UNITED STATES
Communities Digital News

by Terry Irving – Jan 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, January 16, 2015 – With the events of the past weeks, the media herd is only talking about the evils of Islam. I would like to take a minute to discuss a very different religious institution that truly deserves to be declared a RICO criminal organization, have it’s assets seized, it’s property sold at auction, and any official status revoked—especially any opportunity to be involved in the care or instruction of children.

Worked it out yet?

OK, here’s a joke that might help clarify things.

“Things are getting better. It’s almost safe to build a children’s playground within 500 yards of a Catholic Church. Not yet, but they’re getting there.”

I’m not talking about the religion. I think Catholics should be free to worship as the spirit leads them without any fear of harm or state-mandated persecution. I just think they have to give up the unimaginable wealth and centuries of accrued political power that has apparently been used to cover up the sexual, physical, and mental abuse of children around the world.

Their churches should be seized and sold at auction, their schools should be closed (at least until they can be certified as safe,) and, assuming that there is anything left in the Vatican’s bank accounts after every be-ringed hand in Italy has taken a portion, the money should be used to treat the victims of the predators in their ranks.

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
Indian County Today Media Network

From Lab Rats to Psychics: Canadian Residential Schools Tested ‘Primitive’ Aboriginal Children for ESP

Children ripped away from their parents during the boarding school era in Canada were not only subject to starvation in the name of nutrition experiments, but were also tested for extrasensory perception, or ESP, newly uncovered research shows.

Fifty children between ages 6 and 20 were the subjects of the series of tests at the Indian Residential School in Brandon, Manitoba, during the 1940s, CBC News reported.

The work was uncovered by indigenous community worker Maeengan Linklater. She in turn sent it on to McMaster University researcher Ian Mosby, who had revealed equally troubling nutritional and medical tests on children in British Columbia boarding schools a couple of years ago.

In these tests, designed to gauge whether the “primitive” Indigenous Peoples had some sort of sixth sense, children “were tested based on their ability to guess what was written on a card that was being looked at by the researcher—essentially reading someone’s mind,” the Washington Post reported. “But the results were inconclusive: The children’s performance was no better than chance.”

The study called them “willing participants,” the Washington Post said, because they did it for candy. The Journal of Parapsychology published the inconclusive results in 1943.

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

PORTLAND, Maine — The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican has dismissed John E. Harris from the priesthood permanently for a substantiated claim of sexual abuse of a minor in the early 1980s, Maine Bishop Robert P. Deeley announced on Friday.

Harris, who has not been in active ministry since 2003, can no longer function or present himself as a priest, and the Vatican’s decision is final, without an option for appeal, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The complaint was received from an individual in March 2013, according to the diocese.

Disciplined in 2000 for his involvement in an adult-content website, Harris returned to ministry until August 2003, when he requested a leave of absence. A month later, Harris became the focus of a new investigation involving inappropriate behavior with a minor that had taken place approximately 20 years earlier and did not involve sexual contact, the diocese detailed in its statement.

Harris never returned to active ministry. The diocese notified civil authorities and released the results of its investigation to the media and to parishioners. The diocese publicly asked for anyone with information about the case to come forward. The later report to the diocese in 2013 marked the first time a complainant had accused Harris 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.

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

Article by: JEAN HOPFENSPERGER , Star Tribune Updated: January 16, 2015

Archdiocese declares bankruptcy. Victims’ attorney supports the church’s move, but other victims say filing is a cop-out.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday, saying it cannot meet its financial obligations from an unprecedented wave of clergy sex abuse lawsuits.

“I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us,” wrote Archbishop John Nienstedt on the archdiocese’s website Friday morning.

In a Friday afternoon news conference, Nienstedt said, “We continue to facilitate the healing process for this local church” to restore confidence in the church.

“Obviously, we have a long journey ahead of us,” he said.

The move freezes lawsuits against the church, protecting the archdiocese from creditors while allowing it to develop a reorganization plan.

“Reorganization will allow the finite resources of the Archdiocese to be distributed equitably among all victims/ survivors,” Nienstedt said. “It will also permit the Archdiocese to provide essential services required to continue its mission within this 12-county district.”

Nienstedt said he does not intend to resign. …

Jeff Anderson, the St. Paul attorney handling most of the clergy sex abuse cases, supported the archdiocese’s filing for bankruptcy. “It is our belief that the action taken today is necessary,” Anderson said Friday.

But other victims’ advocates charge that the move is one more example of the archdiocese shirking its responsibility to abuse victims.

“Why is it that when all the dioceses file bankruptcy, they do it on the eve of a trial?” asked Bob Schwiderski, longtime advocate for abuse survivors. “Is it because they can’t put their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth?”

Schwiderski was referring to three clergy abuse trials slated for Jan. 26, that will now be halted. The bankruptcy also halts all future trials.

All cases and claims will be reorganized in bankruptcy court, Anderson said.

“The good news is that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has insurance and it has a lot of it,” 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
Winona Daily News

By Jerome Christenson

The announcement Friday that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed for bankruptcy does not affect the Diocese of Winona, which last year raised the possibility of doing the same but said it would depend on whether it’s presented with new legal claims.

“The action of the archdiocese has no affect on our plans here,” said Winona Diocese spokesperson Joel Hennessy on Friday. “We have no plan to file (bankruptcy) at this time.”

The Winona Diocese was named, along with the archdiocese, in a suit brought by a Twin Cities man who claimed to have been sexually abused by former priest Thomas Adamson. Settlement of that suit was announced last October, though the amount of the financial settlement was not disclosed.

Following the announcement of that settlement, the Winona Diocese stated it had no plans to file bankruptcy. Hennessy said back in October that the diocese can’t know how many people may sue in the remaining 21 months a new state law allows.

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
The Tablet (UK)

16 January 2015 by CNS

Pope Francis did not disappoint hundreds of former street children who were part of a massive campaign to show him one of the centres where they have found safety and love.

Although it was not in his official programme, Pope Francis walked out of Manila’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral after Mass on Friday and across the street to the Blessed Charles de Foucauld Home for Girls, which is run by the Tulay Ng Kabataan foundation.

Accompanied by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a frequent guest, the pope spent about half an hour with some 320 boys and girls and young adults from a number of TNK homes in metropolitan Manila.

“It was a beautiful, beautiful encounter,” Cardinal Tagle told reporters later. “You could see the Holy Father was in his element.”

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.

TENNESSEE
WJHL

LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) – A former youth pastor at a Lebanon church was arrested Wednesday on charges of statutory rape.

The Wilson County Sheriff’s Department said the allegations against Christopher Ross were reported to authorities in late 2014.

The juvenile reported Ross began abusing her with inappropriate advances in 2010. The advances then allegedly progressed into sexual contact that lasted until early 2012.

Ross, 43, was taken into custody following a lengthy investigation.

Ross is charged with 10 counts of statutory rape by an authority figure.

It is unclear if there are any additional victims.

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
NPR

[Letter from Archbishop John Nienstedt – Source: St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]

[Court documents – Source: Jeff Anderson & Associates
Application by Debtor to Employ Chapter 11 Counsel
Archdiocese Chapter 11 Petition
Archdiocese Signature Declaration
Debtor’s Verified Application for Order
Notice of Intention to Seek Expedited Hearing ]

JANUARY 16, 2015
SCOTT NEUMAN

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has become the 12th U.S. diocese forced into bankruptcy by claims from alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse.

In a letter posted Friday on the archdiocese’s website, Archbishop John Nienstedt acknowledged the devastating impact of the stories of abuse by priests and the aim of “continuing to work with those representing victims/survivors to make sure we are doing all we can to prevent sexual abuse of minors, as well as to be instruments of healing for those who have been abused.

“To that end, I have directed that a petition for a Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Archdiocese Corporation be filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Minnesota. Please note: this filing does not include parishes and schools,” Nienstedt wrote.

The filing does not come as a surprise. As Minnesota Public Radio notes: “In November, archdiocese chief financial officer Thomas Mertens called bankruptcy protection “a way to respond to all victims/survivors by allowing the available funds to be equitably distributed to all who have made claims. …”

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
Reuters

(Adds details from lawyer representing sex abuse claimants, details from archdiocese)

By David Bailey

Jan 16 (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, saying the move will allow its finite resources to be distributed among victims and survivors of child sex abuse by clergy.

The archdiocese, which has been criticized for its past handling of clergy abuse cases, is the 12th Catholic diocese in the United States to seek bankruptcy protection over sex abuse claims. Most of the Minnesota cases date from the 1950s to the 1980s.

“I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us,” Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a statement on the archdiocese’s website.

The filing does not include parishes or schools and will allow the archdiocese to provide essential services, he said.

About 825,000 Catholics live in the archdiocese, which has 187 parishes and 90 schools in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. …

Attorney Jeff Anderson, who has brought dozens of cases against the archdiocese, said the filing halts trials set for later in January, but will not stop disclosure of clergy accused of sex abuse.

“It is our belief that this action taken today is actually necessary, and comes as no surprise,” Anderson told a news conference.

He said the archdiocese is unable to satisfy the claims against it, but has insurance from the 1950s onward that he believes will play an important role in the case.

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
Seattle PI

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy protection Friday in what’s become a common move for dioceses around the country facing heavy financial pressure from sexual abuse claims. Some questions and answers about the news:

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?

Minnesota state lawmakers opened a floodgate of new litigation with a legal change in 2013. It opened a three-year window setting aside the statute of limitations on sexual abuse, allowing attorneys to file claims that in some cases were decades old. In addition to some two dozen lawsuits filed since then, attorneys have given notice that more than 100 cases could also be filed. The archdiocese recognized it didn’t have enough assets to pay all potential claims and keep operating.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH ALL THOSE LAWSUITS NOW?

All victims’ lawsuits, including a few cases that are scheduled for trial later this month, will be halted and they will fold into the Chapter 11 reorganization process. The victims become creditors, and can look to payment from the archdiocese’s assets and insurers.

WHAT WILL VICTIMS GET?

Good question. Friday’s filing gave only a broad range of church assets (between $10 million and $50 million, with much more in liabilities). Some attorneys say the bankruptcy process can open a path to assets that might have appeared to be off-limits to abuse victims. It’s unclear if that will happen in the archdiocese case. Typically, payouts in bankruptcy court come from church assets and insurers. The archdiocese recently sued several of its insurers, asking a federal judge to order that the carriers cover claims and legal fees.

Victims will likely get different amounts, depending on the severity of abuse and harm suffered. It would likely be up to a trustee or creditor’s committee to allocate funds.

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
Pulso (Mexico]

AP

La Arquidiócesis de St. Paul y Minneapolis se ha acogido a protección de las leyes de bancarrota, diciendo que es la mejor manera de entregar la mayor cantidad de recursos a las víctimas de supuestos abusos sexuales por parte de sacerdotes.

Abogados dela arquidiócesis presentaron la solicitud de bancarrota el viernes ante el Tribunal Federal de Bancarrota.

Autoridades eclesiásticas han dicho que la bancarrota era una opción en momentos que la entidad enfrenta demandas de víctimas de abuso sexual. Se han presentado unas dos docenas de demandas y la arquidiócesis ha recibido notificaciones de unas 100 reclamaciones potenciales adicionales.

La Arquidiócesis St. Paul-Minneapolis es la número 12 en solicitar la protección de las leyes de bancarrota por reclamaciones 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.

MINNESOTA
Canonical Consultation

01/16/2015

Jennifer Haselberger

In a move that surprised no one (except perhaps the priests, who were not notified in advance of news bulletins by the AP and others), this morning the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis became the 12th Catholic diocese in the United States to file for bankruptcy protection. Being the twelfth to file should mean that the Archdiocese has the benefit of the hard won experiences of other dioceses. However, not all Catholic bankruptcy filings are equal.

When the Diocese of Helena filed for bankruptcy in January of 2014 (becoming the 11th to file) the move was heralded by plaintiffs’ attorneys as well as diocesan officials as being ‘in the best interests’ of the 362 victims that had filed sexual abuse cases against the diocese, the Ursuline Sisters, and the Jesuits. Described as a ‘consensual, prepackaged bankruptcy’ the reorganization plan filed by the diocese in November of 2014 included not only a $16.4 million settlement for victims of clergy sexual abuse, but also allowed a wrongful termination lawsuit to proceed. The petitioner in that case was a former Catholic school teacher who was fired for being unmarried and pregnant (the teacher was in a same-sex relationship). The reorganization plan was approved by a federal bankruptcy judge this week, less than a year after the diocese officially filed for bankruptcy protection.

As quick as that process was, the record for speedy exits still goes, I believe, to the Diocese of Tucson, which became the second Catholic diocese to seek bankruptcy protection when it filed in September of 2004 and the first to emerge when a bankruptcy judge approved its reorganization plan in July of 2005. That plan provided $22 million for settlements with more than 34 plaintiffs. The money for the settlements came from insurance payouts, the selling of church property (mainly land that was to have been used for new parishes for the growing diocese), and $2 million pledged by the parishes of the diocese, whose pastors promised to ‘dig, scrimp and save’ to make up their portion of the settlement (parish assets were not included in the reorganization plan).

On the other end of the spectrum is the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. It filed for bankruptcy protection in January of 2011, and that process is still ongoing today. The reorganization plan filed by the Archdiocese in February of 2014 included only $4 million to compensate 130 victims of sexual abuse by clergy. Victims quickly rejected the plan, and multiple attempts at mediation have failed. One of the main points of dispute remains the $55 million cemetery trust fund established by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the former Archbishop of Milwaukee, in advance of the bankruptcy filing. Almost all commentators agree that the Milwaukee bankruptcy is unique for the hardball tactics used by the Catholic Church, and for the Archdiocese’s attempts to limit the claims filed by alleged victims of 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.

MINNESOTA
Los Angeles Times

By BRITTNY MEJIA

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy Friday following years of sex abuse claims that have plagued the jurisdiction.

The purpose of filing for bankruptcy is to provide the “fairest and most helpful recourse” for victims and survivors who have made claims against the archdiocese, Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a Friday letter.

The archidocese has been criticized heavily for its handling of the sensitive issue.

“This is not an attempt to silence victims or deny them justice in court,” Nienstedt wrote in the letter. “On the contrary, we want to respond positively in compensating them for their suffering.”

The archdiocese, which serves about 825,000 Catholics in the Twin Cities area, is the 12th U.S. diocese to seek bankruptcy protection after sex abuse claims. The archdiocese has 21 pending clergy sex abuse cases and faces the potential for more than 100 additional suits.

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
New York Daily News

[Letter from Archbishop John Nienstedt – Source: St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]

[Court documents – Source: Jeff Anderson & Associates
Application by Debtor to Employ Chapter 11 Counsel
Archdiocese Chapter 11 Petition
Archdiocese Signature Declaration
Debtor’s Verified Application for Order
Notice of Intention to Seek Expedited Hearing ]

BY NICOLE HENSLEY NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Friday, January 16, 2015

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed for bankruptcy in light of dozens of clergy sex abuse claims.

The decision puts several lawsuits alleging sexual assaults against the archdiocese on hold pending the outcome of the bankruptcy case.

“We’re doing the right thing,” Rev. Charles Lachowitzer said before Friday’s filing. “This decision reflects the end of a process of putting victims first.”

The archdiocese faces about two dozen lawsuits with more than 100 claims that could develop into lawsuits before May 2016.

By petitioning for a Chapter 11 reorganization, Archbishop John Nienstedt said the church can focus on victims.

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
San Antonio Express-News

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Some attorneys and victims groups are reacting differently to a bankruptcy filing by Minnesota’s largest Catholic archdiocese.

Mike Finnegan is an attorney for a law firm that repeatedly sued the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese for abuse victims. His firm is now working with it on child protection issues. Finnegan says the filing won’t stop scrutiny.

But Patrick Noaker (no-AHK’-er), another attorney for victims, says he’s disappointed. He had a case due for trial this month that is now on hold, and said the filing blocks him from revealing information that could keep children safe in the future.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests accused the archdiocese of filing to avoid embarrassing questions in 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.

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Berger’s Beat

January 16, 2015 10:22 am | Author: berger

The St. Louis archdiocese website has been re-designed and now has nearly indentical tabs for “reporting sexual abuse” and “reporting financial misconduct.” (“So protecting their money is as important as protecting our kids?” asks a critic.

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 – Rymes with Religion

Boz Tchividjian | Jan 16, 2015

After a few weeks of taking a break and catching my breath, I am happy to be back and look forward to a great new year of shining some light and pointing to hope in the dark pockets of the Christian community. At least that remains my prayer in 2015.
_____________________________________________________________________________
He’s innocent until proven guilty

During the recent holidays, it seems as if I heard that phrase over and over again whenever the name of Bill Cosby surfaced in a news article or in a conversation. Just recently, I read a report about a Bill Cosby concert that was interrupted by people heckling him about the growing mass of allegations that he has raped numerous women over the past decades. After the show, one of his supporters told a reporter, “I don’t believe he’s been charged with anything and at least in this country you’re innocent until proven guilty.” Similarly, in a recent discussion I was having with a group of friends, those who expressed an opinion that Bill Cosby had committed these assaults were scolded by one member of the group for “jumping the gun” and “convicting him” without all of the information. This person strongly suggested that we refrain from casting “judgment” unless or until Cosby was criminally charged and a verdict rendered.

These type of “innocent until proven guilty” responses to allegations of sexual abuse are not limited to public figures. When a member of a faith community is accused of sexually abuse, it is not uncommon for leaders and other members to caution everyone to hold off forming any opinions and to give the accused the benefit of the doubt until he has been “proven guilty” in a court of law. All too often, this results in the alleged offender being treated like the victim while the victim is ignored, marginalized, and sometimes even rebuked.

So, is a person who has been accused of sexual abuse “innocent until proven guilty”? Yes! Under the law. One legal dictionary states, “One of the most sacred principles in the American criminal justice system holds that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty.” This simply means that a person charged with a crime is legally innocent and cannot have their freedom taken away (sent to prison) unless and until they have been proven guilty in a court of law. It is critical to remember that “innocent until proven guilty” is a legal term and that just because a person is viewed under the law as “innocent” does not mean that they did not commit the offense. It simply means that a jury was unable to unanimously agree that the government was able to prove the crime beyond and to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt. It means that the defendant will be considered “innocent” under the law and will not lose his freedom. It does not mean the offense never occurred. Case in chief: the murder trial of O.J. Simpson. Though the judicial system determined that he was “not guilty”, does that mean that he didn’t murder Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman? Does the fact that he was found “not guilty” mean that we should have no concerns being alone with him…especially when he’s angry?

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
Burnt Orange Report

Church Fighting Plano’s LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance Was Once Home To Minister Caught in Underage Sex Sting

By Katie Singh on JANUARY 14, 2015

Last month, the Plano City Council passed a non-discrimination ordinance that extended protection to its LGBT citizens. As we reported then, the measure has drawn the ire of many conservative Christians angry that the law doesn’t protect their right to be bigoted. Since the ordinance passed, they have been organizing in an effort to repeal the ordinance.

Opponents of the ordinance have launched a website to gather signatures for repeal, www.planoequalrights.com/, with the banner “Plano Citizens United: Equal Rights For All/Special Rights For None.” The site is home to lots of reactionary, discriminatory gems such as these:

“Under Plano’s new ordinance (2014-12-7) anything any business owner or employee says or does to another person regarding the person’s gender, sexuality, or “identity” may be a CRIME. Plano now CRIMINALIZES Christians’, Jews’, Muslims’, and others’ beliefs about men and women. City bureaucrats will determine whether citizens’ statements and actions are “unjust”. This policy subjects citizens to CRIMINAL SANCTIONS for our beliefs on topics affecting much of human interaction and is a direct threat to our freedoms of both speech and religion!”

As Towelroad reported, opponents of the ordinance will need 3,822 signatures by January 20 to qualify their repeal effort for the ballot. The efforts are being led by the Houston-based Texas Pastor Council, the same organization whose petition to repeal a similar ordinance was rejected due to invalid signatures, leading to a lawsuit.

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
Irish Times

The chairman of an inquiry into alleged historical abuse at care homes in Northern Ireland is to appeal a ruling that he unfairly denied legal representation to a victim.

Earlier this week High Court judge Mr Justice Treacy held that a bar had effectively been erected against the woman who claims she was molested by a “very high-profile figure”.

But his former judicial colleague, Sir Anthony Hart, has now lodged a challenge to the verdict.

Judges in the Court of Appeal on Friday listed the case for hearing at the start of March.

The woman at the centre of the legal battle is due to give evidence at the ongoing Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry.

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)
WUSA

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — One of our area’s most prominent rabbis, Barry Freundel, has his case continued until next month.

The 62-year-old from Kesher Israel in Georgetown faces voyeurism charges. He is accused of secretly videotaping women in a ritual bath.

Freudel was arrested at his house, just blocks from the synagogue. Kesher Israel has suspended him without pay.

On Friday, his case was continued until Feb. 19th. Prosecution asked for more time to examine 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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
Washington Post

Prosecutors get delay in case of Barry Freundel, the rabbi charged with voyeurism

By Keith L. Alexander January 16

Prosecutors investigating the case of the Orthodox rabbi charged with secretly videotaping nude women as they prepared for a ritual bath asked a D.C. Superior Court judge Friday for additional time as they continue to review and gather evidence in the case.

At a hearing Friday before Judge Franklin Burgess Jr., prosecutors asked to set a new hearing date of Feb. 19 in the case of Barry Freundel. Freundel was arrested and charged in October with misdemeanor voyeurism involving six women. He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

The judge granted the delay. It’s not the first time prosecutors have asked for additional time in the case. At a previous hearing in November, prosecutors requested an extension as they looked for any additional victims.

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.

WISCONSIN
Catholic Herald

January 14 2015 Written by Brian T. Olszewski, Catholic Herald Staff

Attorneys for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and “attorneys for certain clients,” i.e., Jeff Anderson and Associates, will be in the courtroom of Chief Judge Susan V. Kelley of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Thursday, Jan. 15, as she hears a motion filed by Anderson to compel the archdiocese to produce unredacted documents and proof of claims forms relevant to the archdiocese’s latest motions for summary judgment.

“The unredacted documents and proof of claim forms contain the identities of witnesses with discoverable information relevant to certain claimants’ opposition to the archdiocese’s motions for summary judgment,” Anderson argued in the Jan. 8 motion. “As such, certain claimants respectfully request the court to compel the archdiocese to produce the unredacted documents and relevant proof of claim forms.”

Four days later, attorneys for the archdiocese responded, noting that it was following the orders of the court in not releasing documents with unredacted names.

The bar date (Feb. 1, 2012, by which victims could file claims) order “provides that confidential abuse survivor proofs of claim are confidential and that only certain ‘permitted parties’ can have access to the confidential abuse survivor proofs of claim,” the archdiocese’s attorneys wrote, noting that an individual claimant’s attorneys were not “permitted parties” and could only have access to the proofs for the claimants they represent.

The archdiocesan attorneys wrote that the confidentiality agreement, which all people with the confidential abuse survivor proofs of claim signed, “prohibits the debtor (archdiocese) from providing copies of the confidential abuse survivor proofs of claim to the Anderson firm.”

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
Reuters

(Adds details on archdiocese, number of filings in the United States, background)

Jan 16 (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, saying that it will allow its finite resources to be distributed among victims and survivors of child sex abuse by clergy.

The archdiocese, which has been criticized for its past handling of clergy abuse cases, is the 12th Catholic diocese to seek bankruptcy protection under sex abuse claims, according to Bishopaccountability.org, which tracks abuse cases.

“I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us,” Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a statement on the archdiocese’s website.

The filing does not includes parishes or schools and will allow the archdiocese to provide essential services, 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
Jeff Anderson & Associates

Live stream of press conference held by attorney Jeff Anderson in St. Paul, Minn. regarding the bankruptcy filing by the St. Paul-Minneapolis 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.

MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson & Associates

[accused Minnesota offenders]

JANUARY 16, 2015
By: Mike Finnegan

Welcome to our Bankruptcy Blog. I am an attorney working with Jeff Anderson and a team of lawyers on the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis bankruptcy cases in St. Paul. Our firm, Jeff Anderson & Associates, has been working with survivors of clergy sexual abuse for over 30 years.

The purpose of this blog is to be a source of information and commentary on the news coming out of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis bankruptcy court process. As motions are filed by the parties and orders issued from the court, I will provide interpretations of court documents so readers are better able to understand what is happening on a weekly basis.

Current Status

As of today, January 16, 2015, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a liquidation bankruptcy process in which the debtor, the Archdiocese, maintains control of its business and property while the court supervises its restructuring and the implementation of a plan to repay creditors. The creditors in this case consist mainly of individual survivors of sexual abuse by priests or other employees of the Archdiocese.

What Does This Mean For Survivors?

We will file cases on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse who were abused by clergy in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis who we represent. The cases will be filed in bankruptcy court instead of state court. Just because the Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy, does not mean that the Archdiocese is or will go out of business. They have filed for reorganization rather than liquidation and will still be operational during and after the bankruptcy. We are experienced in this area of law and have handled several other diocesan bankruptcy cases before.

Claims Bar Date

An important part of this process provides that the court set a “claims bar date,” which is a date marking the deadline by which all survivors must formally file a claim with the court. After the claims bar date, a survivor will be precluded from bringing a claim and could be denied any sort of recovery from the Archdiocese. The bankruptcy court has yet to establish a claims bar date but we expect the court to do so in the coming months.

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
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, Jan. 16, 2015

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

Archbishop John Nienstedt is exploiting secular bankruptcy laws to protect himself and his top aides from embarrassment and inconvenience. This decision is not about money, it’s about selfishness.

It’s no coincidence that Nienstedt does this on the eve of three trials at which dreadfully damaging testimony by a range of victims, witnesses and whistleblowers would have been laid bare for the public to see. That’s almost always the way Catholic church bankruptcy filings happen.

Nienstedt will say it’s about helping to make sure everyone gets paid. But it’s really about making sure he and his colleagues get off the hook, avoiding having to answer tough questions in open court about how they are concealing and have concealed heinous crimes against kids.

And if there’s one Catholic official who wants to avoid this, it’s Nienstedt. What’s known now about dozens of Twin Cities predator priests is awful. But if even one of these cases would go to trial, even more shocking facts would come to light. And Niensted will do almost anything he possibly can to prevent this from happening.

Chapter 11 enables a bishop to protect what he cares about most: his own reputation, comfort and secrets. It stops depositions, discovery and clergy sex abuse and cover up trials. It’s a smart but selfish legal maneuver that will effectively prevent Catholics from getting key information and victims from getting real justice.

Chapter 11 also enables Catholic officials to change the subject from “Which priests and bishops put kids in harms’ way” to “How are we going to divide up church funds?” The names and reckless, callous and deceitful actions of those who intimidated victims, stonewalled police, threatened whistleblowers, discredited witnesses, and deceived parishioners will not be revealed.

Church officials claim they are broke. But if they’ll deceive police, prosecutors, parents, parishioners and the public about predator priests, they’ll also deceive people about their wealth.

As best we can tell, Twin Cities Catholic officials have done virtually nothing to expand the pool of funds that could be used to compensate victims while clearly doing all they can to deceitfully reduce that pool.

(More than decade ago, America’s most disgraced Catholic prelate, Boston’s Cardinal Bernard Law, borrowed $25 million to help compensate victims. Other bishops have sold property that isn’t needed or isn’t being used – most of which was given to the diocese by parishioners who have passed away. But we’ve seen no evidence that Nienstedt has even tried to borrow or raise more funds for this purpose.)

If Nienstedt were a father of a high school senior, he’d borrow money, get a second job and move heaven and earth to send that kid to college. (We all know that ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way,’ especially in the world’s largest, richest, oldest and only global monarchy.) But with adults who were sexually assaulted as kids by clerics, he rubs even more salt into already devastating and still infected wounds by pretending to be poor.

When it’s to their advantage (hiring lobbyists and public relations firms and funding papal visits), bishops pool their resources, talking about “the universal church.” When it’s to their advantage – like clergy sex cases – they pretend it’s “every man for himself,” claiming “we’re a small, independent diocese with limited resources.”

It’s been 12 years since thousands of clergy sex abuse victims began stepping forward following the Boston Globe’s investigation. More and more dioceses have sought bankruptcy protection. It’s a smart way to continue protecting those who commit and conceal horrific crimes against kids by preventing depositions, discovery and trials. We fear more bishops will now be tempted to exploit this maneuver so they can preserve their reputations and careers.

Finally, we are sad for brave Twin Cities victims who has done so much and fought so hard to expose the corruption in their archdiocese. At least three of them wanted and deserved their day in court. Nienstedt, however, in yet another act of betrayal by a bishop against a victim, took that away from 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.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. But what does that mean? And what will it mean for local parishes, schools and parishioners?

What is bankruptcy?

Filing for bankruptcy allows an organization to put together a plan to pay its debts by dividing its assets among its creditors. When an organization files for bankruptcy, it must declare its assets (what it owns) and its liabilities (what it owes).

But just because an organization files for bankruptcy doesn’t mean it will automatically be granted that status.

A federal bankruptcy judge must approve the organization’s petition for the bankruptcy to move forward.

Bankruptcy law is governed at the federal level — states do not have the authority to regulate bankruptcy — and is handled in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which is a branch of U.S. District Courts. The Minnesota district has locations in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth and Fergus Falls.

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
Fox 9

by Fox 9 staff

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) –
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed for bankruptcy, with Archbishop John Nienstedt saying it’s the best course of action to ensure a fair distribution of resources to victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse.

“I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us,” Nienstedt said in a letter. “Reorganization will allow the finite resources of the Archdiocese to be distributed equitably among all victims/survivors.”

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 Elizabeth Mohr
emohr@pioneerpress.com

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court Friday morning.

The move wasn’t unexpected. Archdiocese officials had said in recent months that they were considering bankruptcy, following news of a $9.1 million operating deficit for fiscal year 2014 and expectations of more lawsuits by people who say they are victims of clergy sexual abuse, in addition to the more than two dozen that have already been filed lawsuits.

Bankruptcy protection will put any current lawsuits against the archdiocese on hold, including three sex abuse trials that were slated to begin at the end of the month. However, new claims can be filed while the bankruptcy case is active.

In November, the archdiocese said its operating deficit can be partly attributed to $4.1 million spent to address allegations of clergy sexual abuse since May 2013, when a three-year window opened for abuse victims to file claims that were otherwise barred under the statute of limitations.

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
The Catholic Spirit

On Jan. 16, the archdiocesan corporation filed a petition for Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This decision came after months of consideration and consultation with clergy and lay leadership and input from attorneys representing victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Archbishop John Nienstedt and other archdiocesan leaders determined the way to respond most fairly to victims/survivors, given the finite resources of the archdiocese, was to file Chapter 11 Reorganization. This will allow all the resources available to be distributed equitably among all victims/survivors and allow the archdiocese to continue essential services to fulfill mission of the Catholic Church.

“This is not easy news to share,” said Archbishop Nienstedt. “However, over the past six to seven months, I have looked at all the options available to us and I am convinced that this decision is in the best interests of the victims/survivors and the archdiocese as a whole. I believe that it is consistent with our goal of putting victims/survivors first.”

The archdiocese has 21 pending clergy sexual abuse cases, and faces the potential for more than 100 additional suits. These cases are coming forward now because of the lifting of the civil statute of limitations on child sexual abuse under the Minnesota Child Victims Act signed into law in 2013.

The total cost to separately settle or go to trial with each pending or future claim is impossible to determine definitively. It is unknown how many additional claims there could be before the open statute of limitations window on historical claims closes in May 2016.

Although the archdiocese has insurance coverage, that coverage may not be available to pay every claim or the full amount of every claim. There are a number of reasons for this. For example, some of the archdiocese’s carriers are now insolvent; in other cases the archdiocese’s policies may require that the archdiocese fund legal verdicts before the carrier would pay (similar to a deductible on an auto policy), and policy limits may excuse carriers from covering full verdict amounts.

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

Q. Why is the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Reorganization?

A. We have realized that the way to most fairly respond to victims/survivors, given the limited resources of the archdiocese, was to file for Reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code (Reorganization). This will allow all resources available to be distributed equitably among victims/survivors and allow the archdiocese to continue essential ministry. The decision to file for Reorganization was reached after months of prayer, careful consideration and consultation with representative clergy and archdiocesan lay leadership groups and outside experts, as well as input from attorneys representing victims/survivors. We must all come together to care for those who have been hurt during this tragic time in our Church’s history.

Q. Is filing for bankruptcy a way to avoid compensating victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse?

A. No. Reorganization is our best option to care for victims/survivors. It is the fairest way to respond because it allows available funds to be distributed equitably to victims/survivors. This is a continuation of our working relationship with victims/survivors’ counsel and not a deviation from it. By filing for Reorganization, we are not avoiding our responsibilities, but recognizing them.

Q. What does this mean for my parish or school?

A. Parishes, Catholic schools and other local Catholic entities are separately incorporated and are not part of this filling for Reorganization. (Most Catholic schools are parish ministries. Those that are not, such as most local Catholic high schools, are separately incorporated and are often run by religious orders.)

Q. I thought you settled all the sexual abuse cases against the archdiocese back in October at the time of the announcement with Jeff Anderson and Associates. So why do you need to Reorganize?

A. On Oct. 13, 2014, the archdiocese and Jeff Anderson and Associates reached an agreement to settle the Doe 1 litigation. It was not a settlement of all sexual abuse claims.

Also, as part of ongoing global settlement negotiations, the archdiocese is proceeding under a set of 17 child protection protocols.

Q. Couldn’t the archdiocese find another way to fairly resolve these claims?

A. We tried to identify other options, but were unable to find a solution that was as fair as Reorganization to address the many current claims and the potential future claims arising from the lifting of the Minnesota civil statute of limitations on sexual abuse of a minor. Reorganization is a process designed to bring parties together to resolve difficult claims fairly and with finality, under the neutral supervision of the bankruptcy court. This process resolves all claims collectively and fairly allocates resources to compensate victims/survivors. Through the court process we will find the fairest resolution possible for those harmed while still fulfilling our mission as a Church to make the name of Jesus Christ known and loved.

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 16, 2015

Source: Archbishop John Nienstedt

Visit information.archspm.org to learn more.

Read more in this special section of The Catholic Spirit and visit thecatholicspirit.com.

We have all been devastated by revelations of the stories from those who have been hurt by clergy sexual abuse. Victims, survivors and their loved ones have personally shared their heartbreaking stories with me. I have sensed their anger, their sorrow, and their intense sense of betrayal because of these unthinkably evil deeds. I deeply regret their suffering. I hope to do all I can to assist them toward healing.

We must come together to care for all those who have been hurt during this tragic time in our Church’s history. As announced in October, we are continuing to work with those representing victims/survivors to make sure we are doing all we can to prevent sexual abuse of minors, as well as to be instruments of healing for those who have been abused.

To that end, I have directed that a petition for a Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Archdiocese Corporation be filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Minnesota. Please note: this filing does not include parishes and schools.

I make this decision because I believe it is the fairest and most helpful recourse for those victims/survivors who have made claims against us. Reorganization will allow the finite resources of the Archdiocese to be distributed equitably among all victims/ survivors. It will also permit the Archdiocese to provide essential services required to continue its mission within this 12-county district.

It must be pointed out that this action will not in any way avoid our responsibilities to those who have been affected by clerical sexual abuse. This is not an attempt to silence victims or deny them justice in court. On the contrary, we want to respond positively in compensating them for their suffering. Plaintiffs’ attorneys and I are in agreement that priority should be given to providing resources for the victims/survivors.

We have made this decision thoughtfully, prayerfully and collaboratively. I have consulted experts in the field of bankruptcy, finance, insurance, civil and canon law, law enforcement, child sexual abuse and victim advocacy. They have advised me that Chapter 11 Reorganization is the fairest and most helpful recourse for resolution of victims’ claims. I have received the approval of the consultative boards of the Archdiocese, namely the Archdiocesan Corporate Board, Archdiocesan Finance Council, and the College of Consultors. They agree Reorganization is the best forum in which a negotiated resolution can be established that fairly and equitably compensates claimants and permits the Archdiocese to continue its important mission of evangelization.

Documents included in our Reorganization filing provide detailed financial information about archdiocesan corporation assets. Much of this information has been made public already in our fiscal year 2013 and 2014 financial reports. During the coming weeks and months, additional documents will be filed in court. We will continue to post relevant documents on the archdiocesan website, www.archspm.org, and will include more information in The Catholic Spirit.

Finally, the men and women of my team join me in making this pledge to you, the faithful of the Archdiocese:

* We will keep our focus on creating and maintaining safe environments. In short, the protection of minors is a top priority, and it informs our every action and decision.

* We are making every effort to resolve these issues through collaboration, cooperation and reconciliation.

* All resources that are not essential to core ministries will be directed toward these efforts.

* We will care for those who have been harmed by clergy sexual abuse. We will continue to facilitate the healing process for our local Church in order to restore trust with the Catholic faithful, who are counting on the clergy and leadership of the Church to make virtuous decisions for the well-being of the Body of Christ.

* And we will work hard to restore trust with our clergy, who are dedicated men deserving of our confidence and respect.

We still have a long journey ahead as we restore trust through humility, competency and transparency, in order to respond with compassion to all those who have been hurt, to continue to atone for sins that have been committed, and to foster healing. The filing for Reorganization marks another important step on our way forward as a local Church.

Let us place our trust in Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, and in his holy mother, Mary. May they continue to be our guardians as well as our inspiration and source of confidence.

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
KEYC

By Mitch Keegan, Anchor, KEYC News 12 Midday

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed for bankruptcy,

The archdiocese says it’s is the best way to fairly get as many resources as possible to victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse.

Attorneys for the archdiocese filed their petition today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Church officials have said bankruptcy was an option as the archdiocese faces lawsuits from victims of past sexual abuse.

Roughly two dozen lawsuits have been filed, and the archdiocese has received more than 100 notices of potential claims.

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: JENNIFER BJORHUS , Star Tribune Updated: January 16, 2015

Q: What is a Chapter 11 bankruptcy?

A: It’s a form of bankruptcy protection in which the organization does not liquidate but reorganizes while continuing to operate under the court’s supervision.

Q: Why did it file?

A: The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis faces more than 20 lawsuits and says the total claims would likely outstrip the $5.3 million it has set aside to compensate victims.

Q: How many dioceses have filed for bankruptcy?

A: At least 11 Catholic dioceses in the United States have filed for bankruptcy since 2004.

Q: How long have they stayed in bankruptcy?

A: From one to about five years.

Q: How does an archdiocese bankruptcy differ from a business bankruptcy?

A: They are very similar. Secured creditors, such as mortgage holders on the diocese’s real estate, will be paid first. Priority creditors, such as the IRS, come next. Victims, who are unsecured creditors, are paid next and would be likely be divided into classes. The plan can treat each class differently.

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 , Star Tribune Updated: January 16, 2015

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday, saying it cannot meet its financial obligations from an unprecedented wave of clergy sex abuse lawsuits.

The move freezes lawsuits against the church, protecting the archdiocese from creditors while allowing it to develop a reorganization plan.

“We’re doing the right thing,” the vicar general Rev. Charles Lachowitzer told the Associated Press. “This decision reflects the end of a process of putting victims first.”

Archdiocese officials have said such a move was a financial necessity, as it faced more than 25 lawsuits from people who charge they were sexually abused by priests. Another 100 lawsuits were pending.

But victim’s advocates say it’s one more example of the archdiocese shirking its responsibility to abuse victims.

“Why is it that when all the dioceses file bankruptcy, they do it on the eve of a trial?” asked Bob Schwiderski, longtime advocate for abuse survivors. “Is it because they can’t put their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth?”

Schwiderski was referring to three clergy abuse trials slated for Jan. 26, that will now be halted.

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.

Martin Moylan St. Paul, Minn. Jan 16, 2015

With three clergy abuse lawsuits nearing trial and worries mounting over the cost of future claims, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Friday filed for bankruptcy protection.

• Documents: Explore the filing

The archdiocese in its filing listed assets of between $10 million and $50 million and liabilities of $50 million to $100 million.

The documents appear to indicate the archdiocese has limited financial resources, said Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul attorney who’s represented many alleged victims of clergy sex abuse. He added, however, that he believes the archdiocese insurance coverage is sound.

However, he said, he believes the archdiocese insurance coverage is sound.

The Chapter 11 filing immediately buys the archdiocese time to try to reorganize its troubled finances as it faces huge potential costs tied to clergy abuse. Instead of handling claims through civil suits, alleged victims will likely need to file claims in federal court as creditors of the archdiocese. The bankruptcy filing will also halt the coming civil court trials, which were set to begin Jan. 26.

• Explained: The archdiocese has filed for bankruptcy. Now what?

The archdiocese did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Church officials, however, are expected to hold a news conference on the matter later today.

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
Wall Street Journal

By TOM CORRIGAN
Jan. 16, 2015

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., became the 12th U.S. Roman Catholic diocese to seek bankruptcy protection in the face of sexual-abuse claims against its clergy.

The archdiocese, home to 187 parishes and 825,000 parishioners, filed for Chapter 11 protection Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Paul, Minn.

Catholic dioceses have used the breathing room offered by Chapter 11 to negotiate settlements with alleged victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy and others, deals that can total many millions of dollars and include nonmonetary forms of compensation such as the release of long-shielded church documents detailing the alleged abuse and subsequent coverup.

The Twin Cities archdiocese’s chief financial officer, Thomas Mertens, has previously disclosed that all options, including a bankruptcy reorganization, are on the table to address the “numerous” sexual abuse lawsuits already filed or expected to be brought against the 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.

MINNESOTA
ABC News

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jan 16, 2015, 10:58 AM ET

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, saying it’s the best way for the church to get as many resources as possible to victims of clergy sexual abuse.

“We’re doing the right thing,” the Rev. Charles Lachowitzer told The Associated Press in an interview in advance of Friday’s filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. “This decision reflects the end of a process of putting victims first.”

The archdiocese is the 12th U.S. diocese to seek bankruptcy protection in the face of sex abuse claims. Church leaders have said for months that bankruptcy was an option, as the archdiocese faces the potential for dozens of lawsuits by victims of clergy sex abuse. Those lawsuits would be put on hold while the bankruptcy case is pending.

The filing estimated the archdiocese’s assets between $10 million and $50 million, with liabilities between $50 million and $100 million. It estimated 200 and 300 creditors.

Minnesota lawmakers created a three-year window in 2013 for victims of past sexual abuse to file claims that otherwise would have been barred by the statute of limitations.

Since then, the archdiocese has been sued roughly two dozen times, and it has received more than 100 notices of potential claims, according to Joe Kueppers, the archdiocese’s chancellor for civil affairs. It’s unknown how many of those notices will develop into lawsuits before the window expires in May 2016.

Charlie Rogers, an attorney working for the archdiocese, said the mission of the church and its day-to-day operations will continue through bankruptcy. Parishes and schools, which are incorporated separately from the archdiocese’s central office, should not be affected.

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
Jeff Anderson & Associates

Application by Debtor to Employ Chapter 11 Counsel
Archdiocese Chapter 11 Petition
Archdiocese Signature Declaration
Debtor’s Verified Application for Order
Notice of Intention to Seek Expedited Hearing

Media Advisory
January 16, 2015

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

WHAT: At a news conference today in St. Paul, attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan will discuss today’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

WHEN: Today, January 16, 2015 at 11:00 AM CST

WHERE: Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson Street, Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

NOTES: We will live stream the press event online from our website www.andersonadvocates.com.

Contact Jeff Anderson: Office/651.538.5049 Cell/612.817.8665
Contact Mike Finnegan: Office/651.538.5049 Cell/612.205.5531

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
National Catholic Reporter

Thomas Reese | Jan. 16, 2015 Faith and Justice

Anyone who reads this column knows that I am a big fan of Pope Francis. I never thought I would see a pope like him in my lifetime. His simplicity, compassion, and commitment to the poor are genuine reflections of the Gospel message of Jesus. His support for openness and honest discussion and debate in the church are marks of his trust in the Spirit. His stress on justice, peace, and care for the environment show his focus on issues that are critical to the 21st century.

That said, I wish he knew how to talk about women in a way that would be more acceptable to educated women. I wish he would ask for the resignations of bishops who have lost credibility with their people by not following the church’s rules on dealing with abusive priests.

I also get nervous when people place all of their hopes and dreams about the church on the shoulders of Francis. The pope is not the Catholic church. He has a very important role in the church, but the church is much bigger than him. It includes all of us.

For example, many journalists have asked me about the “Francis effect.” Is Francis bringing people back to church?

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
Crux

By John L. Allen Jr.
Associate editor January 16, 2015

In points he’s made before in other settings, Pope Francis on Friday criticized what he called the “ideological colonization of the family,” language that many took as a reference to gay marriage, and also defended a previous pope who upheld the Church’s ban on contraception.

“The family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by a lack of openness to life,” Francis said.

A Vatican spokesman confirmed Friday evening that, at least in part, the pope had gay marriage in mind.

The remarks came in a session Francis held with more than 1,000 families in a downtown Manila arena, amid the pontiff’s Jan. 12-19 trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

The pope also issued a strong defense of Pope Paul VI’s controversial 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which upheld the Church’s traditional ban on birth control.

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
Washington Post

The bizarre ESP experiments conducted on aboriginal children without parental consent

By Abby Phillip January 16

Canada’s residential schools for aboriginal children were places of hunger, isolation and misery. Children as young as 3 were separated from their families and became wards of the state.

In the 1940s, the children were also, as more and more evidence is revealing, the unwitting subjects of bizarre, cruel and unethical experimentation.

A recently uncovered experiment reveals the depths of the access given to so-called researchers seeking to find evidence that aboriginal children, by dint of their race, had extrasensory perception, also known as ESP, or a “sixth sense.”

Fifty children at the Indian Residential School in Brandon, Manitoba, became the subjects of a series of tests that sought to establish a new measure for identifying ESP and also to find evidence of supernatural abilities of “primitive” people.

As was typical for the time, there was no parental consent. But the children, ranging from ages 6 to 20, likely participated “willingly,” as the study claims, eager for candy that might stave off their persistent hunger.

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

Former children’s home boss, 77, accused of historic sex abuse of boys as young as nine is found dead at home weeks before he was due to stand trial

By MARTIN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
16 January 2015

A suspected paedophile children’s home boss has been found dead – just weeks before he was due to stand trial for allegedly abusing boys as young as nine.

John Stingemore, 72, was set to face a string of historic sex abuse charges relating to his time as manager of Grafton Close children’s home in West London in the 1970s and 1980s.

Stingemore, who was charged in September 2013 with multiple counts of indecent assault, taking indecent images of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit buggery, was found dead by police.

A spokeswoman from the coroner’s office in Hastings, near where he lived in St Leonard’s on Sea, East Sussex, said: ‘He has passed away.’

A source said that a post-mortem examination would be needed to find the exact cause of death.
Stingemore was set to appear for trial at Southwark Crown Court on February 2 alongside Catholic priest Father Anthony McSweeney.

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
ABC 2

[with video]

Catherine Hawley

LUTHERVILLE, Md. – About 150 people came out to the Church of the Holy Comforter in Lutherville to ask questions and hopefully get some answers from the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland about the tragic crash on Dec. 27 that killed Tom Palermo.

“Our lord God, we have no idea where we are going.”

They started with prayer, then the head of the state diocese turned the focus to the pain of its congregations.

“It breaks my heart,” said Pat Ash. “It breaks my heart for the Palermo family, and the fact that, my goodness, she was that drunk at 2:30 in the afternoon, how incredibly sad.”

“Certainly has cast a little bit of negative light on the church just in light of the seriousness of the event,” Dave Zidek said.

“I think it’s also a way of healing,” said Steffy Sabino. “Just listening to other people, what they have to say and how they’re hurting and how they’re frustrated and angry.”

For an hour and half, that’s exactly what happened. People shared stories about their personal battles with addiction, but a lot of the discussion focused on the churches very own who is causing the pain, Bishop Heather Cook.

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 Brew

Mark Reutter and Fern Shen January 15, 2015

Bishop Heather Cook was bailed out today by a person she has described as her “steady companion,” Mark H. Hansen, a former Episcopal priest who was defrocked in 2005 for his opposition to the ordination of a gay bishop in New Hampshire.

Hansen posted $35,000 of collateral and signed a $215,000 promissory note to meet the 10% requirement of the $2.5 million bail for Bishop Cook, who was jailed last Friday on manslaughter and drunk driving charges stemming from a car crash that killed bicyclist Thomas Palermo.

Reached this afternoon, Hansen said, “I’m not talking to the press, OK? We have an attorney.”

Only one condition is required of Bishop Cook under the terms of today’s bail: “Do not drive while pending trial.”

Arinze Ifekauche, spokesman for State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, confirmed that Cook “is not on pretrial supervision.”

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 Central

Nick Bramhill @irishcentral January 16,2015

A founding member of a group representing over 1,000 Catholic priests has said the time is not right for the Pope to visit Ireland, as there are too existing many problems in the Irish Church.

Speculation has been growing that a historic papal visit could take place in the near future, following recent comments from the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown.

But a spokesman for the Association of Catholic Priests said he believes a high-profile visit by Pope Francis would hamper their efforts to bring about reforms and changes in the Church.

Fr. Brendan Hoban, a founding member of the group, said: “A papal visit is exactly what the Irish Church doesn’t need at the moment, because it would distract us from tackling the issues which we need to put right.

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
Nord Bayern

NEUMARKT – Bei der Aufarbeitung des sexuellen Missbrauchs von Mitgliedern des Knabenchores Regensburger Domspatzen haben jetzt Recherchen der Neumarkter Nachrichten dazu geführt, dass ein alter Fall vom Bistum neu aufgerollt wird. Zuvor war die Stadt Neumarkt zum Schauplatz des Themas geworden — durch einen ARD-Fernsehbeitrag über ein Treffen von Opfer und mutmaßlichem Täter.

In der Sendung „Sünden an den Sängerknaben“ am 7. Januar im „Ersten“ sah ein Millionenpublikum den 63-jährigen Georg Auer aus Südbayern vor dem Pfarrhof von St. Johannes in Neumarkt. In den Räumen der katholischen Kirche hatte sich der ehemalige Domspatz nach Recherchen der Neumarkter Nachrichten im Oktober 2010 mit seinem mutmaßlichen Peiniger aus der Schulzeit getroffen – ohne dass einer der Beteiligten einen Neumarkter Bezug hat. Zeugin des Gesprächs, das das Fernsehteam später für die Dokumentation nachspielen ließ: die damalige Missbrauchsbeauftragte des Bistums Regensburg, Birgit Böhm.

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
RP

[Five years ago, the public looked with stunned horror into the abyss of sexual abuse at the Odenwald School. For five years, the Catholic Church trying now to get out of the whirlpool of suspicion, generalizations and true descriptions.]

Gregor Mayntz

Vor fünf Jahren blickte die Öffentlichkeit mit fassungslosem Entsetzen in die Abgründe sexuellen Missbrauchs an der Odenwaldschule. Seit fünf Jahren bemüht sich die katholische Kirche nun, aus dem Strudel von Verdächtigungen, Pauschalisierungen und wahren Beschreibungen herauszukommen. Der seit Jahrzehnten immer wieder aufgekommene Vertuschungsverdacht schien sich zu bestätigen, als die Bischöfe die von ihnen bestellte externe Aufarbeitung durch den bekannten Kriminologie-Professor Christian Pfeiffer stoppten und dieser das Scheitern mit Zensur- und Kontrollwünschen der Kirche begründete.

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 , Star Tribune Updated: January 16, 2015

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is likely on the verge of filing for bankruptcy as it faces the prospect of three clergy sex abuse lawsuits heading to court in 10 days.

While the archdiocese wouldn’t comment Thursday, it acknowledged last month that it was considering bankruptcy after its 2014 financial reports showed a $9 million deficit.

Pending trials typically have triggered bankruptcy filings in dioceses and archdioceses facing a large number of cases, said Charles Zech, director of the Center for the Study of Church Management at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

“I can’t think of a single case where bankruptcy wasn’t filed as a trial loomed,” said Zech, referring to the 11 other dioceses and archdioceses that sought court protection from lawsuits and judgments.

The Twin Cities archdiocese previously indicated that it had just $5.3 million set aside for clergy abuse victims, even as it faced 25 current lawsuits with dozens more pending.

Charles Soper, a bankruptcy attorney and a University of Minnesota law professor, agreed that pending trial dates “are typical pressure points” for bankruptcy filings, whether for corporations or a church.

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.

MONTANA
KBZK

MISSOULA – A federal bankruptcy judge has approved a reorganization plan for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena that includes a $16 million settlement for hundreds of people who sued the diocese over clergy sex abuse.

The plan, approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Terry Myers in Missoula, includes another $4.45 million payment from the Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province to settle a lawsuit filed by 45 Native Americans who alleged abuse and sex abuse at the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius over the same time period.

The plan will now go to a vote of creditors, the 362 plaintiffs in two lawsuits against the Diocese, and the plaintiffs in the Ursuline lawsuit.

The settlement calls for the Diocese to post on its website the names of all known past and present perpetrators who are identified in sexual abuse claims or in the lawsuits.

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
Broken Rites

By a Broken Rites researcher (article updated 16 January 2015)

Many years ago, Broken Rites began researching “Brother Gabriel Mount”, who had worked in Catholic children’s homes conducted by the St John of God Brothers in New South Wales and Victoria. We discovered that he eventually became a priest (“Father Roger Mount”), working in Papua New Guinea. In October 2014 he was brought back to Australia, where Victorian police charged him with multiple child-sex offences, involving seven Victorian victims. He is in custody in Victoria, where he has made two brief appearances in court (by video link from prison), the most recent being on 16 January 2015. New South Wales police, also, are investigating Father Mount concerning incidents that are alleged to have occurred in NSW.

Broken Rites research ascertained that, early in his church career (in the 1960s and 1970s), Roger Mount was listed in the annual editions of the Australian Catholic Directory as Brother “Gabriel” Mount, a member of a Catholic religious order called the St John of God Brothers. (When men joined this religious order, they normally adopted an ancient “saintly” name – hence Brother “Gabriel”.)

Later, Brother “Gabriel” Mount transferred to Papua New Guinea, where he left the St John of God order and became a diocesan priest. He reverted to his birth name, becoming Father Roger Mount, and was attached to the Diocese of Port Moresby. He reached a senior rank in this diocese. His most recent parish, Sogeri, is on the southern end of PNG’s famous Kokoda Track.

In October 2014, Father Roger Melville Mount (now aged 72) was deported from Papua New Guinea to Australia. On arrival in Cairns (Queensland), he was arrested by police, who then obtained a court order for Mount to be extradited to Victoria. He was taken to Victoria by detectives from the Sano Taskforce in the Victoria Police sex crime squad. This taskforce was established to investigate allegations regarding religious organisations.

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 appears to be a master of modern media. He wisely often leaves the Vatican’s scandalous space swamped by child abuse cover-ups and financial corruption charges for potentially more media friendly outposts, like Manila. The pope’s media managers then seek to present the Catholic Church in nations like the Philippines as a flourishing institution, even a national treasure. While the Catholic faith is likely a personal treasure for many Filipinos, is it a national treasure? Is the Church flourishing in the Philippines? If not, what if anything can Pope Francis do to change that? Media masters can create mirages, but these fade fairly quickly under pressure from hard facts. Facts, like Dorothy’s dog, Toto, tend to push open the curtains of wizards, even papal ones if necessary.

* The Catholic Church is declining, not flourishing, in the Philippines, it appears. A fair measure of a religion’s spiritual and financial health is weekly attendance statistics. If Catholics do not show up, worship and contribute regularly, counting them as Catholics seems like a hollow bad habit. An April 2013 survey found that weekly church attendance among Filipino Catholic adults dropped more than 42 percent to 37 percent in 2013 from a reported high of 64% percent in 1991.

* The survey also showed that while only 37% of Catholics attend church weekly. in comparison, there are percentage wise nearly twice as many of other Christians who are weekly churchgoers: 64% among Protestants, 70% among Iglesia ni Cristos and 62% among other Christians. Seventy-five percent of Muslims attend a mosque at least weekly. This indicates that the Catholic Church in the Philippines is declining sharply, rather than flourishing, no? It also appears to have some flourishing competitors. Of course, 37 % still can currently generate millions of Catholics who can be expected to come out and participate in a once in a generation papal mass, as is now happening. But by attending a well hyped papal mass, a “good Catholic” one does not necessarily make, no?

* Moreover, the Catholic hierarchy hardly seems to be a national treasure in the Philippines or anywhere else, it seems. The nation has one of the highest birthrates in Asia and a population of almost 100 million. By 2080, demographers predict that population could swell to 200 million. Right now, more than a quarter of Philippine people live on the equivalent of 62 cents a day, according to government data. According to the United National Population Fund, half of the 3.4 million pregnancies in the Philippines each year are unintended.

* The slums of the Philippines are reportedly already overcrowded. Families stand in line for more than 12 hours for a government assistance check. Some soup kitchens are forced to limit their guests to street children, the elderly and homeless people with severe disabilities.UNICEF estimates there are as many as 500,000 “street children” in the Philippines.

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 Age

January 16, 2015

Mark Russell

A Catholic priest deported from Papua New Guinea who is accused of abusing seven children in Victoria more than 40 years ago has appeared briefly in court.

Father Roger ‘Gabriel’ Mount, 72, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday via videolink from Port Phillip prison where he has been held since his deportation and arrest in October.

The case was delayed for several minutes as prison staff had to wheel the elderly, frail and wheelchair-bound priest into the videolink room.

When magistrate Amanda Chambers asked if the grey-haired, bespectacled priest could see and hear her, Father Mount replied: “I can see you but I can’t hear very well.”

Ms Chambers said she would speak up so he could follow the proceedings.

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
BBC News

A preacher found guilty of indecently assaulting two girls aged between nine and 16 has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Allan Cundick, 78, of Woking, assaulted the girls between 1970 and 1992.

One of his victims, Lina Barnes, from Corby in Northamptonshire, said she was urged by his church not to report the abuse.

The Gospel Hall Brethren preacher was found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court.

Ms Barnes, who has waived her right to anonymity, was aged between 10 and 13 at the time of the 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.

MISSOURI
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Settlement reached in sexual-abuse lawsuit involving AME church in St. Louis

By Lilly Fowler

A female minister has settled a sexual abuse lawsuit involving a local African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Brenda Jones had sued Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Louis Circuit Court on Jan. 29, 2014. The suit named the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Fifth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which encompasses churches in Missouri, and Bishop Larry T. Kirkland, the presiding prelate of that district, as defendants.

Now, nearly a year later, that lawsuit has settled, although Jones’ case against Frederick McCullough, the former pastor of Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church who she claims sexually abused her, is still pending.

“I’m just glad that I had the courage to stand up,” Jones said. “This was the hardest thing I had to do in my life.”

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.

MISSOURI
Belleville News-Democrat

The Associated Press
January 15, 2015

ST. LOUIS — A female minister who sued her St. Louis church for sexual harassment has settled part of the case, her lawyers said Thursday.

Brenda Jones sued Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church, along with church officials in California and Pennsylvania, in January 2014. She alleged another minister made sexually explicit remarks, forced her to see a photo of his genitals and inappropriately touched her on several occasions.

The case was scheduled to go to trial next month. But attorney Ken Chackes said claims against the church and church officials were settled this week for an undisclosed amount. An attorney for the church declined comment, citing a confidentiality agreement. Jones’ case against the former pastor is still pending. He has denied wrongdoing.

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
Dallas Voice

Prestonwood Baptist Church has become the center of activity when it comes to collecting signatures to repeal the new Plano nondiscrimination ordinance and capture the title of most homophobic church in the Metroplex from First Baptist Church of Dallas.

That defender of religious freedom may also be remembered as the church where a pastor had to resign in 2008 because he was caught soliciting sex from a minor.

Sr. Pastor Jack Graham, who is spearheading the signature collection effort for the Plano recall, accepted the resignation of Pastor Joe Barron after a 2008 sex sting.

“Barron was charged … with online solicitation of a minor,” according to an AP story from the time. “Undercover officers posing as a 13-year-old girl communicated with the 52-year-old minister for about two weeks. The online conversations were sexual in nature, police said.”

After connecting with “her” online, the Prestonwood minister drove 200 miles to meet her in Bryan. He was arrested and released on $7,000 bail.

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.

ILLINOIS
Peoria Journal-Star

By Michael Smothers of GateHouse Media Illinois
Posted Jan. 15, 2015

PEKIN — A former Pekin church youth minister used the church to commit sexual acts with a preteen girl who considered him her “spiritual mentor,” according to charges revealed in court Thursday.

Nicholas Lawrence, 27, already faces charges involving the same girl in Peoria County, where he led children in Bible classes at two Peoria Heights churches before he began his Pekin ministry.

He pleaded not guilty Thursday in Tazewell County Circuit Court to four Class X felony charges that allege he carried on a four-year sexual relationship into last spring with the girl, whom he met when she was about 8.

Lawrence, of 200 Matilda St., Apt. 4, was ordered held on $500,000 bond on the four Tazewell County charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. The crime is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

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
Lexology

Bolt Burdon Kemp
Virginia Sardeli
United Kingdom
January 14 2015

The Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS) support group have released a recording of a discussion between Phil Johnson, one of the group’s Panel members and Lady Butler-Sloss. The discussion took place in March 2011 in the Baroness’ House of Lords office during her Historic Cases Review concerning the handling of clergy abuse cases by the Diocese of Chichester.

Mr Johnson had sustained abuse at the hands of priests Roy Cotton and Colin Pritchard, whose cases were being reviewed by Lady Butler-Sloss. Although Mr Johnson had also reported being abused by Bishop Peter Ball, he alleges that Lady Butler-Sloss kept the Bishop’s name out of the report in order to protect the image of the church. Bishop Peter Ball has since been arrested and charged with assaulting males and committing misconduct in public office by using his position to prevail upon others for his own sexual gratification.

Mr Johnson was one of the voices calling for Lady Butler-Sloss to resign as Chair of the Independent Panel Inquiry into Sexual Abuse in July 2014. At the time, he said that while Lady Butler-Sloss had purportedly consulted with him regarding the exclusion of the Bishop’s name from her report, he felt he had little choice in the matter. He was prompted to release the recording of this discussion following a Radio Four Interview on 31 December 2014 when Lady Butler-Sloss said that she had asked him whether the name of the Bishop should be included in the report, that he had agreed to its exclusion and that he was now changing his story.

Mr Johnson has released part of the recording in order to allow listeners to make their own judgment as to what happened. He believes it supports his own version of events.

Bishop abuse discussion

In the recording, which is available on Youtube, Lady Butler-Sloss can be heard stating:

“What I do need to know is whether you want me to put Bishop [redacted] in it. And I tell you why I raise the question…..the press would love a Bishop…and if they get a Bishop…. they are going to concentrate on him. They are not going to concentrate on either Cotton or Pritchard. And since the Bishop didn’t do very much to you…”

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

01/15/2015

Jennifer Haselberger

With many observers anticipating a bankruptcy filing by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis sometime tomorrow or early next week, I thought it worthwhile to dust off some comments that I posted back in November regarding the Archdiocese’s precarious financial situation.

I have no doubt, no doubt, that when the Archdiocese officially declares that it does not have sufficient resources to meet its obligations we will see a press release attributing the decision to the volume of claims filed or expected to be filed under the Minnesota Child Victims Act, as well as to the Archdiocese’s oft stated but frankly implausible aim of wanting to find ‘a fair solution to all victim claims’.

When, in the late fall of 2014, the Archdiocese released audited financial reports showing a more than $9 million operating deficit for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014, the precarious financial position of the Archdiocese was already being linked to the so-called ‘civil window’ for the introduction of ‘old’ cases involving acts of sexual abuse of minors. I disagreed, and instead attributed the financial crisis to poor management and a fundamental failure of Archdiocesan leadership to govern the diocese in accord with its mission. I maintain that position.

For, it is important to remember that the passage of the Child Victims Act did not create the financial distress that is pushing the Archdiocese to bankruptcy. All the Child Victims Act did was create a window during which victims of sexual abuse could present civil cases that otherwise would have been barred by the statute of limitations. Permitting someone to introduce a case is not the same as guaranteeing that person a positive verdict, or even a monetary one.

The ‘number of cases’ the Archdiocese is facing is also not the result of the Child Victims Act, it is the result of decades of abuse perpetrated by clergy, often under circumstances in which the Archdiocese knew of or could have reasonably assumed the likelihood of such abuse occurring. For proof of this statement, I need only refer you to the Archdiocese’s own website and its growing list of ‘Individuals with substantiated claims against them of sexual abuse of a minor within the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis’.

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.

MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel Updated: 6:19 p.m.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee won a victory in its bankruptcy on Thursday in a dispute that turned on the promise of confidentially granted victims of childhood sex abuse when they brought allegations forward.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley refused to compel the archdiocese to provide attorneys for one group of abuse survivors with unredacted documents that could potentially identify other survivors who had an expectation of anonymity.

Instead, Kelley agreed to review dozens of abuse claims to see if there was evidence that would warrant a limited — and still not public — release of the documents, with names of victims and or witnesses.

“I’m denying the motion,” Kelley told attorneys for five abuse survivors.

“I’m sorry,” Kelley said, “but I have to weigh what I think is the fairness… and the rights of these people.”

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
UTV

Victims of child sex abuse at Kincora are launching a legal challenge over the Secretary of State’s decision not to include the former children’s home in the Westminster abuse inquiry, UTV Live Tonight can reveal.

The case is going to court on Friday, after Theresa Villiers ruled what was one of Northern Ireland’s biggest sex scandals out of the government investigation.

It had been hoped the inquiry would look into what happened inside the former boys’ home and into claims of a cover-up at the highest levels within the security services and government.

But instead the Secretary of State said that Kincora would be investigated by the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Northern Ireland.

Ms Villiers insisted there would be full co-operation and full disclosure from government, the Ministry of Defence and MI5.

Victims and senior politicians do not believe that is the best way to get the truth.

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
Mancunian Matters

15 Jan 2015 | By Samar Maguire

Britain has a ‘victim blaming culture’ and a judge’s claims that a schoolgirl ‘groomed’ her teacher into having sex only makes it worse, says a leading child sex abuse charity chief.

Former religious studies teacher Stuart Kerner, 44, received an 18-month suspended prison sentence for having an affair with an under-age pupil but dodged jail as the judge said he had been ‘manipulated’ by the victim.

While sentencing Kerner, Judge Joanna Greenberg QC described the circumstances of the crime as a ‘tragedy’ and said there was no evidence the teacher had sought the affair.

Peter Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), believes the Kerner case is ‘yet another example of blaming the victim for a crime.’

Mr Saunders, also an ex-North West teacher, told MM: “This is another case of blaming the victim for the crime. We’re talking about a 16-year-old child – and no matter what they look like they are children – and a 44-year-old experienced qualified deputy head teacher.

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 must now in Manila endorse a contraception family planning option for parents of street children in the Philippines and for similarly situated couples worldwide. Pope Francis preaches piously before cameras that his top priority is a “preferential option for the poor”. Yet behind closed doors, his subordinate bishops in the Philippines still push to deny couples a family planning option that could really help poor families there. This contradiction in practice has been vividly brought to the forefront by the this recent article [Daily Mail] about Manila’s street children and their prophetic advocate and Nobel Prize nominated Irish missionary priest, Fr. Shay Cullen. Many of these children have been locked up in poor conditions for at least the duration of the pope’s visit.

* Pope Francis’ contradictory, if not hypocritical, statements relating to family planning has surprisingly been well highlighted recently by an informative article in papal supporter, Rupert Murdoch’s influenced Wall Street Journal (WSJ) here

* [Wall Street Journal]

* In the WSJ article, it has been suggested that some Filipino Catholics just dismiss the Catholic Church’s teachings on sex and birth control as unscientific and outdated for couples living in modern societies.

* The WSJ article indicates that outside the birth control clinic in Tondo, a slum area in Manila, children combed through stinking piles of trash, and ran through heavy traffic to clamber onto the backs of moving garbage trucks. For a 2008 video showing some of the harsh conditions in the Tondo/Manila slum, please see:

* [YouTube]

* The Philippine birthrate is quite high by regional standards. In deprived areas like Tondo/Manila, women still typically have six or seven children, according to the NGO. According to the WSJ report, the NGO regularly welcomes 13-year-old mothers, or 16-year-olds with two or three babies, health workers said.

* Pope Francis must stop preaching and act. He must promptly demand (1) that officials release these children from detention immediately, (2) that Manila’s showpiece Cardinal Tagle try to make sure that Manila street children are not abused by officials and others this way again, (3) that Church, government and business leaders help these children more and soon, and (4) that his bishops stop pumping the high Filipino birthrate by opposing access to affordable and effective contraception options from poor couples that seek 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.

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Sandra Laville
Thursday 15 January 2015

The panel appointed by Theresa May to carry out the child abuse inquiry has cancelled a listening event with survivors on Friday after complaints the meetings were being held with no support in place for victims who attend.

The cancellation of the meeting in Birmingham comes as Theresa May seeks to reconstitute the inquiry to meet the demands of some victims for it to be statutory, and after complaints about the make up of the independent panel.

But the delays over the start of the inquiry’s work, the controversy over the choice of chair and statements made in the media by some panel members raising doubt over the inquiry’s future have all put huge pressure on vulnerable survivors of child abuse, according to groups who represent them.

Some victims have been hospitalised as a result of self harming over anxieties that the inquiry will not happen and they will lose their chance to disclose abuse that took place in an institution, according to survivor groups.

Lucy Duckworth, who works with the Survivors’ Alliance, an umbrella group for some 200 organisations representing adult victims of child abuse, said the last minute cancellation of the panel listening event in Birmingham would only add to the distress of survivors. She said her organisation has complained about the lack of professional support put in place for these meetings. In its statement the inquiry panel said the meeting was being postponed because of the uncertainty over the future shape of the inquiry. The listening events are initial meetings designed to seek views from those attending particularly victims and their representatives, on how they would like the inquiry to engage with 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.

MARYLAND
CBS Baltimore

Rick Ritter

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Maryland bishop charged in the death of a cyclist has made bail.
Bishop Heather Cook has been jailed since Friday. Bail was set at $2.5 million.

Cook is charged in the death of Tom Palermo, a father of two, who was riding his bike in Roland Park when he was struck by Cook’s car.

According to the charges, Cook was drunk and texting when she struck Palermo.
She was charged in the fatal hit-and-run last week.

A condition of her release is that she cannot drive.

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
The Baltimore Sun

The Episcopal bishop accused of killing a cyclist while drunk and texting was to be released Thursday from Central Booking after posting $2.5 million bail — an amount her attorney said earlier this week she would not be able to meet.

Court records show Bishop Heather Elizabeth Cook posted the bail Thursday through a bondsman with Fred Frank Bail Bonds.

Her attorney, David Irwin, said Cook was headed to an inpatient treatment facility and as a condition of her release was not permitted to drive. He declined to comment on how she was able to post the bail.

Cook was charged last week with manslaughter and related charges related to the Dec. 27 crash that killed Thomas Palermo on Roland Avenue. Authorities said Cook left the scene of the crash before returning about 30 minutes later. A breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of .22, police said.

At Cook’s bail review Monday, Assistant State’s Attorney Kurt Bjorklund asked District Court Judge Nicole Pastore Klein to revoke bail, while one of Cook’s defense attorneys, Jose A. Molina, asked that it be lowered to $500,000.

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.

MARYLAND
Charlotte Observer

By JULIET LINDERMAN
Associated Press
Posted: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015

BALTIMORE An Episcopal bishop facing manslaughter charges after authorities say she struck a cyclist while driving drunk in Baltimore has been released from jail.

Documents show Heather Cook posted a $2.5 million bond on Thursday. Cook was charged with manslaughter, drunken driving and other related charges after striking and killing Tom Palermo while he was riding his bicycle. Cook registered 0.22 blood-alcohol content during a breath test shortly after the wreck. The legal limit in Maryland is 0.08.

An attorney representing Cook says she is returning to an inpatient alcohol treatment facility. Cook is not permitted to drive.

Earlier this week, a judge upheld the $2.5 million bond.

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 Brew

A Brew Exclusive

Mark Reutter January 15, 2015

Heather Elizabeth Cook, the Episcopal bishop charged with manslaughter and drunk driving, has posted $2.5 million in bail and is in the process of being released from the Baltimore City Detention Center.

On-line court documents show that Aaron Mossman, of the local bail-bond surety company Lexington National, has guaranteed the full bail amount for Cook, 58, who has been held in jail since Friday.

At Cook’s Monday bail review, attorney Jose A. Molina said the cleric could not post bail and asked a district court judge to lower the amount to $500,000.

Judge Nicole Pastore Klein refused and said she was a flight risk, citing her leaving the scene after her car crashed into and killed bicyclist Thomas Palermo.

Molina said that, if she made bail, his client would return to Father Martin’s Ashley, the Havre de Grace alcohol treatment center she had checked into shortly after the car crash on December 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.

MISSOURI
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

By Lilly Fowler

A female minister has settled a sexual-abuse lawsuit involving a local African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Brenda Jones had filed a lawsuit against Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church in St. Louis Circuit Court on Jan. 29, 2014.

The lawsuit named the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Fifth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which encompasses churches in Missouri, and Bishop Larry T. Kirkland, the presiding prelate of that district, as defendants.

Now, nearly a year later, that lawsuit has settled, although Jones’ case against Frederick McCullough, the former pastor of Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church who she claims sexually abused her, is still pending.

“I’m just glad that I had the courage to stand up,” Jones said. “This was the hardest thing I had to do in my life.”

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
NorthJersey.com

JANUARY 15, 2015

BY KELLY NICHOLAIDES
STAFF WRITER | SOUTH BERGENITE

He was adopted through Catholic Charities in Nova Scotia, Canada, but ironically, Stephen Marlowe alleges he grew up to suffer sexual abuse at the hands of a priest at St. Mary Church in Rutherford, where he was a middle school-aged altar boy in the 1970s.

Marlowe, who filed an amended civil lawsuit in Bergen County Superior Court, naming the Rutherford church, the Archdiocese of Newark, Father David A. Ernst and two archbishops, says that the church is making untrue claims in its bulletin regarding sex abuse claims and financial settlements.

The bulletin states that “Although the archdiocese, parishes and schools pay premiums to purchase insurance, no parish or school assets, archdiocesan assets or annual appeal or other fundraising collections are used to pay civil claims related to abuse cases.”

Marlowe is skeptical.

“When I was in mediation [with the Archdiocese], their lawyer told me all settlements are divided between insurance company money and the Archdiocese, 60/40 split, so where is the Archdiocese getting the money from? It’s not falling from the sky. I believe it comes from parishioner donations,” Marlowe 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.

MONTANA
KPAX

[with video]

MISSOULA – Now that a federal bankruptcy judge has approved a multi-million dollar agreement, parties in the suit accusing the Roman Catholic clergy of sex abuse in Montana will have several weeks to finalize the details of the settlement.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Terry Myers approved the 16-million dollar settlement in a court hearing in Missoula this week, the latest development in a case that first started in 2011.

The victims, most of whom are Native American, had complained the church’s personnel were involved in hundreds of cases of sexual abuse, some dating back more than 50-years. Most of the dispute centered over operations at the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius.

The Diocese of Helena had filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding early last year to clear the way for resolving the case through the settlement.

Under the plan approved by Judge Myers this week, a timeline has been set out for the parties to enact the settlement.

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.

PHILIPPINEN
kath.net

[The Philippine government has denied it has incarcerated children in Manila.”We do not hide these children,” said Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman on Thursday in Manila. The opposite is the case. The Pope will meet street children.]

Die philippinische Regierung weist Vorwürfe zurück, Straßenkinder seien für die Zeit des Besuches von Papst Franziskus in Manila in Käfige gesperrt worden.

Manila (kath.net/KNA) Die philippinische Regierung weist Vorwürfe zurück, Straßenkinder seien für die Zeit des Besuches von Papst Franziskus in Manila in Käfige gesperrt worden. «Wir verstecken diese Kinder nicht», erklärte Ministerin Corazon Juliano-Soliman am Donnerstag in Manila. Das Gegenteil sei der Fall; der Papst werde während seines Besuches auch Straßenkinder treffen.

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
Daily Item

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Cyrus Moulton

REVERE — Three members of the Immaculate Conception School community have resigned after failing to report “in a timely manner” allegations that a worker exposed himself while using a student bathroom.

“Schools and parishes have strict guidelines and policies to follow when such matters are brought to their attention,” Archdiocese of Boston spokesperson Terrence Donilon said in a statement. “With regards to Immaculate Conception in Revere, the pastor, principal and a teacher have resigned their positions due to their failure to report these possible incidents in a timely manner.”

Revere Police detectives and the Suffolk district attorney’s office have begun an investigation, but there are no charges at this time, according to the DA’s office.

Donilon said the archdiocese learned within the past week of a potential indecent exposure that allegedly occurred while a worker was using the boys’ bathroom. Donilon said the bathroom is intended to be used only by students. The archdiocese said it was told of three potential incidents over the past month and a half.

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.

ZIMBABWE
allAfrica

The Herald

By Prosper Dembedza

A Guruve-based former Roman Catholic priest who sired a child while he was still serving was yesterday ordered to pay US$80 per month towards the upkeep of the minor. Roman Catholic priests pledge to celibacy, but Mathew Jonga (pictured right) broke the cardinal rule and sired a child with Emmah Mutaka. Harare Civil Court magistrate Mr Trevor Nyatsanza last week ordered Mutaka to bring proof that Jonga was still a Roman Catholic priest and receipts to show that she was responsible for paying school fees for the child.

Mutaka told the court that she went to the Roman Catholic offices in Chinhoyi where she was told that Jonga had resigned from the church.

Mutaka claimed that she was single-handedly taking care of the child since Jonga had been refusing to contribute anything.

“I have my receipts which show that I am the one who has been paying school fees for the child single-handedly,” said Mutaka.

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
International Business Times

By Mangala Dilip January 15, 2015

Homeless children as young as five are being caged by Philippines’ authorities to keep the streets of Manila “presentable” for Pope Francis’ visit.

The children are being held in detention centres alongside adult criminals so as to ensure that the city’s poverty-ridden status is hidden from the pontiff during the first papal visit to the country in two decades.

Hundreds of boys were rounded up from doorways and roadsides by police and officials in anticipation of the papal visit, reported South China Morning Post. Completely disregarding Philippines’ child protection laws, terrified children were locked up in filthy detention centres, where they were forced to sleep on concrete floors.

It is also understood that the helpless children were beaten and abused by older inmates and some of them have even starved and chained to pillars since last month. They are made to go to the toilet in buckets and fed leftovers, which they eat from the floor.

Father Shay Cullen, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Irish missionary priest, went on a mission to save the children locked up in the prison, ironically named “House of Hope”, notorious for brutality, abuse and neglect.

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
Gallup Independent

Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, NM, Jan. 14, 2015

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Independent correspondent
religion@gallupindependent.com

GALLUP – As the Diocese of Gallup begins a year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary, local Catholics are left to wonder what the future will hold once the diocese finally emerges from bankruptcy.

One question that probably few have considered was hinted at in a startling motion filed in bankruptcy court last week.

Could the Gallup Diocese operate in Gallup without its chancery office, its scenic retreat center and its 100-year-old Catholic school?

Although that seems like an unlikely scenario, diocesan attorneys filed a motion Wednesday, asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David T. Thuma for authorization to hire Estate Valuation Consultants, Inc. of Albuquerque to appraise five key properties in Gallup and Thoreau.

The Gallup properties include the diocese’s chancery office, located at 711 S. Puerco Dr., the Sacred Heart Retreat Center, located about two miles south of the city, and Sacred Heart Catholic School, 515 Park Ave., which diocesan attorneys continue to call by its former name of Gallup Catholic School.

These three properties were listed as part of the Diocese of Gallup’s estate when diocesan officials filed their Chapter 11 petition on Nov. 12, 2013. But would the diocese actually sell such landmark properties?

As is their usual practice, diocesan attorneys did not answer questions about the appraisal plans. Susan G. Boswell, the diocese’s lead bankruptcy attorney, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Neither did her colleagues Elizabeth S. Fella and Lori L. Winkelman, fellow attorneys at Quarles & Brady.

Possible scenarios

According to the diocese’s motion, it needs to discover “the value of the assets that might, as part of a plan of reorganization, be liened, liquidated, orotherwise used” to pay for clergy sex abuse claims as well as other claims.

It is hard to imagine the Gallup Diocese actually liquidating such property to pay for sex abuse claims when it has nearly 100 pieces of real property in Arizona and New Mexico, many of which do not play a role in the diocese’s religious mission. A more likely scenario would seem to involve the diocese borrowing funds on the property’s value.

Another possible option might involve one of the diocese’s nonprofit organizations buying the properties and letting the diocese continue to use them. Although the Catholic People’s Foundation and the Southwest Indian Foundation were originally founded by chancery officials, the Gallup Diocese has claimed those organizations are separate from the diocese. Either organization could possibly purchase some or all of the properties.

For example, the Catholic People’s Foundation now owns Gallup property that houses the bishop’s private residence, his private chapel and his “House of Discernment.” The property was once owned by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrow of Oregon and was supposed to revert to diocese ownership. Instead, it was transferred to the Catholic People’s Foundation. According to bankruptcy documents and testimony, the diocese is renting the property from its own nonprofit organization.

Thoreau dispute

Appraising the Thoreau properties poses another thorny situation. The listed properties include St. Bonaventure Mission and School and the “Smith Lake Property,” which is not described in further detail other than being located in Thoreau.

However, St. Bonaventure has already been at the center of a brief dispute in the bankruptcy case. Last January, Albuquerque attorney Charles R. Hughson, legal counsel for St. Bonaventure, filed an adversary proceeding arguing that property listed as belonging to the diocese actually belongs to the mission school. Hughson also claimed a former chief executive of the school transferred St. Bonaventure property to the diocese without authorization.

Less than three weeks later, Hughson voluntarily dismissed his adversary proceeding. The dismissal, however, was without prejudice, meaning it could be filed again.

Hughson’s law firm, Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, is a previous client of Estate Valuation Consultants, Inc. or its affiliate American Property Consultants & Appraisers, Inc., according to information provided by Shane LeMon, owner of the appraisal company.

Pinnacle Bank, which loaned the Gallup Diocese $200,000 in 2011, is also a previous client of the appraisal firm. John Dowling, president of Pinnacle Bank in Gallup, also happens to be the vice president and a director of the Southwest Indian Foundation, according to records with the New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State.

In its motion, the Gallup Diocese proposes that Estate Valuation Consultants, Inc. will be retained for a “flat fee of $22,100.00, inclusive of expenses and New Mexico gross receipts tax” for producing appraisal reports in a summary format for all five properties.

Any party who objects to the diocese’s plan to hire the appraisal company must file an objection with U.S. Bankruptcy Court by Feb. 2.
—
Diocese of Gallup sidebar: Published Jan. 14, 2015

Property owned by the Diocese of Gallup

Soon after the Diocese of Gallup filed its Chapter 11 petition on Nov. 12, 2013, diocesan attorneys submitted financial information to U.S. Bankruptcy Court that included lists of the diocese’s nearly 200 property holdings in Arizona and New Mexico.

The properties are divided between the Gallup Diocese’s two separate corporations: the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Gallup, an Arizona corporation sole, and the Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Gallup, a New Mexico corporation sole.

Some of the property is classified as trust property, or property that the diocese claims it is holding for other entities, such as its parishes. The other is classified as real property, or property in which the diocese holds legal interest. Some properties include just one parcel of land, while others include multiple or even dozens of land parcels.

Arizona Trust Property:

■Apache County: 27 pieces of property
■ Coconino County: 4 pieces of property
■ Mohave County: 1 piece of property
■ Navajo County: 17 pieces of property

NM Trust Property:

■ Catron County: 4 pieces of property
■ Cibola County: 8 pieces of property
■ Cibola or McKinley: 2 pieces of property
■ McKinley County: 16 pieces of property
■ Rio Arriba County: 2 pieces of property
■ Sandoval County: 1 piece of property
■ San Juan County: 24 pieces of property

Arizona Real Property:

■ Apache County: 5 pieces of property
■ Navajo County: 8 pieces of property
■ Valencia County: 2 pieces of property

New Mexico Real Property:

■ Catron County: 6 pieces of property
■ Cibola County: 15 pieces of property
■ Luna County: 2 pieces of property
■ McKinley County: 33 pieces of property
■ Rio Arriba County: 1 piece of property
■ Sandoval County: 6 pieces of property
■ San Juan County: 9 pieces of property
■ Socorro County: 1 piece of property
■ Taos County: 2 pieces of property

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
Manila Standard Today

By Manila Standard Today | Jan. 05, 2015

PASAY City says it plans to hide away unsightly street children during the visit of Pope Francis this month, highlighting the hypocrisy, myopia and the wrong headedness that characterize our urban policies.

The ostensive reason for the campaign, says Pasay Social Welfare Department head Rosalinda Orobia, is to prevent syndicates that employ these children as beggars and street vendors, from taking advantage of the Pope’s compassion for the poor.

The notion insults our intelligence and suggests that the Pope is somehow too naïve to understand how criminal syndicates in major cities around the world shamelessly use destitute children to turn an illegal and immoral profit.

We all understand the natural tendency to put one’s best foot forward when guests come calling, but hiding away poor street children completely misses the point of the Pope’s apostolic exhortation to “hear the cry of the poor.”

“Seeing their poverty, hearing their cries and knowing their sufferings,” the Pope said, “we are scandalized because we know that there is enough food for everyone and that hunger is the result of a poor distribution of goods and income.”

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

BY STAFF REPORTER – 15 JANUARY 2015

Amnesty International has welcomed the news that witnesses will be able to give evidence to the Historical Abuse Inquiry into alleged abuse at Kincora Boys’ Home without fear of prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.

The Belfast Telegraph revealed yesterday that the Government assurance came in a letter to Sir Anthony Hart, chairman of the Northern Ireland inquiry, which has been tasked to investigate child abuse at the east Belfast boys’ home in the 1970s.

Allegations have persisted since then that a paedophile ring at Kincora was allowed to operate in order for the intelligence services to blackmail leading politicians and establishment figures.

Two former military intelligence officers, Colin Wallace and Brian Gemmell, have alleged that they raised concerns about Kincora, but the security services blocked investigations into the child abuse in the 1970s. It continued until 1980.

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
Saarbruecker-Zeitung

[A priest who underwent a criminal investigation by police is now suing police. He wants cancellation of his photographs and fingerprints. He was alleged he attempted to abuse a boy.]

Von Michael Jungmann, 08.01.2015

Ein Priester, gegen den ein Ermittlungsverfahren wegen versuchten Missbrauchs eines Jungen gegen Zahlung von 6000 Euro eingestellt wurde, klagt nun gegen die Polizei. Er fordert die Löschung seiner Fotos und Fingerabdrücke.

Der Fall hatte im Juli 2012 über die Grenzen des Saarlandes hinaus für Aufsehen gesorgt. Die Staatsanwaltschaft Saarbrücken ermittelte wegen versuchten sexuellen Missbrauchs eines 15-Jährigen gegen den damaligen Pastor der katholischen Pfarrgemeinde Lebach. Der Seelsorger soll dem Minderjährigen Geld für Sex geboten haben. Der Priester bestritt diese Vorwürfe. Nach früheren Angaben der Ermittler hatte der Junge das Geld angenommen. Zu den vereinbarten sexuellen Handlungen sei es aber nicht gekommen. Der Trierer Bischof Stephan Ackermann beurlaubte den Pastor daraufhin. Zudem wurde ein kirchenrechtliches Verfahren eingeleitet. Während der laufenden Ermittlungen erklärte der 68-jährige Pfarrer den Verzicht auf sein Amt. Damit machte er im Sommer 2013 den Weg für eine Neubesetzung der Stelle in der Lebacher Pfarreiengemeinschaft frei. Ein Jahr später stellte die Staatsanwaltschaft die Ermittlungen gegen den Pastor gegen Zahlung einer Geldauflage von 6000 Euro ein.

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
Katholisch

[The disclosure of the abuse scandal has rocked the Catholic Church. Stephan Ackermann, abuse Commissioner of DBK tells where the church stands five years later.]

Die Aufdeckung des Missbrauchsskandals hat die katholische Kirche erschüttert. Stephan Ackermann, Missbrauchsbeauftragter der DBK, erzählt, wo die Kirche fünf Jahre später steht.

Mit einem Brief machte der Jesuit Klaus Mertes, Rektor des Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin, sexuellen Missbrauch an der Elite-Schule während der 70er und 80er Jahre publik. Was folgte waren unzählige Medienberichte über weitere Fälle – der Skandal erschütterte die katholische Kirche in Deutschland zutiefst. Als eine Reaktion ernannte die Deutsche Bischofskonferenz den Trierer Bischof Stephan Ackermann zum Missbrauchsbeauftragten, um so die Aufklärung der Fälle voranzutreiben. Im Interview erinnert sich Ackermann an die erste Zeit nach der Aufdeckung der Fälleund erklärt, was die Kirche aus ihren Versäumnissen gelernt hat.

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
Frum Follies

Levi Moscowitz took a plea bargain and got a 1-day jail sentence for arranging to pay a father to allow him to have sex with his two children. The supposed father was a cop. After his conviction Jewish Community Watch (JCW) posted information about his crime including a police transcript of his arrangements for the rendezvous. Within a week he committed suicide, hanging himself in a park.

Now the recriminations have started. Some are blaming JCW for the suicide which they say was precipitated by the “Wall of Shame” posting. Others are talking about the fact that he wanted to rehabilitate himself and was just despairing over his ability to control his behavior and get help. Some are saying, “but he did not actually molest children. After all” they say, “he was arrested before he did anything.”

I think people are confusing the tragedy of a suicide with the question of how to properly respond when we discover people committing sex crimes. Yes, every suicide is a tragedy. Yes, it is quite possible that the public exposure pushed him over the edge. Yes, perhaps he was at the point where he was ready to enter treatment, stick with the treatment, and change his behavior.

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
Boston Globe

By Laura Crimaldi
GLOBE STAFF JANUARY 15, 2015

REVERE — The Archdiocese of Boston named a temporary administrator Wednesday for a Revere parish where a Catholic school worker was placed on leave after a report of three possible indecent exposure incidents. The parish pastor and two school employees, including the principal, have resigned.

The Rev. Charles Bourke has been tapped by Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley to lead the church and school at Immaculate Conception in Revere on an interim basis, an archdiocesan spokesman said in an e-mail. Bourke is pastor at St. John the Evangelist in Winthrop, said the spokesman, Terrence C. Donilon. An interim school principal has not been named yet, Donilon said.

The shakeup came as school officials from the Archdiocese of Boston met Wednesday morning with parents at the school, which serves students in prekindergarten through Grade 8. A second meeting with parents was scheduled for Wednesday evening.

The archdiocese revealed Tuesday that it had received reports of three incidents of “potential indecent exposure” by the worker in a boy’s bathroom at the school over the last six weeks. The bathroom is intended to be only used by students, the archdiocese 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.

GUAM
KUAM

by Isa Baza

Guam – The president of the Concerned Catholics of Guam, Greg Perez, spoke before Rotarians this afternoon. The organization was formed in response to unanswered questions regarding removals of priests and financial mismanagement in the archdiocese.

The CCOG met with the Vatican last week to share their concerns. “What they had mentioned to us is that they were going to present our questions or concerns to the saintly investigating authority or another authority in Rome,” he said.

Perez said he hopes guidance from the Vatican will help bring resolution to the recent schism in the church.

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
South China Morning Post

To ensure Manila is presentable for Pope Francis’ visit, street children as young as five have been detained next to convicts in centres notorious for brutality, abuse and neglect. Simon Parry goes on a rescue mission with Father Shay Cullen

A seven-year-old boy stares nervously through the bars of the detention centre in Manila. Then, as charity workers gently explain to him that he is being taken to a children’s home in the countryside, his face breaks out into a broad grin.

“Will there be toys there?” he asks.

Mak-Mak is among the few lucky ones. Put behind bars last month as part of a campaign to clear street children from the part of the Philippine capital to be visited by Pope Francis, Mak-Mak’s nightmare is over, although it may take a long time to rid himself of the demons the nightmare brought with it.

With dozens of other children, he spent Christmas and New Year locked up in a concrete pen next to one holding convicted adult criminals in the grotesquely named House of Hope, where many children are brutalised and abused.

In recent weeks, hundreds of children have been rounded up from shop door-ways and roadsides by police and officials and put behind bars to make the city more presentable during Pope Francis’ five-day visit, which begins today. In a blatant violation of the country’s child-protection laws, the terrified youngsters are locked up in filthy detention centres, where they sleep on concrete floors and where many are beaten or abused by older or adult prisoners and, in some cases, starved.

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
Pro Bono Australia

The Royal Commission into Child Abuse is about to enter its third year with private and public hearings due to resume next week.

The Commission is also set to hold public hearings in regional Australia for the first time.

In September 2014 the Federal Government agreed to an extension for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for a further two years.

The Federal Government was asked to provide another $104 million and a further two years to complete the Royal Commission investigations into how institutions across Australia have responded to allegations of child sexual abuse.

The time extension would see the Commission complete its final report by December 15 2017.

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 Dan Conifer

The Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse is set to hold public hearings in regional Australia for the first time.

The commission was established in 2013 and has held public sessions in every capital city.

Commissioners have privately interviewed victims outside metropolitan areas, but survivors and lawyers have called for the commission to hold hearings in regional Australia.

The commission has announced it will hold public hearings in country areas this year and is likely to visit multiple regional centres.

Ballarat abuse survivor Andrew Collins said it was fantastic news.

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
Houston Chronicle

By Rebecca Elliott, Jayme Fraser | January 14, 2015

A Katy man who prosecutors say sexually assaulted two teenage males while serving as a volunteer at a church several years ago turned himself in Wednesday, Waller County authorities said.

Nilson Daniel Vargas, 39, was volunteering at the Christian City Fellowship, a church in Sealy, when he allegedly engaged in a sexual act with a 16-year-old boy in the child’s home in Waller County in December 2008, according to an arrest warrant issued last week. The alleged victim told authorities that Vargas had also sexually molested him at the church, among other locations, and that the incidents began when he was 13, the warrant states.

The warrant states that another church member recently alleged “sexual assault of a child by this defendant while the defendant was back at the same church.” A press release from the Waller County district attorney identifies the second alleged victim as a young male.

“We believe that there are other victims out there,” said First Assistant District Attorney Warren Diepraam, adding that the alleged victims told Waller County authorities that incidents also occurred in neighboring counties. “We hope that this public appeal will get some of those folks to come forward.”

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
The Raw Story

DAVID EDWARDS
14 JAN 2015

An Oregon pastor is set to stand trial 18 years after women first brought allegations of rape and sexual abuse to authorities.

The Oregonian reported on Wednesday that prosecutors had reexamined complaints that Mike Sperou raped seven women as children in the 1990s, and that he would be charged based on new allegations by one of the women.

The women said that Sperou turned Southeast Bible Church, which may have started with good intentions, into a cult that broke down bonds within families. Sperou, who claimed to have emotional scars from childhood and the Vietnam war, engaged in heavy drinking, used drugs, and sexually abused children in the church, the women said.

Sperou admitted to police in 1997 that he encouraged the women, who were all under the age of 12 at the time, to stay with him in his bed at his private residence. While he denied raping the women, he said that he could have put his hands on their underwear or under their shirts. He denied that he had sexually penetrated one girl with his finger while she was sleeping.

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.

MONTANA
Missoulian

Associated Press

A federal bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved a reorganization plan for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena that includes a $16.4 million settlement for hundreds of people who sued the diocese over clergy sex abuse from the 1940s to the 1970s.

The plan, approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Terry Myers in Missoula, includes another $4.45 million payment from the Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province to settle a lawsuit filed by 45 Native Americans who alleged abuse and sex abuse at the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius over the same time period.

The plan will now go to a vote of creditors, the 362 plaintiffs in two lawsuits against the Diocese, and the plaintiffs in the Ursuline lawsuit.

Neither side is allowed to comment while the vote is pending.

The settlement calls for the diocese to post on its website the names of all known past and present perpetrators who are identified in sexual abuse claims or in the lawsuits. A disclosure statement filed Monday lists 22 people by their full names and another 20 whose first or last names aren’t known.

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.

SCOTLAND
Daily Record

Jan 15, 2015 By Fraser N Wilson

But the Church have defended their decision to rent out the massive space to welcome Father William Nolan as Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway

The Catholic Church have defended their decision to rent out Kilmarnock’s Grand Hall to celebrate a job promotion – despite concerns raised by parishioners it was “too lavish”.

The hall has been hired by the church to recognise Father William Nolan as he officially becomes Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway, with the church saying it was a “celebration of the gift of leadership”.

But some church goers believe this goes against the ethos of helping the less fortunate.

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
Minnesota Public Radio

Martin Moylan Jan 15, 2015

File bankruptcy? It’s the big money question facing the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

With more than a dozen alleged victims of clergy sex abuse suing the archdiocese, three suits set for trial in a few weeks and worries about the cost of future, unknown claims, Chapter 11 could be a logical, if painful, next step — an orderly process to decide payments for current and future claims. It would also halt the coming trials.

Church leaders have said they’re weighing bankruptcy as they face huge potential costs tied to clergy abuse. They won’t say if any decision is imminent, though in November archdiocese chief financial officer Thomas Mertens called bankruptcy protection “a way to respond to all victims/survivors by allowing the available funds to be equitably distributed to all who have made claims…”

The best case, arguably, for the archdiocese would be a pre-negotiated bankruptcy, where key players agree on critical issues in advance. Church leaders, abuse victims, insurers and an army of attorneys would have to settle on how much money is on the table and who’s going to get it.

History, though, suggests that’s unlikely. A bankruptcy here is likely to resemble most church bankruptcies: bitter, contentious, costly and dragging on for at least two to three years.

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.

ITALY
Salon

WEDNESDAY, JAN 14, 2015

LAURA MILLER

In the summer of 1859, a desperate nun in the Roman convent of Sant’Ambrogio sent a letter to her kinsman, a bishop in the Vatican. She pleaded with him to rescue her, claiming that she had been the target of several poisonings and was in mortal danger. When her cousin the bishop answered her call and arrived at Sant’Ambrogio, he promised to rescue her and soon delivered on that promise. From his estate in Tivoli, the relieved but traumatized Katharina von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen began to draft a denunciation of her one-time sisters back in Rome. It was an accusation more lurid than any popular anti-clerical satire, full of sexual transgressions, heretical practices and homicidal schemes. Furthermore, the case against the convent of Sant’Ambrogio had tendrils that climbed up to the highest reaches of the Church and entwined around the great Catholic controversies of the day.

Hubert Wolf’s “The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio” offers a learned yet fascinating account of this incident — little known because the Vatican kept most of the embarrassing details in-house, a policy it would employ when handling sexual-abuse scandals a century later. In fact, the Sant’Ambrogio case was itself a sex-abuse scandal, although that aspect, however sensational, was not necessarily the Church’s primary concern.

Katharina, a Hohenzollern princess, belonged to one of the great royal Germanic dynasties, which include the Hapsburgs. (Her granddaughter was the queen of Portugal.) Twice widowed and sickly, she entered the convent in her late 30s, seeking a “a place of cloistered peace and holy order” in which to live a contemplative life, although she also nurtured the dream of establishing an order of her own. Sant’Ambrogio was “enclosed,” meaning that the nuns were sequestered from all contact with the outside world apart from rare interviews conducted through metal bars and visits from priestly confessors or doctors. Only in emergencies were men, even priests, allowed within the clausura, or convent interior.

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
The Guardian

Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent
Wednesday 14 January 2015

Intelligence officers and police with knowledge of the Kincora child abuse scandal in Northern Ireland will not be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act for giving evidence to the historical abuse inquiry, the attorney general for England and Wales has said.

Two former army intelligence officers, Colin Wallace and Brian Gemmel, have claimed they reported abuse at the east Belfast home, which was controlled by a prominent Orangeman and state agent, but were ignored by the authorities. They allege that instead of moving against paedophiles running the home, the security forces blackmailed the Orangeman William McGrath and others to spy on other hardline Ulster loyalists from the 1970s onwards.

In a letter to the inquiry chairman, the attorney general Jeremy Wright QC advises: “No evidence a person may give before the inquiry will be used in evidence against that person in any criminal proceedings or relied upon for the purpose of deciding whether to bring such proceedings against that person … For the avoidance of doubt, I can confirm that the undertakings cover any allegation of an offence arising under the Official Secrets Act.”

Amnesty International welcomed the move. Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s Northern Ireland programme director, said: “The allegations surrounding Kincora could scarcely be more disturbing – that MI5 turned a blind eye to child abuse and actively blocked a police investigation, instead using the paedophile ring for its own intelligence-gathering purposes.

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
Fox 25

REVERE, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) — Parents of students at the Immaculate Conception School in Revere are set to attend a second meeting with the Archdiocese of Boston about allegations of misconduct against a school worker.

As of Tuesday, the worker has been placed on leave and the school’spastor, principal and a teacher were out of a job, though some parents believe this was an overreaction.

Some parents think the accusations are overblown. Others say you can’t be too cautious when it comes to protecting children. Regardless, many question how the school handled the allegations.

Parent Camelia Leone said they were “just allegations for now, and I tend to reserve judgement until they do investigate and find out what’s going on.”

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 Guardian

Sandra Laville
Wednesday 14 January 2015

Theresa May is under intense pressure to save the independent inquiry into child abuse after survivors groups condemned it as a mess and demanded she rip up the process and start again.

Seven months after the announcement by May of an inquiry to examine institutional culpability for decades of abuse of children, victims met in the House of Commons to voice their demands for reform of the process.

The inquiry has been beset with problems. Two chairs, Dame Elizabeth Butler Sloss and Fiona Woolf, were forced to stand down after complaints from victims that they were too connected to the establishment, and the appointed panel faces being disbanded after some survivors raised objections to its composition. No new chair has been appointed, and some victims are now pursuing a judicial review to challenge the way the home secretary set up the process.

Phil Frampton, a survivor and spokesman for the victims and campaigners who gathered in the Commons on Wednesday said: “There were more than 300 people gathered today and what was so clear was it was a demonstration of our will. We want the inquiry to go forward. At the moment it is a complete mess. What we want is for Theresa May to rip it up and start it again to put it on a sound footing, to make it fully transparent and to make sure survivors can be proud to engage in the process.

“At the moment it doesn’t have a clear purpose, the focus must be narrowed towards getting justice. When you look at MPs’ expenses, the MPs met, people were taken to court and perpetrators were jailed. That is what we want.”

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
Channel 4

FATIMA MANJI
Reporter

Abuse survivors and their supporters lobby MPs and hold a public meeting to demand action on the government-appointed inquiry into child sexual abuse.

There was an unusually emotionally charged atmosphere inside parliament’s committee room 14 on Wednesday. It began with the failure of the microphones. “It’s a cover-up!” someone immediately yelled to the sound of much laughter from the packed room. A joke, but one that reflected the sentiments of many in this group who have understandably high levels of mistrust in the establishment.

For years, victims of child abuse have felt silenced, ignored and failed by institutions which should have protected them. There is a particular anger towards MPs and parliament – one campaigner reminded the audience: “We are not in the house of friends”. Another pointed out: “We’ve been labelled publicity seekers and conspiracy theorists.”

The WhiteFlowers Campaign Group – a loose body of abuse survivors and their supporters – had come to parliament to lobby MPs and hold a public meeting demanding action on the government-appointed inquiry into child 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.

PHILIPPINES
Newsmax

Wednesday, 14 Jan 2015

By John Blosser

When Pope Francis arrives in the Philippines tomorrow for a five-day visit, one thing he will be guaranteed not to see are the poor orphaned and homeless children of the Manila streets.

That’s because hundreds of street kids have been rounded up by police and confined in cages, chained to poles and exposed to beatings and abuse by adult prison inmates, all without any recourse to the legal system, so Pope Francis won’t be bothered by the ragged, hungry children as he drives by, the London Daily Mail reports.

Father Shay Cullen, who operates the Preda Foundation which works to rescue street children, termed the childrens’ brutal incarceration “a shame on the nation” and told the Daily Mail, “This is completely beneath human dignity and the rights of all the children here are being violated.

“They have no basic rights. There is no education. There is no entertainment. There is no proper human development. There is nowhere to eat and they sleep on a concrete floor. There is no proper judicial process.

“These kids are totally without protection. They have no legal representation. They are just put in jail and left to fend for themselves.”

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
Catholic Online

By Abigail James (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

1/14/2015

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Filipino children are being ‘rescued’ from the streets only to be forced into cold, cemented, jail cells. With Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines happening this week, police have started to round up homeless orphans in an effort to make the poverty-stricken city appear more presentable.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – “Street children as young as five are being caged in brutal detention centers alongside adult criminals in a cynical drive to smarten up the Philippines capital,” explained Daily Mail.

Disregarding their own Filipino child protection laws, the locked-up children are placed in filthy detention centers, where they sleep on the cold concrete floors, use buckets as toilets, get physically abused by older inmates, are nearly starved and in some cases, chained up to the pillars.

Adult inmates are kept in a pen directly next to the cell holding boys and girls; they freely pass back and forth through the compounds during certain times of the day and abuse the children.

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
Daily Mail (UK)

EXCLUSIVE – Children CAGED to keep the streets clean for the Pope: Police round up orphans and chain them in filth during pontiff’s visit to Philippines

By SIMON PARRY IN MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES, FOR MAILONLINE
14 January 2015

Street children as young as five are being caged in brutal detention centres alongside adult criminals in a cynical drive to smarten up the Philippines capital ahead of a visit by Pope Francis this week.

Hundreds of boys and girls have been rounded up from doorways and roadsides by police and officials and put behind bars in recent weeks to make the poverty-racked city more presentable when Pope Francis arrives tomorrow, a MailOnline investigation has found.

In a blatant abuse of the country’s own child protection laws, the terrified children are locked up in filthy detention centres where they sleep on concrete floors and where many of them are beaten or abused by older inmates and adult prisoners and, in some cases, starved and chained to pillars.

Six million people are expected to attend an open air mass conducted by Pope Francis in Manila’s Rizal Park on Sunday, which will watched by a global TV audience and officials appear determined to ensure that urchins are hidden from view.

MailOnline found dozens of street children locked up in appalling conditions alongside adult criminals in Manila, where a senior official admitted there had been an intensive round-up by police and government workers to make sure they are not seen by Pope Francis.

We gained rare access to a detention centre by accompanying Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Irish missionary Father Shay Cullen, 71, as he freed a boy aged around seven and took him to his Preda Foundation shelter for children 100 miles away in Subic Bay.

Mak-Mak, whose legs and body were riddled with scabies, was picked up three weeks ago and spent Christmas and the New Year in a concrete pen at the centre hidden away in the slums of Manila’s Paranaque district which –with grotesque irony – is named House of Hope.

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.