31, 2015

ROME Pope Francis has ratified the elections of prelates from bishops’ conferences around the world to participate in October’s global meeting of Catholic bishops, confirming selections of 48 prelates from six continents.

Among the number are four U.S. prelates: Louisville, Ky., Archbishop Joseph Kurtz; Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput; Galveston-Houston Cardinal Daniel DiNardo; and Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez.

The papal confirmations, announced in the Vatican’s daily press bulletin Saturday, mean the prelates will be able to participate and vote in the discussions of next October’s meeting, known as a Synod of Bishops.

The Synod, which is focused on issues of family life and has attracted hopes that the church might alter some of its pastoral practices in that area, is the second of two called by Francis for 2014 and 2015.

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.

TEXAS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Saturday, Jan. 31

Statement by Amy Smith, SNAP Dallas Director (281-748-4050, watchkeepamy@gmail.com )

David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com , davidgclohessy@gmail.com )

A woman who says she was sexually abused as a child by a Texas priest has settled her child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit. We applaud her and her family for their courage and beg Texas Catholic officials – especially Ft. Worth Bishop Michael Olson – to “come clean” about child molesting clerics.

[Star-Telegram]

A lawsuit charged that Father Bede Mitchel repeatedly sexually assaulted her when she was eight years old. He was a Benedictine priest working in the Ft. Worth diocese where these crimes took place. Fr. Mitchell also worked in seven Arkansas parishes.

Other proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesting clerics who spent time in the Ft. Worth diocese include Fr. James Bernard Hanlon, Fr. Henry Herrera, Fr. William Reece Hoover, Fr. John Howlett, Fr. William Paiz, Fr. Gilbert Albert Pansza, Fr. Tony Pistone, Fr. James Joseph Reilly, Fr. Rudolf John Renteria, Fr. Gerard M. Scholl, Fr. Hugh John Sutton, Fr. Joseph (Ngoc Nguyen) Tu, and Fr. Francis A. Zimmerer.

Ft. Worth Catholic officials should end their secrecy surrounding clergy sex abuse. They should explain why they kept this lawsuit a secret for months, despite repeated pledges to be “open and transparent” about child sex cases by clerics.

The should also “come clean” and disclose the names, photos, whereabouts and work histories of every single child molesting cleric who lives or works – or lived or worked – in the state, whether alive or deceased, diocesan or religious order, whether priests, nun or seminarian, and whether they are proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesters.

Again, we praise the courage of this victim and her loved ones. We hope her bravery will encourage others who are suffering in shame, secrecy and self-blame to step forward.

When abuse victims stay silent, nothing changes. When we find the strength to speak, at least there’s a chance one child will be spare the horror that we’ve endured.

(The victim is represented by attorney Tahira Khan Merritt, 214-537-3789).

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.

VATICAN CITY
Reuters

BY PHILIP PULLELLA
VATICAN CITY Sat Jan 31, 2015

(Reuters) – The Vatican, which is still struggling with the effects of a worldwide pedophilia scandal in the Catholic Church, discovered two cases of possession of child pornography within its own walls last year, its chief prosecutor said on Saturday.

Gian Piero Milano, whose official title is Promoter of Justice, reported the cases in a 50-page report read to Vatican officials at a ceremony marking the start of the city-state’s judicial year.

The Catholic Church has been hit by scandal involving the sexual abuse of children by priests around the world in the past 15 years. Pope Francis has vowed zero tolerance for offenders but victims of abuse want him to do more and make bishops who allegedly covered up the abuse accountable.

In his report, Milano said Vatican police had investigated “two delicate cases, of varying degrees of seriousness, of possession of child pornography material” by people living or working inside the city-state, which is the headquarters of the 1.2 billion member Church.

The prosecutor gave no details but a Vatican spokesman said one of them involved Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop who was arrested last September in the Vatican on charges of having paid for sex with children while he was a papal ambassador in the Dominican Republic.

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.

VATICAN CITY
ABC News

VATICAN CITY — Jan 31, 2015

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

A new Vatican outreach initiative to listen to women hit a sour note before it even got off the ground: The sexy blonde on its Internet promo video came under such ridicule that it was quickly taken down.

But the program is going ahead, and an inaugural meeting this week will study women’s issues in ways that are utterly new for the Holy See.

No, there is no talk of ordaining women priests.

But the working paper for the Pontifical Council of Culture’s plenary assembly on “Women’s Cultures: Equality and Difference” speaks about opening the church’s doors to women so they can offer their skills “in full collaboration and integration” with men.

It denounces plastic surgery as a form of “aggression” against the female body “like a burqa made of flesh.” And it acknowledges that the church has for centuries offered women “ideological and ancestral left-overs.”

This is dangerous territory for the all-male Catholic Church hierarchy, as even Pope Francis has faced criticism for being a bit tone deaf as far as women are concerned.

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.

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

Some Tasmanian schools, churches and charities will be required to pay $72 million to victims of sexual abuse under a proposed compensation scheme.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has released a consultation paper on redress and civil litigation.

The commission estimates non-government institutions in Tasmania will be liable for up to $72 million to pay for counselling and psychological care, as well as direct payments to victims.

It said any future payments would be assessed in context of what has happened previously.

The Tasmanian Government has already paid almost $55 million to victims of abuse while in state care.

The report said the “Tasmanian Government scheme made 1,848 payments, with a minimum payment of $5,000, a maximum payment of $60,000 and an average payment of $30,000”.

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.

VIRGINIA
NBC 12

By Susan Bahorich

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (WWBT) – A former UVA official and a former Culpeper County dispatcher are under arrest after a joint undercover operation by the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office and the Albemarle County Police Department.

Jonathan Schnyer, 54, and Ray Calvin Lester, 29, have been charged with solicitation of a minor by computer.

Schnyer is a former UVA Associate Director of Institutional Assessments, youth minister and soccer referee. Officials say they served a search warrant on his business in Charlottesville and seized several computers, cell phones and network equipment. Schnyer was interviewed and arrested.

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.

IRELAND
The Corkman

East Cork mothers subjected to vaccine trials in mother and baby homes, McLellan tells Dail

TimRyan, Oireachtas Correspondent SINN Fein Deputy Sandra McLellan told the Dáil she had met several individuals in her East Cork constituency who were subjected to vaccine trials while in mother and baby homes.

The main concern for these individuals is the lack of information around the drugs prescribed. In some cases there have been residual effects. Understandably, this causes huge ongoing distress.

Speaking during a debate on the setting up of the Commission of Investigation into the homes, she said the Minister, James Reilly, has told the Dáil that the Commission of Investigation will have the power to compel the drug companies which conducted vaccine trials on children resident in the homes to come before it. This was to be welcomed.

“The Commission will examine whether regulatory and ethical standards were followed in relation to vaccine trials conducted on children,” she said.

“At least ten mother and baby homes were involved and it is believed the trials took place between 1960 and 1976. Fresh reports suggest that at least 3,000 children in 24 residential institutions and as many as 40,000 children among the general child population were administered experimental vaccines.

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.

IRELAND
Irish Mirror

More than 7,000 babies and children died in Ireland’s mother and baby homes during the last century, new documents reveal.

But the real figure is likely to be much higher as records do not include miscarriages or stillbirths.

In some cases, babies who survived only a few hours were wrongly registered as stillborns to avoid registering the birth and the death.

Now documents shown to the Irish Mirror by Paul Redmond, chairman of the Coalition of Mother And Baby Home Survivors, reveal the true extent of the shocking loss of life.

The figures relate to the nine “official” mother and baby homes with the number of women and girls estimated to have gone through these institutions at between 25,000 and 27,000.

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.

SLOVENIA
STA

Ljubljana, 30 January (STA) – The Maribor Archdiocese, which has been teetering on the verge of bankruptcy for several years, has reached an agreement with banks to refinance EUR 26m in debt, a move that will help it avoid administration, Dnevnik reported Friday.

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.

UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

British police accused of catastrophic blunders after file of 2,000 child abuse suspects was handed to them by Canadian investigators but ignored for TWO YEARS

By CHRIS GREENWOOD FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Police were yesterday accused of a catastrophic series of blunders over their handling of a dossier containing more than 2,000 suspected paedophiles.

Extraordinary details have emerged of how some forces and a top anti-child abuse unit failed to act after being given a ‘customer list’ of perverts who used a child porn website.

Despite being handed the information on a plate by Canadian police who traced the Toronto-based website’s international network of clients, British suspects were left free to continue offending for up to two years and hundreds may now escape justice.

Investigators in Toronto yesterday admitted their surprise at the inaction of UK police – who in some cases refused to even answer calls or return messages.

The true scale of how officers failed to act on the results of the huge Canadian undercover operation can now be laid bare for the first time, including how:

* Authorities failed to act even when suspects worked in positions of trust leaving dozens of men, including medical staff, teachers and public sector workers free to continue offending for months.

* It took almost two years to arrest a CofE vicar found with indecent films.

* More than 50 other countries, including Spain, Mexico and Romania, leapt on the data and made hundreds of arrests.

* Britons were among the top ten most frequent customers, but by the time other countries had held 350 suspects none had been arrested in Britain.

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.

MARYLAND
The Baltimore Sun

By Justin Fenton and Jonathan Pitts
The Baltimore Sun

Standing before an Eastern Shore judge in 2010 after being caught driving drunk, the Rev. Heather Elizabeth Cook and her attorney pleaded for leniency.

Cook was undergoing three different forms of counseling, including Alcoholics Anonymous, her attorney said. And she had voluntarily had an ignition interlock device installed in her car.

“I am regarding this as a major wake-up call in my life, and I’m doing things now that I was not able to do without this motivation,” Cook told District Judge John E. Nunn III, according to an audio transcript obtained by The Baltimore Sun through a public records request.

She received one year of supervised probation — and a warning from the judge.

“There are people who deal with this problem every day,” Nunn told her. “Some people get it right and they never come back before this court, and others just keep coming back, coming back, coming back — like the swallows to Capistrano, you know?”

Four years later, Cook, who became the first female bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, was back in court, charged with manslaughter and other offenses for allegedly driving drunk and sending text messages when she struck and killed bicyclist Thomas Palermo in Baltimore on Dec. 27.

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.

MINNESOTA
KSTP

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is listing its assets and liabilities in detail as part of its latest filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in mid-January, saying it was the best way to fairly compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse while continuing the church’s mission.

In a court filing Friday, the archdiocese lists total assets at more than $45 million, including about $11 million in real property. Liabilities are listed at about $15.9 million.

Pamela Foohey, an associate professor at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, says the figures don’t mean the church has $29 million for victims. She says there are many unknowns. Friday’s court filing is a good starting point, but she says numbers often change as cases progress.

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.

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

Article by: JEAN HOPFENSPERGER and JENNIFER BJORHUS , Star Tribune Updated: January 30, 2015

Local Catholic Church officials created nonprofit foundations, funds to potentially keep them out of creditors’ reach.

For decades, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been shifting money into separate nonprofits that may be beyond the reach of its creditors in bankruptcy court.

There’s the Catholic Community Foundation, created in the 1990s. The Catholic Finance Corporation, created in 2000. The Aim Higher Minnesota Foundation in 2011. The Catholic Services Appeal Foundation in 2013.

The nonprofits were created for various reasons, but they carry the potential benefit of protecting the church’s assets from liability linked to clergy abuse suits. The moves are seen as prudent by some church finance leaders, but by others as maneuvers to transfer money to where victims and their lawyers will have a harder time reaching it.

The archdiocese declined to discuss the moves.

“The archdiocese at no time has taken action to defraud any creditors,” Joe Kueppers, chancellor for civil affairs, said in a written statement.

Priests such as the Rev. Michael Tegeder say litigious times require organizations to protect themselves. “People have donated large sums of money for specific purposes,” he said. “That’s a sacred trust.”

David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, accused the archdiocese of “self-serving financial maneuvers.”

“Can anyone honestly claim that Jesus would have spent time and energy shielding assets?” asked Clohessy.

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.

MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Date: Friday, January 30, 2015

Source: Anne Steffens, Interim Director of Communications

From Archbishop John Nienstedt

As part of the Chapter 11 Reorganization filing on January 16, 2015, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis submitted to the bankruptcy court a schedule of its assets and creditors. This disclosure is part of the process that we hope will facilitate all available resources to be distributed equitably among victims/survivors and allow the archdiocese to continue essential ministry.

The information contained in this report is a reflection of the ongoing work to support the mission of the Catholic Church, and is overseen by our CFO and the Archdiocesan Finance Council, which is made up primarily of lay professionals. The numbers reflect our status on the day of the filing (January 16). We continue to operate in the normal course of business while focusing on being good stewards of the money given to the archdiocese.

Over the course of three days earlier this week, I participated in meetings with hundreds of priests, parish business administrators, parish trustees and Catholic school principals from throughout the archdiocese. We spoke openly and honestly about the Reorganization and its potential effects on the important work of parishes and Catholic schools. It is important to note that parishes and Catholic schools are separately incorporated and are not included in the Reorganization filing.

The additional documents filed with the court today are required as part of the Reorganization process. They are also necessary steps of transparency and accountability and essential in finding some measure of justice for those harmed by clergy sexual abuse. I pray that the Reorganization process continues to move this local Church forward on the journey toward restoring trust and healing for us all.

For more information about the archdiocesan corporation’s Reorganization, including FAQ, visit information.archspm.org.

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.

MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Amy Forliti
Associated Press
POSTED: 01/30/2015

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has assets totaling more than $45 million — including about $11 million in real estate — according to a schedule of assets and liabilities filed Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The filing, required as part of the bankruptcy process, provides the public with the most detailed picture yet of the archdiocese’s financial situation. But experts caution the numbers are a merely a starting point for creditors, and could change.

The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in mid-January, becoming the 12th U.S. diocese to seek reorganization in the face of sex abuse claims. Archdiocese leaders have said bankruptcy is the best way to fairly compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse while allowing the archdiocese to continue the Catholic Church’s mission.

Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a statement that Friday’s disclosures are “necessary steps of transparency and accountability and essential in finding some measure of justice for those harmed by clergy sexual abuse.”

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 YORK
WHAM

By Jane Flasch

It is the first time they have faced the foster care provider who admitted having sexual contact with their five-year-old child. Thursday, the girl’s biological parents left a Livingston County courtroom frustrated that the proceeding to send Alan Fox to prison never happened.

“I was frustrated and disgusted,” said James, who is the girl’s father. 13WHAM News is not using his last name to protect the identity of his child.

The mother of the girl, who is now six years old, was also in court. The family said they were ignored when they first reported suspicions of the abuse which the child described during a visitation last spring.

This court delay adds to their frustration with a legal system that has not kept them informed.

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.

AUSTRALIA
Southern Cross

By FIONA HENDERSON Jan. 31, 2015

A BALLARAT clergy sexual abuse survivor has called for ongoing compensation, rather than a lump sum payment, as part of any proposed redress scheme.

Survivor Andrew Collins said local victims statistically had higher rates of ongoing medical issues linked to their abuse, and not just restricted to mental health problems.

“Their whole standard of life has been compromised. Many of them have been stuck on the pension for years,” Mr Collins said.

He said provision also needed to be made for more private counselling sessions, not just through the already over-burdened public system.

“It’s nearly impossible to get appointments as it is.”

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.

MASSACHUSETTS
Revere Journal

January 30, 2015

By Seth Daniel

Nearly 1,000 parents and parishioners from Immaculate Conception (IC) Church and School have officially lodged a petition of protest with the Archdiocese of Boston and Cardinal Sean O’Malley – calling for an immediate meeting with the Cardinal to discuss what they believe to be a complete overreaction in the handling of the inquiry into allegations of indecent exposure by an employee of the IC School.

That employee – a long-time custodian – has since been completely cleared by the Revere Police and the District Attorney.

However, three others, including Father George Szal, Principal Alison Kelly and a second grade teacher, were called to resign from their positions by the Archdiocese prior to the conclusion of the official investigation.

IC School parents Jeff Turco and Michael Duval said they hand-delivered the petition to the Archdiocese’s Braintree offices on Friday, complete with 927 signatures.

“They’re so panicked about how criminally they handled [the priest sex abuse cases] years ago that now they don’t care who they hurt – whether the kids, the parents or three good people, four if you count the custodian,” said Turco this week. “The Cardinal and his people ought to stand up and say, ‘Sorry, we’ve made a mistake here in our zeal to protect children.’ However, they’re so arrogant and so stuck in their office complexes in Braintree that I don’t know if they have the fortitude to admit they made a mistake…It’s so un-Christian the way they handled this.”

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 MEXICO
The New Mexican

Posted: Friday, January 30

An Albuquerque law firm has filed seven more lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on behalf of adults who claim they were childhood victims of sexual abuse by priests.

The complaints, like dozens that came before them, allege the church protected pedophile priests and put them in churches with unknowing parishioners, according to a news release.

Attorney Brad Hall filed the latest cases on behalf of six unnamed men and one woman who claim they were sexually molested by priests as children. Hall now represents two dozen plaintiffs who have accused the church of wrongdoing, and since the mid-2000s has filed claims for a total of 42 people.

Hall said about 250 alleged victims have come forward in New Mexico since 1992.

The new complaints state that the abuses took place in parishes across the state, including in Las Vegas, Taos, Tucumcari and Albuquerque, as well as at the now-defunct St. Catherine Indian School in Santa Fe. According to the release, the lawsuits say the incidents took place in the late 1960s and early or mid-1970s.

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.

UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism

Jerry Slevin

Common sense, and accumulated experience, tell us that organizational problems can only be fixed, long term, by changing the organizational structure that caused the problems. The Catholic Church has had escalating and scandalous problems that have resulted, since the 1870 First Vatican Council “proclamation on infallibility”, largely from the Vatican’s top down and unaccountable monarchical structure, regardless of which Church officials handled, or more likely mishandled, specific problems.

Yet, Pope Francis in two years as pope has mostly just recycled some officials, leaving the flawed top down structure intact. Pre-Constantine, early Catholics oversaw their religious leaders directly for three centuries. Catholics must do so again, soon! Who and/or what follows Pope Francis? Please see The Crisis Pope Francis Faces , “Pope Francis Is Still Failing Too Many Abused & Abandoned Children, No?‏” and Pope Francis vs. Shadow Pope Benedict — Who is Infallible .

The obvious flaw in Francis’ current approach was again just noted by Gerald Posner in an NPR interview, “From Laundering To Profiteering, A Multitude Of Sins At The Vatican Bank” here

[NPR]

discussing former Wall Street lawyer Posner’s explosive new 750+ page book, “God’s Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican” , see at Amazon link:

[Amazon]

God’s Bankers covers the astounding saga marked by poisoned business titans, murdered prosecutors, mysterious deaths of private investigators, and questionable suicides; a carnival of characters from Popes and Cardinals, financiers and mobsters, kings and prime ministers; and a set of moral and political circumstances that make clear the Vatican’s real aims and ambitions.And Posner even looks to the future to assess if Pope Francis can succeed where all his predecessors failed: to overcome the resistance to change in the Vatican’s Machiavellian inner court and to rein in the excesses of its seemingly uncontrollable and insatiable hierarchical greed.

Asked in his NPR interview about Pope Francis’ Vatican financial reforms, Posner responded, in pertinent part: “I’ve been impressed by him … {but} What could upend it? He needs to be there long enough that these changes can’t be reversed by a new pope who gets in and can be pushed around by the strong dominant bureaucrats.”

Pope Francis has not yet even selected an international auditing firm for the Vatican’s own huge proprietary assets. As eminent historian of the papacy, Eamon Duffy recently noted in the New York Review of Books, in pertinent part: ” … A pope with a long time in office can ensure that those around him share his vision. Rome appoints all the world’s Catholic bishops; the pope himself decides who will be a cardinal. The long pontificate of John Paul II and the succession of his right-hand man, Benedict XVI, have created a hierarchy who share much of their vision for the church. Gerhard Müller, still head of the Vatican’s most influential department, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is also the general editor of Benedict XVI’s collected writings … Francis himself is unlikely to have a long pontificate: he is an old man, with only one functioning lung.”

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.

TEXAS
Star-Telegram

BY MITCH MITCHELL
MITCHMITCHELL@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
01/30/2015

FORT WORTH
For more than four decades the woman known in court documents only as Jane Doe was silent about her claims that she was sexually assaulted by her priest.

While Doe pursued her career and marriage, the target of her allegations, Father Bede Mitchel, continued to teach and work in the Catholic church and maintained a good reputation, according to one church official.

Even after her mental and physical state deteriorated to the point where she could no longer perform her work duties, the woman remained quiet about her childhood abuse. Her husband, John Doe, filed a lawsuit on her behalf in November, court documents show.

The court approved a settlement for an undisclosed amount in the lawsuit between the Does, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Ark., last week. The abuse began in 1969 when Jane Doe was 8 and continued for one or two years, according to the family’s attorney, Tahira Khan Merritt.

Mitchel, who died in 1982, was a Benedictine cleric from Subiaco Abbey. From 1969 to 1975, he was assigned to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Muenster as an assistant pastor and to the St. Peter Parish in Lindsay, both in Cooke County, north of Fort Worth.

Mitchel eventually returned to the Subiaco Abbey.

“Victims like Jane Doe do not bring these cases for any reason other than to be heard, to be healed and to find out what church officials knew about their perpetrator and when they knew it,” said Merritt, who has represented more than 100 clergy abuse victims during her career.

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.

CHICAGO (IL)
CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) – Retired Cardinal Francis George said his cancer treatments have been stopped and doctors have run out of options.

“They’ve run out of tricks in the bag, if you like,” he said, referring to doctors. “The normal treatments now have been exhausted.”

George, looking frail and moving with the help of crutches, said he’s not keeping entirely still. He says doctors are trying to manage his quality of life and that he still hears confessions most Thursdays at Holy Name Cathedral.

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.

MAINE
Bangor Daily News

Maine man accused of defaming former priest says he defied a court order to protect more kids from sex abuse

By Seth Koenig, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 30, 2015

PORTLAND, Maine — Child sex abuse victims rights advocate Paul Kendrick told a federal judge Friday he defied a court order and distributed confidential information because he believed more children were in imminent danger of abuse.

Former Catholic brother Michael Geilenfeld and a nonprofit in which he’s involved are suing Kendrick for defamation — Kendrick publicly accused the former priest of sexually abusing children — at the same time that Geilenfeld is facing potential criminal sex abuse charges in Haiti.

Attorneys for Geilenfeld and the nonprofit Hearts With Haiti are now seeking heavy sanctions against Kendrick for releasing confidential emails, as well as excerpts from depositions and a private investigation, gathered in the discovery process of their defamation lawsuit against Kendrick.

On Friday, Kendrick testified in a U.S. District Court hearing in Portland on those proposed sanctions. Attorney Devin Deane, representing Hearts With Haiti and Geilenfeld, said he’s seeking monetary sanctions of $50,000, a finding of contempt of court against Kendrick and a default judgment in favor of his clients, among other things.

Deane said Kendrick had been warned by Magistrate Judge John Rich not to distribute confidential court documents, but blatantly defied a court order by doing so again. The attorney urged the court to severely punish Kendrick for the second incident, because the prior warning was not an adequate deterrent.

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.

UNITED STATES
Religion News Service

David Gibson | January 30, 2015

(RNS) Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch recently made headlines by pledging nearly $900 million to help elect candidates who support their libertarian strain of economic conservatism, but the industrialists are also nearly doubling their investment in the business school of Catholic University of America, which is overseen by the U.S. bishops.

That’s despite the fact that many Catholics — including Pope Francis — say the kind of unregulated capitalism that the Kochs promote runs counter to church teaching.

The $1.75 million dollar grant from the Charles Koch Foundation, one of several nonprofits with ties to the industrialist brothers, is part of a $3 million pledge to CUA announced in January that includes $500,000 from the Busch Family Foundation and $250,000 each from three business leaders.

The donation to the Washington-based university comes just over a year after the Koch Foundation gave an initial $1 million grant that allowed CUA to launch its own School of Business and Economics. The school is run by Andrew Abela, a disciple of libertarian economics, and it is dedicated to promoting what it calls “principled entrepreneurship.”

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 JERSEY
Greenwich Times

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — A Catholic priest has been sentenced to two years of probation for groping a woman more than two years ago.

The Rev. Marukudiyil Velan, known to his congregation as “Father Chris,” was convicted in October 2014 of criminal sexual contact against the woman, but was acquitted of sexual assault charges involving the woman’s two children.

The 67-year-old priest told a judge Friday that he couldn’t bear any more of the pain and “didn’t do anything wrong.” His attorney, S. Karl Mohel, says Velan lost his job and wants to return to his home country of India.

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.

CANADA
CBC News

The federal government has filed a $25-million statement of claim accusing Tony Merchant’s law firm of overbilling for legal services and falsifying documents to cover it up, in a scheme to defraud Canada.

The civil suit, filed in the Court of Queen’s Bench for Saskatchewan, claims the Merchant Law Group should repay $25 million, plus interest, and cover the costs incurred by taxpayers in an eight-year legal battle.

“The government is taking legal action to recover public money that was paid to this firm as a result of serious misrepresentations,” a Department of Justice spokesperson told CBC News in an email.

Allegations not proven

None of these allegations have been proven in court.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the Merchant law firm said that it “denies that any of the government’s concocted allegations have merit or any basis in reality.” Merchant has 20 days to file a statement of defence.

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.

UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on January 30, 2015

(Note: Yes, I am actually posting this on a Friday. Shocker.)

How can I learn more about the Survivors’ Movement and SNAP, that organization with whom you do so much work? Is there anywhere I can hear the best and brightest speakers on the topic and meet people who are working for justice for adult victims of child sexual abuse (as well as stopping the cycle and preventing abuse)?

The best place to learn about the Survivors’ Movement and legislative change, hear the latest news, meet leaders and newsmakers, and get the best information on abuse prevention and victim healing is to attend the SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) National Conference. I am not a huge fan of conferences, but the SNAP conference—scheduled for July 31-August in Alexandria, VA—hosts the best and brightest speakers who are totally engaged in helping survivors and protecting kids. You can go for a day or the whole weekend.

If you are interested in presenting, you can download the request for proposals here.

The organizers do a great job every year to make the conference fun, engaging, relevant, and life-changing. You will do yourself a service by attending.

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 JERSEY
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, Jan. 30

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com , davidgclohessy@gmail.com )

We are sad that Fr. Marukudiyil Velan, known as “Fr. Chris,” will not do jail time. But we are grateful to the brave family that reported this priest’s crimes. And we are confident that this mom’s courage to speak up and to seek justice will protect more people.

[Asbury Park Press]

Often trusted members of the clergy are given “light” sentences and then free to move into unsuspecting communities where they pose a very real danger.

We are especially grateful that this brave mom reported what happened to her and allegedly to her children to secular officials, not church officials. Both her courage to speak up and her wisdom to seek justice will protect more people.

This is not the time to become complacent. Predators often assault more than one victim. Church officials should reach out to any other possible victims or witnesses.

We have a simple message to every current and former Catholic Church employee and member: It’s never too late to share what you know or suspect with law enforcement officials. It’s up to us to pass on information. And it’s up to police and prosecutors to determine what will help them further prosecute or imprison a criminal.

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 JERSEY
NJ.com

By MaryAnn Spoto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on January 30, 2015

TOMS RIVER — A former priest at a Brick church was sentenced this morning to two years’ probation for groping a female parishioner.

Marukudiyil Velan, known to members of the Church of the Visitation as Father Chris, will also have to undergo counseling as part of the sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge James Blaney, who said the priest did not understand the gravity of his crime.

Convicted Oct. 16 of criminal sexual contact, Velan, 67, could have been sentenced to 18 months in prison. The judge, however, imposed a probationary sentence, as requested by his attorney.

“He has suffered immensely as a result of these charges,” his attorney, S. Karl Mohel, told Blaney. He said Velan’s health has suffered since he was charged, he’s had great expenses and he lost his job with the church.

Mohel said Velan has been living on meager Social Security disbursements and on charity.

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 JERSEY
Asbury Park Press

Kathleen Hopkins, @Khopkinsapp January 30, 2015

TOMS RIVER – A Brick priest was sentenced Friday to two years on probation for groping a woman in 2012.

Rev. Marukudiyil Velan, better known as “Father Chris” to parishioners at Church of the Visitation in Brick, told Superior Court Judge James M. Blaney that he was innocent before the judge placed him probation and ordered him to undergo a psychiatric examination.

“I can’t bear any more of this pain,” the 67-year-old priest told the judge. “I didn’t do anything wrong. … I couldn’t believe what happened.”

Blaney disagreed with the diminutive clergyman.

“The reality is, that you did do something wrong,” Blaney told him. “You were in a position of trust, a sacred trust, a spiritual trust. … You took advantage of your position as a priest and violated that trust. That’s wrong.”

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.

UNITED STATES
Rhymes with Religion

Boz Tchividjian | Jan 30, 2015

Words matter. They restore. They wound.

Words have opened the eyes of a blind beggar and welcomed a rejected tax collector. They have also sent millions to death camps and taught children to be terrorists. Perhaps Scripture communicates the power of words best when the Apostle James writes, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”

In the past weeks, I have witnessed a seemingly new boldness to communicate incredibly wounding and cruel words to victims of abuse. Such words are not confined by ideology, politics, or religious beliefs. Just a few weeks ago, liberal agnostic “comedian” Bill Maher told Jimmy Kimmel, “When I was twelve, I was once brutally beaten on the playground by two bullies. One held me down, and the other just punched me in the face and if I could trade that, if I could go back to 1968 and trade that experience for being gently masturbated by a pop star I would do it in a heartbeat.” What is just as disturbing is the fact that these cruel words were repeatedly interrupted by laughter from Maher, Kimmel, and the studio audience. Words matter.

Last summer, conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson told his audience that it should not be a crime when an adult female teacher has sexual contact with a minor male. Carlson stated, “It’s ludicrous that we are calling this a rape. Are you serious?” Words matter.

These wounding words have even spilled into the realm of politics. This past week, republican presidential hopeful, Mike Huckabee, released a new book that includes a chapter entitled, “Bend Over and Take it Like a Prisoner.” Regardless of the chapter’s subject, when the words “bend over”, “take it”, and “prisoner” appear in a chapter title, it is obvious that it is a vulgar and demeaning reference to sexual assault. Even if it was not intended as such a reference, the fact this repugnant chapter title has understandably disturbed many who have been sexually assaulted means it’s wounding. Words matter.

We’ve even come to the point where those who have been accused of sexual offenses have become emboldened to joke about it. As a female audience member of was getting up to get a drink at a recent show, Bill Cosby jokingly quipped, “You have to be careful about drinking around me”, which was an unmistakable reference to his alleged sexual assaults of numerous women. Again, these disgusting words were followed by audience laughter. Words matter.

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.

UNITED STATES
The New York Review of Books

Eamon Duffy
FEBRUARY 19, 2015 ISSUE

The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope
by Austen Ivereigh
Henry Holt, 445 pp., $30.00

A Big Heart Open to God: A Conversation with Pope Francis
by Antonio Spadaro, SJ
HarperOne, 150 pp., $17.99

Pope Francis: Untying the Knots
by Paul Vallely
Bloomsbury, 227 pp., $20.95 (paper)

On December 22, 2014, Pope Francis delivered the traditional papal Christmas speech to the assembled ranks of the Roman Curia. This annual meeting with the staff of the church’s central administration offers popes the opportunity for a stock-taking “state of the union” address. In 2005, his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI had used the occasion to deliver a momentous analysis of the “hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture” that he believed had distorted understanding of the Second Vatican Council by presenting it as a revolutionary event, and to which he attributed many of the ills of the modern church. The phrase “hermeneutic of rupture” was eagerly seized on by those seeking a “reform of the reform,” and became a weapon in the struggle to roll back some of the most distinctive developments in the church following the Second Vatican Council of 1962–1965, which had been presided over first by John XXIII and then by Paul VI.

The scope of Pope Francis’s 2014 address, however, was far more local and specific. Having briefly thanked his hearers for their hard work during the previous year, the pope launched into an excruciating fifteen-point dissection of the spiritual ailments to which people in their position might be prone. It was a dismaying catalog of “curial diseases”—the spiritual “narcissism” that, as part of the “pathology of power,” encouraged some to behave like “lords and masters” (in Italian, padroni); the “Martha complex” of excessive activity, which squeezes out human sympathy and renders men incapable of “weeping with those who weep”; the “spiritual Alzheimer’s” that besets those “who build walls and routines around themselves” and forget the spirit of the Gospel.

The pope’s tally of curial sins also included cliquishness, acquisitiveness, careerism, competitiveness, and indifference to others; the “existential schizophrenia” and “progressive spiritual emptiness” of many who abandon pastoral service and “restrict themselves to bureaucratic matters”; the “theatrical severity and sterile pessimism,” the “funereal face” that often attend the exercise of power; and the “terrorism of gossip” by which the cowardly “are ready to slander, defame and discredit others, even in newspapers and magazines.”

Though presented by Francis as a pastoral aid to a seasonal examination of conscience, the speech was widely perceived, not least by many in his audience, as a scathing critique of the current papal administration. Such excoriation of the Curia by a pope is unprecedented in modern times, yet there was nothing in its substance that need have surprised. The conclave that elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope in March 2013 was beset by a sense of scandal and dysfunction at the heart of the church. The cardinals met in the wake of the startling resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and under a rain of revelations about corruption and money laundering in the Vatican bank, clerical sexual abuse, and the failure of the church authorities to confront it—all given lurid coloring by the “Vatileaks scandal,” the leaking to the press by Pope Benedict’s own butler of hundreds of confidential documents revealing corruption, maladministration, and internecine feuding within the Curia itself.

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.

TEXAS
Watch Keep

[with document]

Amy Smith

Over the last two weeks 26 named individuals have received an anonymous package in the mail. Inside was a 24 page essay. I am the subject of this composition.

The anonymous writer spends dozens of pages attacking my truthfulness, motivations, and personal character. He claims to be a proponent of Jack Graham and the rest of the leadership at Prestonwood Baptist Church. The letters were addressed to a variety of people: Prestonwood leadership, SNAP leaders, TV and newspaper reporters, bloggers, and others. He did not send me a copy, but several of my contacts sent me theirs.

This approach is curious, because if this anonymous writer had just sent me a copy, I could have posted it for the entire public to read much sooner. Take a look.

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.

IRELAND
Irish Examiner

By Conall Ó Fátharta
Irish Examiner Reporter

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been told to apologise to Magdalene laundry victims for a second time in just two years, after failing to live up to promises to women who were effectively forced into State “slavery”.

Opposition TDs insisted the step is needed during the second day of debate in the Dáil on what supports will be made available for women kept in the religious institutions without their consent.

Speaking during the second stage of the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill 2014, which outlines payments to those affected if they agree not to sue the State,and certain health services in some cases, politicians across the political divide criticised what is on offer.

They included Fianna Fáil mental health and special needs spokesperson Colm Keaveney, who insisted the failure to live up to expectations since Mr Kenny’s Dáil apology on February 19, 2013, means the Taoiseach must return to the chamber and beg Magdalene laundry survivors to forgive him.

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.

UNITED STATES
NPR

[with audio]

For decades, the Catholic Church has been dogged by scandals involving money. The Vatican — a sovereign country — controls its own finances through the Vatican Bank. It developed as a cross between the Federal Reserve and an offshore bank. In a new history, God’s Bankers, Gerald Posner explains that its roots go back to the mid-19th century.

“They had 15,000 square miles of what was central Italy with thousands of subjects,” Posner tells NPR’s Renee Montagne. “They levied taxes and paid for this lavish lifestyle — with 700 servants and a big and growing bureaucracy around them. Then, in 1870, Italy’s nationalists have a revolution they throw the Pope out they get rid of the papal states. The Vatican goes from being an empire — an earthly empire — to a little postage stamp size of property called Vatican City.”

By World War II, the church had sizeable investments and created the Vatican Bank in order to hide its financial dealings with the Nazis from the U.S. and Britain.

“I was surprised to the extent to which the Vatican was deeply embedded with German companies,” Posner says. “They bundled together life insurance policies of Jewish refugees who had been sent to Auschwitz and other death camps. They escheted these policies early on — meaning they took the cash value of them.”

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.

AUSTRALIA
9 News

AAP

THE FEDERAL CHILD ABUSE ROYAL COMMISSION AND COMPENSATION KEY FIGURES

* The commission is not yet making recommendations but has employed an actuarial firm to model costs of a scheme covering 65,000 claimants receiving average payments of $65,000, where governments pay not only for the abuse committed in their institutions but become “funders of last resort”.

This means governments pay extra to cover abuse survivors from institutions that no longer exist or are too poor to make a contribution.

In this scenario, if 65,000 abuse survivors sought redress from government and non-government institutions, an estimated 29,730 of them would make claims against states and territories and 35,270 would claim against non-government organisations.

* The total cost of the scheme would be $4.378 billion. Governments would pay $1.971 billion and non-government institutions $2.407 billion.

* The costs would cover administration, monetary payments adjusted for past payments and counselling and psychological care.

THE BREAKDOWN

* The NSW government would pay $766 million; non-government bodies $850 million

* The Victorian government would pay $617 million; non-government bodies $707 million

* The Queensland government would pay $251 million; non-government bodies $328 million

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.

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

January 30, 2015

Paul Bibby

Providing just redress to victims of child sexual abuse could cost more than the $4.3 billion estimated by the Royal Commission, victims advocates say.

But they say the figure pales in comparison to the cost of abuse in the community in terms of homelessness, mental health treatment and drug and alcohol abuse.

The release by the commission of a major discussion paper on redress on Friday brought a sharp intake of breath from some after it was revealed that such a scheme could cost $4.37 billion over 10 years.

In reaching its headline figures, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse assumed an average payment of $65,000 for each victim.

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.

COLORADO
KRCC

[with audio]

By BENTE BIRKELAND

A bill to require background checks for volunteers and employees of youth sports clubs failed to pass the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Opponents said the measure had too many gaps in it. Bente Birkeland has more from the state capitol.

In Colorado, roughly 6 million children play in youth sports clubs, ranging from soccer and baseball to swimming and basketball. Supporters say these sports clubs attract sexual predators because of lax standards.

Senate Bill 48 [.pdf] would have required any employee or volunteer who spends more than five days each month with the children to have a background check.

“Offenders who were in the Catholic Church and in the Boy Scouts, those offenders are leaving those programs and they’re coming to youth sports,” said Michelle Peterson, a child abuse investigator. “There’s absolutely no doubt, and I see that myself. The Catholic Church, Boy Scouts, they’ve had these incidents, even Penn State. They recognize their gaping holes, their lack of policies, their lack of background checks, so they implemented all this change.”

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.

DEUTSCHLAND
taz

BERLIN dpa | Es ist ein Zufall, der den Stein ins Rollen bringt: ein unerwartetes Wiedersehen mit einem ehemaligen Pater des Berliner Canisius-Kollegs, einer Jesuitenschule. Matthias Katsch hat dort vor mehr als 30 Jahren Abitur gemacht. 2005 steht er auf einem Kongress jenem Mann gegenüber, der in den 70er-Jahren Beichtgespräche für sexuellen Missbrauch nutzte. „Ich war wie gelähmt“, erinnert er sich. „Ich war wieder 13.“

Doch dieses Ohnmachtsgefühl will Katsch nicht länger hinnehmen. Mit Anfang 40 schreibt er einen Brief an die Missbrauchsbeauftragte des Jesuitenordens. Die Folgen erschüttern die deutsche Gesellschaft.
Anzeige

Ende Januar 2010 informiert Klaus Mertes als Rektor des Canisius-Kollegs mehr als 600 Absolventen über die jahrelangen systematischen Übergriffe an ihrer Schule. Mertes macht damit öffentlich, dass sein Orden Missbrauch vertuschte und verschwieg. Das ist der Anfang. Wie in einem Dominoeffekt offenbaren sich Betroffene aus anderen Ordensschulen, bei den Regensburger Domspatzen, auch aus der weltlichen Odenwaldschule und vielen anderen Einrichtungen.

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.

DEUTSCHLAND
RBB

Vor fünf Jahren wurden etliche Missbrauchsfälle am Berliner Canisius-Kolleg bekannt. Der damalige Rektor hatte sich in einem Brief bei den Opfer entschuldigt, die Bundesregierung richtete daraufhin die Stelle eines Missbrauchsbeauftragten ein. Dessen Bilanz lautet nun: Vor allem die Katholische Kirche hat noch viel aufzuarbeiten. Von Ulrike Bieritz

Matthias Katsch war einer der Männer, die in ihrer Schulzeit am Berliner Canisius-Kolleg systematisch missbraucht wurden. Er war auch einer derjenigen, der sich 2010 traute an die Öffentlichkeit zu gehen und die Lawine ins Rollen brachte. Die Opfer haben damals Aufarbeitung, Hilfe und eine Entschädigung gefordert. Doch was sie laut Katsch erhielten war “wenig Aufklärung, wenig Hilfe und keine Entschädigung, sondern eine so genannte Anerkennungszahlung.”

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.

GERMANY
Deutsche Welle

Five years after the exposure of the German sexual abuse scandal affecting schools and Catholic institutions, victims are calling for an independent committee. They claim that important issues are still unresolved.

Being able to speak to the well-attended Federal Press Conference was a special experience to him, said Matthias Katsch. When it was made public five years ago that the former student at the Catholic Canisius College had been a victim of sexual abuse, he did not have the courage to use his real name, using a pseudonym when talking to journalists.

Katsch said that it was a liberating experience to be finally able to talk about the abuse, noticing at the same time that he was not alone in his plight. In January 2010, reports of sexual abuse of students at the Berlin-based Canisius College triggered a wave of further revelations. A large number of affected people from church schools and colleges spoke in public, but also some from progressive education institutions such as the Odenwaldschule in the state of Hesse. The abuse scandal shocked the whole of Germany.

The silence continues

But now, five years after publication of the incidents, their investigation is reaching its limits. It continued at a “sluggish” pace, said Johannes-Wilhelm Rörig, the government-appointed special representative for sexual abuse of minors. He conceded that awareness of the issue had increased and that legislation had become tougher. However, he deplored that “many thousands of girls and boys are still exposed to sexual violence and receive no protection.”

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.

AUSTRALIA
9 News

Cornelia Rau received almost $3 million from the federal government in 2005 because she had been unlawfully locked up in a detention centre for 10 months.

That payout has abuse survivors support group Care Leavers Australia Network wondering about equity in any system backed by governments and institutions, which may recommend maximum payments between $100,000 and $200,000.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse launched a consultation paper on redress on Friday.

The commission outlined models for a scheme that would cost more than $4 billion over 10 years, with an average payment of $65,000 for 65,000 assumed claimants.

Some states and territories already have redress schemes for abuse victims, with Tasmania capping payments at $60,000, Queensland $40,000 and Western Australia $45,000.

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.

OREGON
Bend Bulletin

By Claire Withycombe / The Bulletin / @kcwithycombe
Published Jan 30, 2015

A Gresham pastor pleaded not guilty Thursday in Deschutes County Circuit Court to 37 criminal charges, including multiple counts of first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy, in connection with allegations he sexually abused two children in Sunriver more than a decade ago.

James Daniel Worley, 42, is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 15. The trial is expected to take eight to 10 days.

“This is a complex case involving 37 counts of Measure-11 sex abuse,” said attorney Andrew Coit, who appeared in court on behalf of Worley’s attorney, Richard Cohen. Ballot Measure 11, approved by Oregon voters in 1994, outlines mandatory sentencing minimums for specific crimes.

Worley, who was released from county custody on or about Jan. 23, appeared beside Coit in court Thursday morning.

Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley had reduced Worley’s bail Jan. 22 to $250,000 from the $1 million set Jan. 7 by Deschutes County Circuit Judge Walter “Randy” Miller. At a release hearing last week, Cohen indicated Worley’s supporters from his congregation at the Powell Valley Church could raise the 10 percent needed for bail of $250,000 to free Worley, but not any more.

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.

AUSTRALIA
SBS

A consultation paper launched by the federal child sex abuse royal commission looks at who is a proper defendant when it comes to being sued.

The child sexual abuse royal commission suggests it may be appropriate to amend state and territory laws so the property trusts of churches and religious bodies can be sued for abuse.

In a consultation paper on redress and civil litigation launched on Friday the commission looks at who is a proper defendant when it comes to being sued.

Last year it heard one of the most famous cases in this sphere when it examined the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney’s legal response to abuse survivor John Ellis.

Mr Ellis failed in his attempt to sue the diocesan trust when a court ruled it could not be held liable.

Cardinal George Pell defended the finding as confirming an existing law and since then church entities use the Ellis defence to deter abuse victims from going to court.

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.

AUSTRALIA
7 News

By Deborah Rice and staff
January 30, 2015

The total cost of a national compensation scheme for victims of child sexual abuse would exceed $4 billion, according to a consultation paper released by the royal commission.

The commission has today released a consultation paper inviting community input on the issue of redress and civil litigation.

It said that many people would prefer a single national redress scheme to be administered by the Australian Government, with institutions contributing to the funding of the scheme based on their responsibility to individual survivors.

Based on modelling assuming that 65,000 eligible survivors would receive payments of $65,000 each, the total cost of redress would be $4.38 billion according to the report.

“The cost of redress would be spread over a number of years,” royal commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan said in Sydney this morning.

“The actuarial model over 10 years suggests, on these assumptions, the maximum cost in any one year is likely to be in the order of $650 million nationally.”

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.

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald

[with video]

January 30, 2015

Paul Bibby

It would cost $4.3 billion over 10 years to provide redress to the 65,000 victims of child sex abuse in Australia, the royal commission says, with government footing nearly half the bill.

The explosive figures were contained in the commission’s redress and civil litigation consultation paper released on Friday in Sydney.

The paper considers a range of options for assisting child sex abuse victims to “heal and live a productive and fulfilled life”, including national and state-based redress schemes.

In reaching its headline figures, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse assumed an average payment of $65,000 for each victim.

The costs would equate to $1.971 billion from government, $582 million of which reflects government’s contribution as “funder of last resort” – its role in backing up institutions where abuse occurred but which now had no money to pay.

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.

MINNESOTA
Northlands News Center

January 29, 2015

DULUTH, Minn. (NNCNOW.com) — For the first time, the Duluth Diocese is being required to produce documents relating to several sexual abuse cases.

Judge John Guthmann ordered the release of the documents on Tuesday, saying they will provide a clearer picture of the alleged practices of abusive priests.

Under the order, the documents must be produced to give to an unidentified man known as DOE 30, who filed suit in 2010.

The man claims he was molested by Father Vincent Fitzgerald at St. Catherine’s Church in Squaw Lake, Minnesota. This is one of three sex abuse cases pending against the diocese.

Duluth, along with New Ulm, have refused to provide the documents in the past, however Duluth did voluntarily release a list of all past priests who had been accused of sexual abuse.

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.

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Deborah Rice and staff

The total cost of a national compensation scheme for victims of child sexual abuse would exceed $4 billion, according to a consultation paper released by the royal commission.

The commission has today released a consultation paper inviting community input on the issue of redress and civil litigation.

It said that many people would prefer a single national redress scheme to be administered by the Australian Government, with institutions contributing to the funding of the scheme based on their responsibility to individual survivors.

Based on modelling assuming that 65,000 eligible survivors would receive payments of $65,000 each, the total cost of redress would be $4.38 billion according to the report.

“The cost of redress would be spread over a number of years,” royal commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan said in Sydney this morning.

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.

Melissa Davey
@MelissaLDavey
Thursday 29 January 2015

Former prime minister Julia Gillard “chose the right man for the job” when she appointed Justice Peter McClellan to chair the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, victim advocates say.

Responding to the release on Friday of the commission’s consultation paper on a redress scheme for victims, the chief executive of the Care Leavers of Australia Network (Clan), Leonie Sheedy, said it showed McClellan had listened to them.

Child sex abuse royal commission calls for $4.38bn national compensation scheme

Assuming an estimated 64,900 survivors received payments of $65,000 each, the redress scheme would cost governments and non-government institutions $4.38bn over 10 years, the report said.

“I commend the royal commission for this report, and it is good to finally have a discussion paper for redress and litigation,” Sheedy said.

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.

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

The Royal Commission is seeking community input into its consultation paper on redress and civil litigation. You are invited to have your say on the consultation paper via written submission or by commenting on our online feedback form.

* download the consultation paper (PDF 2MB)
* download Justice McClellan’s remarks (PDF 134KB)
* download Actuarial Report (PDF 1.5MB)

Formal written submissions to this consultation paper will be published on our website unless the person making the submission requests that it not be made public or the Royal Commission considers it should not be made public.

Comments made through the online feedback form will not be published on our website, however they may be used in our final report, either with permission or without identifying who made them.

Submissions and comments are due by midday Monday 2 March 2015.

Following the consultation period, the Royal Commission will hold a public hearing in March 2015 to further examine the issues raised in the provision of effective redress and civil litigation to survivors of child sexual abuse in institutions. Information about this hearing will be advertised in the media and on this website.

The Royal Commission will issue a final report on redress and civil litigation by mid-2015. See timeline.

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.

IRELAND
Newstalk

Sue Murphy

Following an inquiry into the Magdalene Laundries, the provision of Health Amendment Act 1996 Card was recommended by Mr Justice John Quirke, who prepared a compensation scheme for the women.

However, ‘Justice for Magdalenes Research’ have criticised the health care provisions in the bill for not matching up to what was promised in 2013.

Maeve O’Rourke,a barrister and an advisory committee member of Justice for Magdalenes Research, spoke to Jonathan Healy earlier this week and stated that Enda Kenny is in danger of breaking his promises to the Magdalene Laundry women.

Ms O’Rourke detailed the difficulties that certain women have accessing the HAA card and that the matter is on the Dáil record.

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.

MARYLAND
CBS Baltimore

Rick Ritter

TOWSON, Md. (WJZ)– Big changes at a hearing for an Ohio rabbi accused of sexually abusing a Baltimore girl. Bail was reduced dramatically from $5 million to $500,000 for Rabbi Frederick Karp.

Karp was extradited back to Maryland and appeared in front of a judge this afternoon.
Rick Ritter has new details on the case.

From center stage to behind bars, Rabbi Frederick Karp faces a slew of charges.

At a bail hearing Thursday, Karp said little as prosecutors described the allegations against him saying, “Karp sexually abused the girl when she was 7-years-old, which continued until she was 12.”

The victim has two sisters, who allege they were touched inappropriately by the rabbi as well. Karp’s wife and brother-in-law were both in court,but declined to comment on the allegations.

Ritter: “Mrs. Karp, is there anything you want to say about your husband and the allegations?”

Mrs Karp: “I can’t say anything.”

Prosecutors say the Rabbi was friends with the victim’s family and the incidents took place at their Baltimore home between 2009 and December of 2014. Detectives interviewed Karp in Cleveland on January 15th. The next day, police went to arrest him and he was gone.

Karp was later arrested at JFK Airport where he was catching a flight to Israel. His attorney argues he wasn’t fleeing the country and the trip was paid for months in advance. Even though bail was reduced dramatically for the rabbi the judge revoked his passport.

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.

MARYLAND
The Baltimore Sun

By Alison Knezevich
The Baltimore Sun

A District Court judge on Thursday reduced the bail for an Ohio rabbi accused of sexually abusing a Baltimore County girl after the rabbi’s lawyer argued that he is not a flight risk.

Judge Leo Ryan Jr. set bail for Frederick Martin Karp, 50, at $500,000 — down from $5 million — and ordered him to relinquish his passport. Karp, the spiritual-living director at a Cleveland-area senior center, was arrested Jan. 15 at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York; he was on his way to Israel — a trip his lawyer said had been planned for months. Karp was extradited to Maryland on Wednesday.

Karp is accused of sexually abusing the girl, now 12, since she was 7 years old. Police say the rabbi was a friend of the girl’s family and would visit them occasionally.

Karp appeared at the bail review hearing via video from the Baltimore County Detention Center. He wore an orange jumpsuit and long beard, keeping his head bowed for most of the proceedings.

Prosecutor Lisa Dever asked that Karp be held with no bail, saying he was a flight risk and that her office has “a strong case” against him. Karp was arrested at the New York airport a day after he was interviewed by Baltimore County detectives who had traveled to Ohio, she said.

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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
Jewish Daily Forward

By Josh Nathan-Kazis
Published January 29, 2015

The Washington, D.C. rabbi charged peeping at his synagogue’s mikveh has refused to move out of the synagogue-owned house where he and his family had been living, the congregation said in an email to congregants today.

Rabbi Barry Freundel has pled not guilty to criminal charges of surreptitiously videotaping women showering and changes at the mikveh adjacent to his synagogue, Congregation Kesher Israel.
Freundel was arrested in October and fired by the synagogue board in late November. The synagogue gave him until January 1 to vacate the rabbinic residence on O Street in Georgetown. According to the synagogue’s email, he has not moved out.

“We were informed in late December that Rabbi Freundel did not have plans to leave the house,” the synagogue wrote to congregants in today’s email. “So, we began informal conversations to resolve this issue with Rabbi Freundel and his attorney, but to no avail.”

Kesher Israel’s contract with Freundel requires that all disputes be handled at a rabbinic court. The synagogue said it had begun proceedings against Freundel at the Beit Din of America, the leading Modern Orthodox rabbinic court.

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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
DCist

More drama boiling over in the incident involving Barry Freundel, the Georgetown rabbi accused of voyeurism. The Post reports that Freundel is refusing to vacate his house, which is owned by the synagogue that terminated his employment after allegations surfaced.

Kesher Israel fired Freundel in early December after he was arrested and charged with voyeurism. Freundel is currently facing up to six years in prison for allegedly videotaping women in a showering area and in the synagogue’s mikvah—a bath used for conversion and cleansing.

As part of Freundel’s termination, he was required to leave the Georgetown house he and his family have lived in since the ’80s, which is owned by Kesher Israel. Freundel was instructed to leave the house by January 1, but he asked the synagogue for more time. From the Post:

The synagogue demanded Freundel move out of the Georgetown house, where he and his family have lived since the late 1980s, by Jan. 1, but he did not, the e-mail said. “We were informed in late December that Rabbi Freundel did not have plans to leave the house,” it said.

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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
Washington Post

D.C. rabbi accused in videotaping scandal refuses to leave synagogue-owned home

By Michelle Boorstein January 29

A Georgetown rabbi accused of secretly videotaping women in a ritual bath is refusing to vacate the house owned by his former synagogue, and a religious court is being convened to deal with the dispute, the synagogue said Thursday.

News of the dispute was sent to Kesher Israel synagogue members via an e-mail from their president, Elanit Jakabovics. In the e-mail, she lays out a bit of the legal stalemate between Rabbi Barry Freundel, once a leading figure in the national Orthodox community, and Kesher, a small synagogue dotted with prominent Washingtonians.

The synagogue had set a Jan. 1 deadline for Freundel to move out of the Georgetown house where he and his family have lived since the late 1980s, but he did not, the e-mail said. “We were informed in late December that Rabbi Freundel did not have plans to leave the house,” Jakabovics wrote.

Freundel and his attorney, Jeffrey Harris, could not immediately be reached Thursday, but a member of the Kesher leadership said the rabbi — whose salary has been suspended since his October arrest — had asked for more time. The two sides talked, the person said, “but they made unreasonable demands, and we walked away.”

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.