Abuse victim weighs in on allegations against local Catholic priest

A sex abuse victim says the Catholic priest accused of sexual misconduct should be subject to police investigations, even if it's beyond the statue of limitations. That's the opinion of Jeff Jones, who says that he was also sexually molested as a child.
  eoria Catholic Diocese Bishop Daniel Jenky said Terry Cassidy can no longer serve in the ministry due to sex abuse allegations involving a minor nearly 30 years ago. Cassidy served at St. Ann Church in Peoria and St. Edward in Chillicothe in the early nineties.

http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Abuse-victim-weighs-in-on-allegations-against-local-Catholic-priest-323170411.html 

Worcester retired priest allegedly involved in dating websites fraud

The retired Roman Catholic priest who recently pleaded not guilty to federal money laundering charges was allegedly involved in an elaborate scheme to defraud women interested in dating websites, according to an initial detention order from U.S. District Court in Tampa.
A grand jury in Massachusetts recently returned an indictment charging the Rev. Thomas B. Fleming with 12 counts of money laundering. He faces a maximum of 20 years' imprisonment, a federal prosecutor said.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20150827/NEWS/150829262

NSW Police officer on Catholic Church abuse panel says not her role to report misconduct, inquiry told

A senior police officer who sat on an internal Catholic Church panel set up to manage allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy says it was not her role to report that information back to New South Wales Police, an inquiry has heard.

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) is investigating whether then-Senior Sergeant Elizabeth Cullen's appointment to the Church's Professional Standards Resource Group (PSRG) amounted to police misconduct. She is now an Inspector.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-17/police-officer-denies-obligation-to-report-church-abuse/5822046 

Fugitive Santeria priest named as homicide suspect after bones found in backyard

Santeria spiritual leader who performed healing rituals at a Montebello business was named Tuesday as the suspect in the disappearance and killing of a woman six years ago.
Maria Delrefugio Chavez’s skeletal remains were found Aug. 7, buried behind a house in the 700 block of Elsberry Avenue in unincorporated Valinda in the San Gabriel Valley. The El Monte woman had been missing since 2009. Sheriff’s detectives said they believe Pablo Pinto Mata, 46, murdered Chavez.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-human-remains-20150825-story.html 

3 Chicago area Catholic schools keep dangerous secrets, sex abuse victims say

The ABC7 I-Team looked into claims by nearly 100 alleged victims of sexual abuse in metro Chicago that the archdiocese and some of its schools are keeping dangerous secrets.
The case involves claims of sexual and physical abuse by priests and teachers at three local Catholic high schools. The three high schools have been a part of a Roman Catholic order called the Irish Christian Brothers. Hundreds of men and women accused members of the North American order of sexual abuse.

http://abc7chicago.com/news/3-catholic-schools-keep-dangerous-secrets-sex-abuse-victims-say-/763490/ 

Drunk Priest Offers Oral Sex to Cops

An Ohio priest who was arrested for driving under the influence pleaded not guilty in court Friday to DUI charges after he was caught on tape offering the arresting offers oral sex if they’d let him go.
It’s the third OVI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated)/DUI arrest for Father Ignatius Kury since 2004. In the video (posted below), he’s caught threatening the officers, offering them blow jobs, and asking if they want him to be some sort of “sexual slave.”

http://www.advocate.com/news/daily-news/2011/03/04/drunk-priest-offers-oral-sex-cops

Alaska priest arrested for triad of sins: drugs, guns and booze

An Alaska state trooper arrested 52-year-old Father Sean P. Thomson for drunk driving south of Fairbanks. Instead of a vehicle registration, he handed over a receipt and admitted to being drunk, but failed to let the officer know he was carrying a 9-mm. handgun while intoxicated. 

A Catholic priest at University of Alaska Fairbanks was arrested for a triad of alleged sins including drunk driving, marijuana and packing heat. Father Sean P. Thomson, 52, told an Alaska state trooper he was drunk and handed over a receipt instead of a vehicle registration on Monday night. He had a breath-alcohol content three times the legal limit, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/priest-arrested-driving-drunk-carrying-drugs-guns-article-1.1739800

Release accused priests' names, investigate all complaints, before approving Milwaukee archdiocese reorginazation plan

The names of all priests accused of abuse in the Milwaukee archdiocese bankruptcy case need to be released and an independent investigation of all 570 sexual abuse complaints need to be conducted before the reorganization plan is approved, according to Peter Isely, Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
Isely spoke to NCR following a press conference about the organization held on the steps of the federal courthouse in Milwaukee where the bankruptcy case is being heard by Judge Susan V. Kelley. The case was filed almost five years after the first of four mediations failed to result in a settlement.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/snap-release-accused-priests-names-investigate-all-complaints-approving 

US cardinal arrested in Hawaii on drink-driving charge

Cardinal William Levada, who will appear in court in September, says he 'regrets error of judgment'

An American cardinal has been arrested in Kailua-Kona, on the island of Hawaii, for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Cardinal William Levada, a retired Vatican official, was arrested at about midnight on August 19. Cardinal Levada, 79, was released after posting $500 in bail. He is due to appear in court on September 24.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/08/26/us-cardinal-arrested-in-hawaii-on-drunk-driving-charge/ 

Key church lawyer alleges cover-up

The law professor who reviewed the Catholic Church's Towards Healing protocol says he can point to alleged contemporary cover-ups by the church and has withdrawn his support for the protocol.
The senior lawyer who reviewed the Catholic Church's Towards Healing protocol says he can point to alleged contemporary cover-ups in the Catholic Church. Professor Patrick Parkinson was cited by Cardinal Pell yesterday as the man who had reviewed the Church's protocols on two occasions and had given them his tick of approval.

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3633089.htm

Priests with AIDS:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Debate erupted nationwide after The Kansas City Star reported that Roman Catholic priests in the US are dying from AIDS-related illnesses at a rate 4 times higher than the general population and the cause is often concealed on their death certificates.
In a three-part series, the newspaper said death certificates and interviews with experts indicated several hundred priests have died of AIDS-related illnesses since the mid-1980s and hundreds more are living with HIV, the virus that causes the disease.

http://archives.weirdload.com/aids.html 

Diocese names priests, sisters, staff accused of sexual abuse

The Diocese of Helena posted an online list Wednesday of every employee accused of sexually abusing a minor while working there.
The list dates back to the 1930s and includes the names of 80 priests, Ursuline Sisters, lay workers and others. A settlement between the Diocese and hundreds of victims requires that the names be posted and remain pinned to the Diocese homepage for the next decade.

http://helenair.com/news/diocese-names-priests-sisters-staff-accused-of-sexual-abuse/article_21cee896-519a-5b42-b63b-a8ea0a1a2ed9.html 

Catholic Church reveals scale of sex abuse

The Catholic Church in Switzerland has released new details of sexual abuse committed by priests and pastoral workers over the past 60 years.

Overall, 146 victims came forward to report abuse to Swiss dioceses in 2010 – the first year in which detailed statistics have been presented by the church. The abuse was carried out by 125 priests and lay clergy, an expert commission of the Swiss Bishops Conference said on Thursday.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/catholic-church-reveals-scale-of-sex-abuse/31149684?ns_mchannel=ps&ns_campaign=DSA&ns_source=adw&ns_linkname=_cat:swissinfo.ch&gclid=CLfBkdP-xccCFQaXvQodZ58C9A 

Sex abuse by nuns: the unknown story

The crisis over child sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church has cost the organisation both in terms of levels of public trust and compensation payouts.
When American bishops decided in 2002 to conduct an audit of the scale of the problem, their initiative was given a cautious welcome by survivors of sexual abuse.   But one part of the church was not part of the audit.  Nuns, officially known as "women religious", do not always fall under the authority of their local bishop.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7022694.stm

Child Sex Abuse in Australia's Jehovah's Witnesses Unreported

Since 1950, more than 1,000 members of the church were accused of child sex abuse, but never reported to police. At least 1,000 members of Jehovah’s Witness Church in Australia have been accused of child sex abuse in the last 65 years, with not one case reported to the police, an Australian government inquiry has found.
Claims of sexual abuse were hushed up and internally investigated by church elders, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse heard in Sydney on Monday, during the first day of hearings into the Jehovah's Witnesses.

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Child-Sex-Abuse-in-Australias-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Unreported-20150729-0004.html 

Former students sue Georgia karate instructor over alleged sexual abuse

In a landmark development involving child sex abuse cases, seven men were able to file a civil lawsuit Thursday in Georgia Superior Court against karate instructor Craig Peeples under the recently passed Georgia Hidden Predator Act. The men were previously stonewalled due to the state’s sex abuse statute of limitations laws.
Marci Hamilton, one of the nation’s leading experts on child abuse cases and a Benjamin N. Cardozo law professor, announced the lawsuit with six of the seven plaintiffs present at a press conference in Jacksonville, Fla.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/ex-students-sue-karate-instructor-alleged-sexual-abuse-article-1.2332774 

Two Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Father Donald Rieder Filing Lawsuits against Diocese of St. Cloud

In 2003 Rieder Pled Guilty to Abusing a Young Girl in the 1990s, and Admitted to Abusing Others in his 40 Year Career as a Catholic Priest One Survivor Whose Case was Settled Will Speak Publicly About Her Sexual Abuse by Rieder at Paynesville Church in the 1970s WHAT: At a press conference tomorrow in St. Cloud, attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Bryant will:

• Announce the filing of two lawsuits on behalf of women abused as minors, identified as Does 65 and 67, naming the Diocese of St. Cloud and two individual parishes as defendants. The women were sexually abused by Rieder at St. James in Randall, Minn., and at St. Anne’s in Kimball, Minn., in the 1960s when they were ages 11-15. They are able to bring these lawsuits as a result of Minnesota’s Child Victims Act, which gives child abuse victims until May 25, 2016, to file civil lawsuits.

http://stcloud.legalexaminer.com/property-owners-liability-slip-fall/two-survivors-of-sexual-abuse-by-father-donald-rieder-filing-lawsuits-against-diocese-of-st-cloud/

Longtime leader at St. John's Abbey accused of sex abuse

The Rev. Thomas Andert, the prior at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, has been removed from his leadership position following an allegation of student sex abuse.

The allegation was made in a letter by a former student at St. John’s Preparatory School, where Andert served as headmaster from 1988 to 1994. It alleges abuse about three decades ago. The abbey is not providing details of the complaint.

http://www.startribune.com/longtime-leader-at-st-john-s-abbey-accused-of-sex-abuse/322468541/ 

Catholic Men Need Priests Who Will Lead

A recent survey shows many Catholic men are ready to engage more deeply in the Faith—when priests make a commitment to actively evangelize them.  The New Evangelization has been a major effort in the Catholic Church for more than 40 years. Unfortunately, it has failed to stem several significant downward trends among faithful in the United States.
Since 2000, 14 million Catholics have left the faith, parish religious-education participation of children has dropped by 24 percent, Catholic school attendance has dropped by 19 percent, baptisms of infants has dropped by 28 percent, baptism of adults has dropped by 31 percent, and sacramental Catholic marriages have dropped by 41 percent. Something is desperately wrong with the Church’s approach to the New Evangelization.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/4103/Catholic_Men_Need_Priests_Who_Will_Lead.aspx 

Church did not want to know about abuse: bishop

And when they think they do, they're sometimes wrong. However, Francis has also affirmed that same-sex relationships and marriages are contrary to church teaching. Francis has not modified the Catholic Church's official place opposing its legalization. It was conducted in English and Spanish August 5-11. The margin of error is plus or minus three.four proportion factors.
"The whole thing here is, it just got to me; how can I talk to people who think this way?"
Coming after the eight-year reign of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a theology professor with a ardour for orthodoxy, Pope Francis' "shift in tone has modified individuals's perceptions", stated Jones.

http://theweatherspace.com/2015/08/26/121516-church-did-not-want-to-know-about-abuse-bishop/ 

Jimmy Savile report 'tears the BBC apart': Victims' fury as findings are secretly handed to Corporation bosses.

The findings of the Jimmy Savile inquiry are secretly circulating among BBC bosses – but have yet to be shown to victims.

Sources say the long-delayed independent report ‘tears the BBC apart’ and is ‘much worse than expected’. In particular, it is said to show that abuse on the Corporation’s premises was far more widespread than previously feared during the period Savile worked there.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3207502/Jimmy-Savile-report-tears-BBC-apart-Victims-fury-findings-secretly-handed-Corporation-bosses.html 

Inquiry boss wants to hear from abusers

The chair of the child sex abuse royal commission says while it can upset survivors, pedophiles have to be asked how they hid in the Catholic Church.  More Catholic clergy convicted of child sex abuse will be called to give evidence as a royal commission tries to find out why more allegations are made against that church than any other institution.
There was criticism of the commission after the appearance at a hearing in Ballarat of Gerald Ridsdale, the defrocked Catholic priest who is in jail for multiple child sex offences spanning 20 years.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/07/06/inquiry-boss-wants-hear-abusers 

South Yorkshire Police ‘forced to search conscience’ since Rotherham abuse revealed

It was a 153-page report that sent shockwaves through a South Yorkshire town and the nation at large, sparking a raft of senior resignations and months of turmoil in local child protection services at all levels.
And a year on from the bombshell Alexis Jay report which laid bare the scale of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner says he is still at a loss to understand why police in the town turned away from hundreds of young victims.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/south-yorkshire-police-forced-to-search-conscience-since-rotherham-abuse-revealed-1-7424473 

Retired Catholic bishop slams Cardinal George Pell over abuse

A retired Catholic bishop has slammed Cardinal George Pell and the Vatican for impeding the church’s ability to adopt a “profound and enduring” approach to victims abused by clergy.
“Some popes gave out the wrong message,” outspoken Bishop Geoffrey Robinson told the child abuse royal commission in Sydney. Oh, and some archbishops.” In the early 1990s, Pope John Paul II should have pledged there was “no place” for sex abusers in the church but instead “silence”was the default response, Bishop Robinson said.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/retired-catholic-bishop-slams-cardinal-george-pell-over-abuse/story-e6frg6nf-1227496643469 

Former pope John Paul II handled allegations 'poorly', inquiry hears

Former pope John Paul II handled sex abuse claims within the church "poorly" because he simply could not grasp the scale of the problem, a retired senior Bishop in Sydney says.

Geoffrey Robinson, a key player in the church's response to child sexual abuse by members of the clergy between 1994 and 2003, is giving evidence today before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-24/former-pope-john-paul-handled-sex-abuse-claims-poorly-inquiry/6719402 

NSW Police officer on Catholic Church abuse panel says not her role to report misconduct, inquiry told

A senior police officer who sat on an internal Catholic Church panel set up to manage allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy says it was not her role to report that information back to New South Wales Police, an inquiry has heard.

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) is investigating whether then-Senior Sergeant Elizabeth Cullen's appointment to the Church's Professional Standards Resource Group (PSRG) amounted to police misconduct. She is now an Inspector.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-17/police-officer-denies-obligation-to-report-church-abuse/5822046

Court rules former Yakima priest to pay $5 million in sexual abuse case

On Thursday, August 20, 2015, the Honorable Rosanna Malouf Petersen (Chief Judge of the Federal District Court, Eastern District of Washington) issued a civil judgment against Father Dale Calhoun in the amount of $5 million in a lawsuit filed by a man Calhoun sexually abused between the ages of 12 and 17. The Plaintiff filed his lawsuit under the pseudonym “C.S.” to protect his privacy.
Fr. Calhoun, is still incardinated as a priest in the Diocese of Yakima. This means that, despite multiple claims against him, Calhoun remains a priest enjoying the protections of the Catholic Church. Calhoun, who currently lives in the Beaumont, Texas area, sexually abused C.S. when C.S. was a teenaged boy. That Fr. Calhoun remains incardinated as a priest continues a disturbing pattern of conduct by the Bishops of Beaumont and Yakima especially in light of the early warnings about him.

http://www.kimatv.com/news/crime-and-justice/322723751.html 

Catholic priest sentenced to six months in prison after groping a sleeping woman on a cross-country flight.

A California-based Catholic priest was sentenced on Monday to six months in prison followed by six months of home confinement for groping a sleeping woman seated next to him on a US Airways flight.

Father Marcelo de Jesumaria, 46, was sentenced in federal court in Los Angeles. A jury found him guilty in May of abusive sexual contact.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3209341/California-priest-gets-prison-sexual-abuse-flight.html

Two Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Father Donald Rieder Filing Lawsuits against Diocese of St. Cloud

In 2003 Rieder Pled Guilty to Abusing a Young Girl in the 1990s, and Admitted to Abusing Others in his 40 Year Career as a Catholic Priest One Survivor Whose Case was Settled Will Speak Publicly About Her Sexual Abuse by Rieder at Paynesville Church in the 1970s

WHAT: At a press conference tomorrow in St. Cloud, attorneys Jeff Anderson and Mike Bryant will:
• Announce the filing of two lawsuits on behalf of women abused as minors, identified as Does 65 and 67, naming the Diocese of St. Cloud and two individual parishes as defendants. The women were sexually abused by Rieder at St. James in Randall, Minn., and at St. Anne’s in Kimball, Minn., in the 1960s when they were ages 11-15. They are able to bring these lawsuits as a result of Minnesota’s Child Victims Act, which gives child abuse victims until May 25, 2016, to file civil lawsuits.

http://stcloud.legalexaminer.com/property-owners-liability-slip-fall/two-survivors-of-sexual-abuse-by-father-donald-rieder-filing-lawsuits-against-diocese-of-st-cloud/ 

Thy Pope’s Misplaced Focus.

(ThyBlackMan.com) Pope John Francis’ upcoming visit to the U.S. is generating quite a bit of excitement here, especially among his Catholic faithful.  But for me and many others, his visit is generating consternation, not excitement.

Usually, most people tend to have great respect and affection for the Pope.  He is usually viewed by the public as a beacon of moral guidance, even for those who are non-Catholics.  This is definitely a view I once had of previous Popes. But I must admit that my respect for this current Pope, John Francis is somewhat diminished.

http://thyblackman.com/2015/08/24/thy-popes-misplaced-focus/ 

Tom Doyle on Hypocrisy in Spades in Milwaukee Settlement with Abuse Survivors

Today's National Survivor Advocates Coalition News features an op-ed piece by Tom Doyle entitled "Milwaukee: Hypocrisy in Spades." I'd provide a link for you to read it in its entirety, but don't yet find it online. I highly recommend that you subscribe to NSAC News. You can do that by clicking here. If I find down the road that NSAC has published Tom Doyle's essay online, as I think will happen, I'll provide you with a link.
(Later: MarkWilliam has kindly emailed to point out to me that the text is at We Are Church Ireland; If NSAC also publishes it, I'll provide that link, too.) Tom is commenting on the proposed settlement recently offered abuse survivors in the Milwaukee archdiocese. The settlement was presented in one media headline after another as a stunningly generous offer of church officials to settle with abuse victims and put the abuse crisis behind them.

http://bilgrimage.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/tom-doyle-on-hypocrisy-in-spades-in.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/OPqpQ+%28Bilgrimage%29 

ISIS and JP2 Army empowered by religion: differences and similarities.

21st century Islamic State of Iraq and Syria vis-à-vis half-of-20th-century John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army. On August 16, 2015, the New York Times published the news “ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape” citing the rape by an Islamic State fighter on a Yazidi 12 year old girl. Similar MSM journalists quickly mimicked the NYT reportage stating clearly the two words “ISIS and rape” in their headlines.  
Cases in point: “Systematic rape, slavery: The horrifying conundrum of ISIS”.  “How Isis has established a bureaucracy of rape”, (see more in news compilation below). 

http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2015/08/jp2-army-and-isis-theology-of-rape-are.html

Rape accusations and school traditions on display in Labrie case

It began with a headline moving across the wire last weekend: “Rape case points to sordid tradition at elite prep school.”

“When his trial begins Monday, prosecutors are expected to call current and former students to testify about the sexual culture at one of the country’s most selective boarding schools,” Associated Press reporter Lynne Tuohy wrote in her article.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/18275769-95/rape-accusations-and-school-traditions-on-display-in-labrie-case 

Former priest arrested in Florida, charged with child pornography

Just hours after the Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville spelled out the allegations against the former pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish Friday, Stephen Pohl was apprehended in Florida. Pohl was arrested Friday night in Pinellas County, Florida, and charged with possession of child pornography.
According to a WLKY affiliate in St. Petersburg, Florida, Pohl's sister maintains a home in Pinellas County. Father Mark Spalding, appointed  the temporary administrator at St. Margaret Mary, led mass Saturday. Laurie Roberton said Spalding tried to uplift parishioners, who have been shaken by the news. "Our priest is not my faith, our God is my faith, and that was the message,” she said.

http://www.wlky.com/news/saint-margaret-mary-holds-mass-following-former-pastors-arrest/34864046

Sherwood church holds first mass since priest fled police

A Portland archbishop led the first Sunday mass at a Sherwood church since an arrest warrant was issued for the church's priest.
The warrant was issued for Father Ysrael Bien, who was accused of placing a hidden camera in a bathroom at St. Francis Church. Bien is now in his native Philippines and police are trying to track him down.

http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/2015/08/23/sherwood-church-holds-first-mass-since-priest-fled-police/32242099/ 

Bishop to recall row with papal nuncio

A priest who had the habit of squeezing the genitals of miscreants was moved out of the Catholic Church and NSW in a joint police/church operation.
At a royal commission hearing retired bishop Geoffrey Robinson explained how the Catholic Church typically handled offending priests in the 60s and 70s. He told how Thomas Gilroy, archbishop of Sydney from 1940 to 1971, appointed Monsignor Tom Wallace of Darlinghurst to deal with priests behaving badly.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/08/24/03/36/inquiry-to-hear-from-outspoken-bishop

Priest, mother share path of pain, anger — and abiding faith

91-year-old Angie Roscioli hugs her son, Father Domenic Roscioli, during Mass at Festa Italiana on July 19. Angie Roscioli was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a priest when she was a child in Kenosha.  They walked, mother and son, along a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.

Angie Roscioli had come with other Catholic women for a spiritual retreat led by the Rev. Domenic Roscioli on the infinite nature of God's love. During a lull, they broke away, just the two of them, to walk and talk for a while.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/religion/priest-mother-share-path-of-pain-anger--and-abiding-faith-b99549598z1-322604621.html 

63 sex offenders back in jail after lie detector tests

Paedophiles and rapists are caught out breaking the terms of their release from prison after undergoing new polygraph tests, Ministry of Justice figures show. Scores of the country’s worst sex offenders have been sent back to prison after taking lie-detector tests while on early release.

In the past year, 492 people convicted of serious sex offences such as rape and child abuse in England and Wales have been forced to take polygraph tests under the terms of their release from custody “on licence”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11818068/63-sex-offenders-back-in-jail-after-lie-detector-tests.html 

George Pell criticised by Catholic bishop as 'destroyer of unity' on child sex abuse

Retired bishop Geoffrey Robinson also criticised popes John Paul II and Francis for lack of leadership in church’s response to victims of child sex abuse. Cardinal George Pell “destroyed the unity” of the Catholic church’s response to child sex abuse, an Australian bishop has told the royal commission.
Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, who played a key role in developing the Australian church’s response to child sex abuse, also said pope Francis was yet to show strong leadership on the issue and one of his predecessors, John Paul II, responded “poorly” to revelations of child abuse.

http://linkis.com/Eg37Y 

Church and police handled abuse 'in-house'

A priest who had the habit of squeezing the genitals of miscreants was moved out of the Catholic Church and NSW in a joint police/church operation. At a royal commission hearing retired bishop Geoffrey Robinson explained how the Catholic Church typically handled offending priests in the 60s and 70s.

He told how Thomas Gilroy, archbishop of Sydney from 1940 to 1971, appointed Monsignor Tom Wallace of Darlinghurst to deal with priests behaving badly.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/08/24/03/36/inquiry-to-hear-from-outspoken-bishop

NZ clergy members escape abuse charges

Four New Zealand clergy members were never charged with sex offences against children despite the Catholic Church proving they had committed the crimes. The church has revealed the numbers of complaints coming forward - many historical - as it deals with decades of abuse by members.

According to church figures, 58 fresh complaints were made in the four years to the end of 2014. The oldest case dated back to 1946. Twenty-four are still being investigated but 26 were accepted as proven to a civil court standard. They involved 21 priests, nuns or teachers.

http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/nz-clergy-members-escape-abuse-charges-2015072510#axzz3jbKMT532 

Catholic hierarchy stand by while nuns’ orders seek to obstruct justice for their abuse victims

Following the failed attempt to obstruct the historic child abuse inquiry in Scotland, Keith Porteous Wood exposes the continuing reluctance of the Catholic Church to face up to and pay for its crimes.

Two orders of nuns have sought and failed to frustrate the appointment of the chair of the Scottish child abuse inquiry. Maybe they hoped no one would notice their shocking record of heinous abuse and ponder on their motives. As could be expected from the Scottish Catholic hierarchy's brazen and disgraceful record on denial and covering up abuse, it conspicuously did not distance itself from the appointment challenge.

http://www.secularism.org.uk/blog/2015/07/catholic-hierarchy-stand-by-while-nuns-orders-seek-to-obstruct-justice-for-their-abuse-victims 

Former nun speaks out on church abuse claims

For 40 years many boys placed in institutions run by the order of St John of God were molested, raped and physically assaulted by some of the men who were supposed to care for them. Now a former nun who worked for the order speaks out about what she says is a culture of collusion within its ranks.
CHRIS UHLMANN, PRESENTER: Among the litany of accusations that led to the recent announcement of a Royal commission into the institutional child sex abuse, none have been more shocking than those surrounding the Catholic order St John of God. For 40 years boys placed in the order's care were molested, raped and physically assaulted. The story has hit the headlines this week with the arrest in New Zealand of a former brother accused of molesting 35 children in a home for intellectually disabled boys.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3651319.htm 

A Catholic Brother is in court in Victoria and is being investigated in NSW

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 allegedly committed within Victoria. He is in custody in Victoria, where a magistrate has committed Mount to face a trial (due to begin on 3 July 2015). New South Wales police, also, are investigating Father Mount concerning incidents that are alleged to have occurred in NSW.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/308 

How To Stop People From Emotionally Manipulating You

If you are reading this right now, then chances are you have been manipulated by someone at some point in your life.  There is also a good chance you are being manipulated right now.  Teachers, co-workers, relationship partners, friends, and family are usually the ones who end up manipulating us because we feel as though we can trust them.  Because we feel like we can trust them, we open ourselves up to persuasion, manipulation, and being emotionally abused by them.
If we want to avoid being manipulated, the first thing you have to do is recognize that you are in fact being manipulated.  All this really requires is self-honesty and the willingness to admit to ourselves that we are being taken advantage of.  Once you recognize the problem, you can begin to fix it.  Here are 3 ways to avoid being manipulated and what you can do if you suspect someone is manipulating you:

http://thespiritscience.net/2015/07/26/how-to-stop-people-from-emotionally-manipulating-you/ 

Crimes by a priest? No, it was merely 'misbehaviour', says his bishop

Retired bishop Ronald Mulkearns, who once administered the Catholic Church throughout western Victoria, has been forced to appear in court to answer questions about one of his priests, Robert Claffey (now aged 72), who is facing multiple child-assault charges. In the witness box on 29 July 2015, Bishop Mulkearns was forced to admit that, yes, he had indeed known in the 1980s about Father Claffey's offences against children.
According to a court document, Father Claffey left one parish in 1989 after offences there but Bishop Mulkearns then appointed him to another parish, where Father Claffey allegedly offended again in 1991-91. In court in 2015, Mulkearns indicated that he regards Claffey's alleged crimes against children as merely "misbehaviour".

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/344 

No. 2 leader at St. John's Abbey steps aside while sexual abuse allegation is investigated

The No. 2 leader at St. John's Abbey, the Rev. Tom Andert, has stepped aside because of a sexual misconduct allegation involving a former student at St. John's Preparatory School, the monastery said Thursday.
The abbey's spokesman, the Rev. Aelred Senna, told Minnesota Public Radio (http://bit.ly/1fsKiZP ) in an email that Andert will "step back from public ministry and from his work until an investigation is completed."

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/8042900f01274abdbc1104d1a0f7741c/MN--Church-Abuse-Minnesota 

Documents in Case of Sexual Abuse by a Priest to Be Made Public, Under C.A. Ruling

The Sixth District Court of Appeal has affirmed an order that confidential discovery responses by the Roman Catholic Diocese in Monterey, in an action by a man who was a minor when he was allegedly sexually abused by a priest in 2004 and 2005, be turned over to a local newspaper.

The opinion was handed down Friday and was not certified for publication. Justice Franklin D. Elia authored it.The Diocese had obtained a protective order in 2011 when it was sued by “John RJ Doe” in  connection with the purported abuse of him by then-Father Edward Fitz‑Henry. The order said: “Until further notice, no records produced in discovery shall be disseminated or their contents disclosed to third persons prior to trial or adjudication on the merits.”

http://www.metnews.com/articles/2015/monterey080415.htm 

Next Big Task for the Pope: Clean the Child Predator Filth Out of the Catholic Church

Accused of raping a 15-year-old boy, a former New Jersey priest has justified his disgusting actions by stating that the boy had “evil” thoughts and “wanted” sex, reported RawStory. The victim, Max Rojas Ramirez, has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark.
Ramirez, 28, was 15 years old when Rev. Manuel Gallo Espinoza raped him. Espinoza has since vanished. Ramirez first encountered Espinoza during confession when Ramirez was eight-years-old. “I was looking for guidance and trying to figure out all these things, and eventually I came to tell him about the attraction I had toward guys,” said Ramirez. 

http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/08/next-big-task-for-the-pope-clean-the-child-predator-filth-out-if-the-catholic-church/ 

Why The Pope Matters

An estimated 1.5 million people are expected to join Pope Francis on September 27 for a celebration of the Mass at the culmination of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The massive gathering, plus the pope’s participation in the Festival of Families the day before, which is expected to draw close to 750,000 people, has led to the coining of the term “Popeapocalypse”.
Universities are closing, pilgrims are staking sleeping plots in the Philadelphia Zoo, the mass transit system is holding a lottery for train tickets and women expecting to give birth in the area are looking at traveling to other cities -- all in anticipation of Pope Francis's visit.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-pope-francis-matters_55d370dee4b07addcb443e0c?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592&ref=yfp&kvcommref=mostpopular

Māori leaders call for Māori to speak up about child abuse

Māori need to take some responsibility for children killed by domestic violence.  That was the consensus amongst Māori leaders, academics and politicians, about physical abuse on children. This has come to light after the death of three-year-old Moko Rangitoheriri.
Māori are again rocked by the death of a young toddler, at the hands of adults. There have been so many cases like this in past years, too many to list them all, but Nia Glassie, and the Kāhui twins are some that spring to mind.

http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/national/maori-leaders-call-maori-speak-about-child-abuse

Monastery prior steps aside pending investigation

The prior of the monastery at Saint John's Abbey has stepped aside because of an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a former student at Saint John's Preparatory School, according to a spokesperson for the abbey in Collegeville, Minn.
The Rev. Tom Andert will "step back from public ministry and from his work until an investigation is completed," the Rev. Aelred Senna, the abbey spokesperson, said in an email to MPR News. Andert declined to comment.

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/08/20/monastery-prior 

Compare & contrast. "the younger the better,"

Jared Fogel, thirty-seven, former Subway pitchman, video-game star, will plead guilty to possessing and transmitting child pornography (some of which depicted children as young as six), to traveling in order to pay for sex with minors ("the younger the better," he told one of the seventeen-year-old girls he patronized, asking her to find more girls for him).
In exchange, the government has agreed not to seek a sentence of longer than twelve and a half years (and Fogel won't seek one shorter than five). A judge may decide to impose a stricter sentence.

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/compare-contrast 

Vatican workers listed among users of Ashley Madison site

People working at the Vatican are reportedly among the 37 million users of infidelity website Ashley Madison.
Websites of at least two dozen people with the .va address are among those who had signed up to meet married people for liaisons. There are also 15,000 people with US military addresses and 140 British government workers.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/08/20/vatican-workers-among-users-of-ashley-madison-site/ 

Archdiocese: Sherwood priest left US in June

A Catholic priest who had been a person of interest in the case of a camera hidden in a bathroom left the country in June, and the Archdiocese of Portland did not tell police he was gone.
When Sherwood police went to arrest Fr. Ysrael Bien on misdemeanor charges, they learned he left for The Philippines more than a month ago, a development Sherwood Police Capt. Ty Hanlon called “discouraging.”

http://koin.com/2015/08/19/archdiocese-knew-sherwood-priest-fled-us/ 

Josh Duggar Admits to Cheating on His Wife Anna Duggar: "I Have Been the Biggest Hypocrite Ever"

Josh Duggar has confessed to cheating on his wife Anna Duggar, just one day after the emails of millions of users on infidelity website Ashley Madison were exposed, including the eldest Duggar son's information.
In a statement released on the Duggar family's official website on Thursday, Aug. 20, Josh admitted to being unfaithful to his wife Anna, also the mother of his four kids.

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/josh-duggar-admits-cheating-wife-anna-duggar-biggest-181646308-us-weekly.html 

Former student says faculty of prep school knew about sex tradition

A former student of the St. Paul’s School tells CBS News the faculty was aware of the “Senior Salute” ritual, in which senior boys tried to meet up with younger female students, reports CBS News correspondent Anna Werner.
“It’s generally more cute than malicious. And the person approached can always say ‘No,”‘ the recent graduate said. She said she knows the teenage girl who has accused 19-year-old Owen Labrie of rape at the elite New Hampshire prep school, as well as the defendant.

http://klfy.com/2015/08/20/former-student-says-faculty-of-prep-school-knew-about-sex-tradition/ 

St. Paul’s Trial: Defense Attempts To Poke Holes In Alleged Victim's Credibility

Throughout the third day of the St. Paul’s rape trial the defense continued to try to poke holes in the alleged victim’s credibility. During cross examination of the accuser, defense attorney J.W. Carney questioned her testimony this week to her interview last year with Concord Police.
Carney argued that her intention with defendant 19-year-old Owen Labrie changed from last spring until now. Describing how the accuser's friend told police about her conversation with the accuser prior to meeting Labrie, saying that the accuser said she was willing to "get fingered and at the most give him a blow job, but nothing further."

http://nhpr.org/post/st-paul-s-trial-defense-attempts-poke-holes-alleged-victims-credibility 

Russian Orthodox Priest charged for committing offences against 15-year-old boy - SCC Sex Crimes Squad

A Russian Orthodox priest has been charged with numerous offences including child grooming, indecent assault and detain for advantage.

In July 2014, detectives from the NSW Police Force’s Sex Crimes Squad and AFP officers formed Strike Force Zama to investigate allegations concerning a man in his 30s. Inquiries revealed that a 32-year-old Russian Orthodox Priest, who had arrived in Australia in 2013, had been communicating with a 15-year-old Belarusian boy over the internet.

http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJTJGNDgxMjEuaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D 

Memphis Pastor and Former Millington Reserve Police Officer Indicted on Separate Child Porn Charges

Two Memphis men — a pastor and a former reserve police officer — have been indicted on separate child pornography charges, according to two back-to-back press releases from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church pastor Demarcus Smith, who is also a member of the Baptist Ministerial Association, was indicted on child pornography possession charges. On numerous occasions between August 2014 and May 2015, Smith, who is 32 years old, reportedly coerced a boy, who was under 18, to take pictures of himself engaging in sexual conduct and then to send those images to Smith's cell phone.


http://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2015/08/19/memphis-pastor-and-millington-police-officer-indicted-on-separate-child-porn-charges 

Lawyers make their closing arguments in pastor's child-sex trial

Two girls did not concoct an elaborate set of allegations of sexual abuse about a pastor they knew, the Crown has told a jury. Prosecutor Ian Murray closed the Crown's case to the Wellington District Court jury on Thursday in the trial of the pastor of the Kingdom Ambassador International Fellowship church Jone Draiva Conikeli.
Murray said it defied belief that an 11-year-old had hatched a plan for revenge on Conikeli for introducing her recently bereaved father to another woman.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/71284183/lawyers-make-their-closing-arguments-in-pastors-childsex-trial 

'Church leaders need Working With Children Checks'

ALL religious leaders and staff in Australia would have to have "Working With Children Checks" if new recommendations from the Royal Commission  into Child Sex Abuse are adopted.

It includes a national approach to how these checks, called a "Blue Card" in Queensland, are conducted. The Royal Commission has today released its report into Working With Children Checks, which at the moment are approved at a state level. 

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/church-leaders-need-working-children-checks-says-r/2742492/ 

Survivors of abuse by clergy ‘not alone’

The most traumatic moment of Bill McAlary’s life happened in 1958. Nearly 60 years later, he’s still visibly shaken just talking about it. McAlary says a Catholic priest molested him when he was a 12-year-old altar boy in Ionia.
“I woke up. He was molesting me sexually, on his knees next to my bed,” McAlary recalled. “That’s how I woke up.” He said he immediately told his mother, but she didn’t do anything about it.

http://woodtv.com/2015/08/17/advocate-survivors-of-abuse-by-clergy-not-alone/ 

Sex slavery adopted and codified by Islamic State

Systemic rape of Yazidi women and girls has become enmeshed in terror group’s theology.  In the moments before he raped the 12-year-old girl, the Islamic State fighter took the time to explain that what he was about to do was not a sin. Because the pre-teen girl practised a religion other than Islam, the Koran not only gave him the right to rape her – it condoned and encouraged it, he insisted.

He bound her hands and gagged her. Then he knelt beside the bed and prostrated himself in prayer before getting on top of her. When it was over, he knelt to pray again, bookending the rape with acts of religious devotion. “I kept telling him it hurts – please stop,” said the girl, whose body is so small an adult could circle her waist with two hands. 

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/sex-slavery-adopted-and-codified-by-islamic-state-1.2317309 

Roman Catholic Church in Scotland issues apology for child abuse

The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has issued a "profound apology" to victims of child abuse. Archbishop Philip Tartaglia said Scottish bishops were "shamed and pained" by the suffering of those who had been harmed.
His apology followed the publication of a report from the McLellan Commission, which was set up to investigate abuse. It called on the church to make an "unmistakeable and unequivocal" apology and "heal the hurt" of victims.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-33959446 

As More Irish Turn Away From Catholicism, Parents Call For Non-Religious Schools

In the U.S., parents who want to give their children a religious education have to pay for it for the most part. In Ireland, it's the opposite - 92 percent of state schools are run by the Catholic Church.
That's even though growing numbers of people in Ireland no longer identify as Catholic. And this is creating new tensions for parents trying to find schools for their kids. Miranda Kennedy has been digging into this from Dublin.

http://kawc.org/post/more-irish-turn-away-catholicism-parents-call-non-religious-schools 

Catholic Archbishop Philip Tartaglia says sorry to Church abuse victims

Scotland's most senior Catholic Archbishop, Philip Tartaglia, has apologised to survivors of abuse within the church in Scotland following the publication of an independent review of its handling of allegations.
A commission led by the Very Rev Andrew McLellan called for the church to make an ''unmistakeable and unequivocal'' apology and said support for survivors of abuse must be its ''absolute priority''. Archbishop Tartaglia, president of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, issued the apology in his homily during a mass at St Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow this afternoon.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/review-catholic-churchs-handling-abuse-claims-published-020325144.html#eVAPx2K 

It Begins: Pedophiles Call for Same Rights as Homosexuals

Using the same tactics used by “gay” rights activists, pedophiles have begun to seek similar status arguing their desire for children is a sexual orientation no different than heterosexual or homosexuals.
Critics of the homosexual lifestyle have long claimed that once it became acceptable to identify homosexuality as simply an “alternative lifestyle” or sexual orientation, logically nothing would be off limits. “Gay” advocates have taken offense at such a position insisting this would never happen. However, psychiatrists are now beginning to advocate redefining pedophilia in the same way homosexuality was redefined several years ago.

http://patdollard.com/2013/07/it-begins-pedophiles-call-for-same-rights-as-homosexuals/ 

Bishops of Scotland say they are ‘shamed and pained’ by abuse within the Church

During Mass at St Andrew’s Cathedral today, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia offered the Scottish Church’s full response to the publication of the McLellan report from the commission chaired by Dr Andrew McLellan, a former Church of Scotland Moderator

The Bishops of Scotland came together in Glasgow’s St Andrew’s Cathedral this afternoon as Archbishop Philip Tartaglia apologised on behalf of the hierarchy to those abused by people in the Church, saying such abuse ‘shamed and pained’ them.

http://www.sconews.co.uk/latest-edition/46642/bishops-of-scotland-say-they-are-shamed-and-pained-by-abuse-within-the-church/

Bronx Rabbi Who Took Boys Naked to Sauna Will Keep His Job

A prominent Orthodox rabbi in the Bronx who was the focus of scrutiny for having taken young boys naked to a sauna will keep his job, after his synagogue’s board changed course and decided not to seek his removal.

The rabbi, Jonathan Rosenblatt of the Riverdale Jewish Center, had fought efforts to remove him and apologized for lapses in judgment, and seemed to have the support of most of the 700-member congregation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/nyregion/bronx-rabbi-who-had-naked-sauna-chats-will-keep-his-job.html?_r=0 

A Review of the Current Safeguarding Policies, Procedures and Practice within the Catholic Church in Scotland

The McLellan Commission published its Report on 18th August and has made eight key recommendations to Scotland's Catholic Bishops to improve the current standards of safeguarding within the Catholic Church.

https://www.mclellancommission.co.uk/report 

Logging company guilty over teen's death

A logging company has been found guilty of not doing enough to protect a 19-year-old forestry worker who died. Eramiha Pairama was killed when he was struck by a falling tree in a forest near Taneatua in Eastern Bay of Plenty in January 2013.
Puketi Logging was found guilty in Tauranga District Court in Wednesday of a charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act of failing to take all practical steps to provide him with a safe working environment.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/29244541/logging-company-guilty-over-teens-death/ 

Louisville pastor on leave amid child porn investigation

A Louisville priest has been placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into child pornography, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Father Stephen A. Pohl, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish at 7813 Shelbyville Road, was put on leave after the Archdiocese said it learned of an investigation about “inappropriate photos of children that have been taken and collected by Father Pohl to determine if he has possessed or distributed child pornography.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/religion/2015/08/15/louisville-pastor-leave-child-porn-allegations/31775811/ 

Statement Regarding Msgr. Joseph Davies

Monsignor Joseph Davies died in 1992. On August 31, 1993, a man in his 50s contacted the Archdiocese to report that he had been sexually abused as a child by Davies in the 1950s. The Archdiocese reported the allegation in writing to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office on September 8, 1993 and offered the victim an apology and counseling assistance.
Additional allegations against Msgr. Davies have been made in the ensuing years, all of which have been reported in writing to the appropriate civil authorities at the time they were received. In each case the victims were offered an apology and counseling assistance.

http://www.archbalt.org/news-events/press-releases/statement-regarding-msgr-joseph-davies.cfm 

A Resource to Recommend: Ruth Krall on How to Smell a Rape-Prone Campus

Here's a very valuable resource I'd like to share with you, which Ruth Krall has just uploaded to the "Tools" section of her Enduring Space blog site: "How to Smell a Rape-Prone Campus" (pdf file). I'll point out, too, that it's timely, as a new semester begins for college students around the country. 

In 24 succinct statements, Ruth describes the kind of campus on which rape is a serious problem, and where it's highly likely to be covered up. These statements obviously draw on her own wide experience as a therapist and theologian working with victims of sexual violence, and with her activism monitoring institutions that cover up the sexual violence of pastors and professors.

http://bilgrimage.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/a-resource-to-recommend-ruth-krall-on.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/OPqpQ+%28Bilgrimage%29

Let’s not forget the fate of the Yazidi rape survivors

Just over a year ago, ISIS began their carefully calculated capture of the Yazidi people. Yazidi polytheism was the core reason that ISIS targeted them in August of 2014. After surrounding them on top of Mount Sinjar, they killed the men and captured the women. In the October issue of ISIS’s Dabiq journal, they admitted that it was planned and that their research found that the enslavement of Yazidi women was “justified.”
This is consistent with research by Human Rights Watch., which agrees that the sex trade of minorities has been systematic and organized. The fate of the Yazidi women hasn’t been the main topic of conversation, but a question remains: Could Muslim, Christian, and Jewish women be next?

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2015/08/15/Let-s-not-forget-the-fate-of-the-Yazidi-women.html 

Cardinal defends move to protect US diocese from litigation from abuse victims

A US cardinal archbishop has accused opponents of quoting out of context his 2007 statement to the Vatican that he was strengthening a diocese's protection against litigation by child sexual abuse victims by putting most of its assets into a cemetery trust fund.
Cardinal Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan told RTÉ's This Week opponents are ignoring that state law required him to move the money beyond diocesan control.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0816/721588-timothy-dolan-catholic-church/

Hutt pastor on trial over underage abuse charges

pastor at a Fijian fellowship church indecently touched two girls and tried to get one to have sex with him, a Wellington jury has been told. Jone Draiva Conikeli, 42, from Stokes Valley, was a pastor at the Kingdom Ambassador International Fellowship church's Wellington chapter.
He pleaded not guilty in Wellington District Court on Monday to two charges of assault with intent to commit sexual violation, two of doing an indecent act on a person under 16, and three of doing an indecent act on a child. Crown prosecutor Ian Murray said Conikeli exploited opportunities to sexually abuse two girls he knew through family and friends.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/71170742/hutt-pastor-on-trial-over-underage-abuse-charges 

Sweeping changes needed to ensure child safety: Royal Commission.

The failure of state and territory governments to introduce a nationally consistent system to reduce the risk of paedophiles working with children has been described as "inexcusable" by a royal commission that has recommended sweeping changes to background checks.
State and territory governments will have one year to implement recommendations made on Monday by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sweeping-changes-needed-to-ensure-child-safety-royal-commission-20150817-gj0lqo.html 

Abuse survivor reacts to church's healing services

The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has begun a series of healing services for victims of sexual abuse at the hands of priests. One of the people who received the letters, abuse survivor Michael Sandridge, said the letter contained an apology.
“I am so sorry for what happened to you, and I realize that no words are likely to heal your wounds,” the letter said. “As a small step toward reconciliation, I apologize on behalf of all the priests of this diocese and all the members of our Catholic church for the terrible hurt you have suffered at the hands of someone entrusted with your spiritual care.”

http://www.kmbc.com/news/abuse-survivor-reacts-to-churchs-healing-services/34680278 

St. Paul's School: Rape Trial Targets Sexual Culture at Elite New Hampshire Campus

A former student at an elite New Hampshire prep school went on trial Monday on charges he raped a 15-year-old girl on campus. But it's not just the defendant who's facing judgment.
The rape allegedly occurred at the prestigious St. Paul's School, whose alumni include Secretary of State John Kerry, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Garry Trudeau and several members of Congress. The trial is expected to cast a spotlight on unsavory aspects of the boarding school's on-campus sexual culture — including accusations of graduating boys' competitive pursuit of younger students.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rape-trial-targets-sexual-culture-elite-st-pauls-school-n411006 

Seaford congregation didn’t report sex abuse

A Delaware deputy attorney general will argue later this year that elders in a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Seaford failed to report that a woman and 14-year-old boy, both members of the congregation, were having a sexual relationship.
The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against the Seaford Kingdom Hall and two of the congregation’s elders in May 2014. A Superior Court judge in Wilmington is scheduled to hear the case Nov. 9.

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/08/05/ag-claims-seaford-congregation-report-sex-abuse/31184877/ 

The rest of the world can learn from Irish funeral traditions

I encountered a young Irishwoman not long ago, who talked to me about having spent some time working in Germany. It was very rewarding and fulfilling, and she was glad to get away from Ireland, where, she felt, there were still some puritanical and inhibited attitudes to sexuality.
In Germany, by contrast, she found people were much more open and natural in their attitudes to relationships and she thought that much better.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/mary-kenny/the-rest-of-the-world-can-learn-from-irish-funeral-traditions-30703084.html 

We Exposed Child Sex Abuse in Hollywood, But Did Our ‘Fearless’ Director Cave to Pressure From the Entertainment Elite?

Imagine that one of Hollywood’s top documentary filmmakers is hired to make a film about child sex abuse in Hollywood. Imagine that the film premiered at a major U.S. film festival to a packed audience with little advance notice. Imagine that it earned rave reviews from critics.
Now imagine that the director refused media interviews and to even attend the premiere. The director claimed that she was simply “too busy” for five months and declined requests from CNN, Fox News, Entertainment Tonight, Rolling Stone Magazine, and dozens of other national platforms.

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/we-exposed-child-sex-abuse-in-hollywood-but-did-our-fearless-director-cave-to-pressure-from-the-entertainment-elite/ 

Artists invited to contribute to domestic abuse awareness event

Heart Springs Press and Catholic Charities: Domestic Violence Program will hold an evening of art and education about family violence from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 8 at United Methodist Church in Cobleskill. The event will support domestic violence issues locally and nationally.
The event will include art work, poetry, stories, video, photography and music by survivors of abuse or family and friends of people who have been abused. Leading up to October art groups are being held at Catholic Charities with survivors of domestic violence. The art projects include painting, collage, poetry, video or music in the projects.

http://www.thedailystar.com/news/entertainment_news/artists-invited-to-contribute-to-domestic-abuse-awareness-event/article_7ff95322-22a2-56aa-9f8c-8475183ebb5c.html 

Boston Globe Spotlight Abuse In The Catholic Church

Spotlight Team Investigation: Abuse in the Catholic Church. Complete coverage of the priestual abuse scandal from The Boston Globe, including case .The Boston Globe broke the story about the Geoghan abuse case and continues to lead in reporting major developments in the priest abuse scandal. Betrayal .
A trailer has surfaced for "Spotlight," the Tom McCarthy film about The Boston Globe 's investigation of the Catholic Church abuse scandal..In early 2002, Boston Globe coverage of a series of criminal prosecutions of of Boston exploded into a national Roman Catholic Church abuse scandal. . at///globe/spotlight/abuse/stories4/040803_memory.htm

http://akoplane.co/boston-globe-spotlight-abuse-in-the-catholic-church.html

Queen claimed ‘someone must have greased the brakes’ on hearing of Diana’s death

 You will always be in our Hearts Diana... You will always be our English Rose... Ann

WHEN Queen Elizabeth II heard that Princess Diana had been involved in a serious car crash in Paris almost 18 years ago, she blurted out, “Someone must have greased the brakes,” a new biography says.

Princess Diana was killed on August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their drunken driver when they crashed while being chased by paparazzi. The Queen made the startling statement before she realised Diana had been killed, along with boyfriend Dodi Fayed, Ingrid Seward wrote in The Queen’s Speech.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/world/brekkie-wrap-queen-claimed-someone-must-have-greased-the-brakes-on-hearing-of-dianas-death/story-fnhrvhol-1227486229571?sv=42b5942cb9cba54b68c3fbf88624e12f

Child Protection Royal Commission hearings to be held in private

THE Royal Commissioner examining South Australia’s child protection system has revealed plans to take evidence from 13 foster care or welfare agencies, but all hearings will be closed to the public.
At least two of the witnesses giving evidence say they would be happy to do so openly and the Opposition has called for open hearings to be the “default position”, unless discussing details of sensitive child abuse cases.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/child-protection-royal-commission-hearings-to-be-held-in-private/story-fnii5yv8-1227478038241 

Laurel House representatives make the case for an abuse shelter in East Norriton

EAST NORRITON>> Officials from a domestic abuse shelter made the case that they should be allowed to move its shelter to the rectory building of St. Titus Roman Catholic Church on Keenwood Road in East Norriton at Tuesday night’s zoning hearing.
As a host of concerned residents and shelter supporters filled the East Norriton Middle School gymnasium, Amee Farrell, the attorney representing Laurel House, gave an opening statement that responded to concerns being raised by residents that have formed a coalition in opposition to Laurel House moving their shelter to the parcel in question.

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20150811/laurel-house-representatives-make-the-case-for-an-abuse-shelter-in-east-norriton 

Jehovah's Witness Church must change after Royal Commission hearings

The Royal Commission into child abuse has highlighted a number of flawed areas within the Jehovah's Witness Church. It's time for the elders to instigate real change from within, writes former Witness Paul Grundy.

I was raised a Jehovah's Witness and for many years followed the doctrine of the religion. I believed the teachings of the religion's guiding magazine, Watchtower, and thought I was never going to die. I didn't even expect to finish school before Armageddon - where God would kill the billions of people who were not Jehovah's Witnesses and leave the few million witnesses to live on this planet forever.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-10/grundy-flaws-in-jehovahs-witness/6680286 

Suspended Mt. Pleasant priest replaced

A Mt. Pleasant priest suspended last month for improper behavior is not returning to the pulpit and has been replaced.  The Rev. Denis Heames, priest at St. Mary’s University Parish in Mt. Pleasant, was put on administrative leave for inappropriate behavior related to his ministry in early July.
Heames has been replaced by The Rev. Thomas McNamara, a popular priest who served nine years as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Mt. Pleasant in the 1990s. McNamara – who assumes his new role immediately – will also continue serving the SS. Francis and Clare Parish in Birch Run, Bishop Joseph R. Cistone said in announcing the appointment.

http://www.themorningsun.com/general-news/20150811/suspended-mt-pleasant-priest-replaced

Criminal Charges Filed Against Minnesota Catholic Archdiocese Over Mishandling of Sex Abuse Claims

Twin Cities (Minnesota) Archbishop John Nienstedt (below) spent years arguing against LGBT rights. In 2007, he wrote that “those who actively encourage or promote homosexual acts… formally cooperate in a grave evil and, if they do so knowingly and willingly, are guilty of mortal sin.” He condemned Brokeback Mountain when it came out. And he spent $650,000 of the Church’s money trying to convince Minnesota voters to pass an amendment banning same-sex marriage — an amendment that ultimately failed.
It’s hardly surprisingly, then, that Nienstedt was under investigation for having sex with other priests. More importantly, he retaliated against anyone who didn’t respond in kind or questioned what he was doing. He denies all of these allegations, of course.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/05/criminal-charges-filed-against-minnesota-catholic-archdiocese-over-mishandling-of-sex-abuse-claims/ 

Catholic Church abuse claims were anticipated years before allegations were made

The Catholic Church had set aside tens of millions of dollars to compensate sexual abuse victims years before it was prepared to publicly acknowledge the extent of the problem and now has up to $150 million set aside to cover existing and future claims.
The Sunday Age can reveal the church's insurance company has allocated up to $150 million to cover outstanding and anticipated compensation claims,more than three times the amount believed to have been paid to victims to date.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/catholic-church-abuse-claims-were-anticipated-years-before-allegations-were-made-20150411-1mix8a.html 

Catholic church fights push to allow more abuse claims in NY

The Roman Catholic Church is opposing efforts in New York to allow sex abuse accusers to file lawsuits after the statute of limitations has expired, warning of dire financial consequences if the state allows plaintiffs to sue decades after the purported abuse occurred.
Currently in New York, victims of child sex abuse have until five years after they turn 18 to file a lawsuit. The same statute of limitations applies to most child sex crimes.

http://www.cruxnow.com/life/2015/04/24/catholic-church-fights-push-to-allow-more-abuse-claims-in-ny/ 

Our children were sexually abused in Catholic Church care, now their lawyers are crushing our families

I can't imagine a worse nightmare for a parent. I still live it everyday. My son, who is profoundly disabled, was sexually abused at the Catholic Church's St Ann's Special School.

For years they covered it up. Brian Perkins, the man they employed as the school's bus driver was a convicted paedophile. Over five years it led to more than 30 children being sexually abused, including my son. 

https://www.change.org/p/our-children-were-sexually-abused-in-catholic-church-care-now-their-lawyers-are-crushing-our-families

Sean Brady says Catholic church covered up abuse to preserve its “good name”

The retired Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, told a court in Northern Ireland that clergy investigating sex abuse allegations kept their findings secret in order to protect the Catholic church’s “good name.”

“There was a shroud of secrecy and confidentiality with a view not to destroying the good name of the church,” Brady, 75, told the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Banbridge, Co. Down. “The scandal that somebody who was ordained to serve people should so abuse the trust for their own pleasure was appalling. “To offset that, the scandal was kept a secret — very, very secret. “Everybody involved would be bound to secrecy too.”

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Sean-Brady-says-Catholic-church-covered-up-abuse-to-preserve-its-good-name.html 

Male Sexual Abuse Survivors New Zealand

The sexual abuse of male children is more common than many people think. One New Zealand study (1) found that one in five sexually abused children is male, and overseas research suggests that 16% of males will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18 (2). The majority of the sexual abuse that boys experience is perpetrated by family members ('incest').
Although males are most at risk from sexual abuse when they are young, adult males can also be victims of sexual violence. While male survivors of rape are often younger than females, the age range is as wide as that of female survivors. The primary difference appears to be in the number of assailants (a man is more likely to be gang raped than raped by an individual) and the amount of force used in the cases reported. While the abuse of men by other men is more common, a small percentage of male survivors have been offended against by a woman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYeOuJWLnYg


My YouTube videos  https://www.youtube.com/user/annfreespirit/videos

Christchurch Author details abuse at hands of Catholic Church

Ann Thompson’s crime, in the eyes of her abusers, was she was born ‘a bastard’. Her earliest childhood recollections were being told, her mother was evil, and she would end-up in hell, unless the devils inside her, could be beaten-out.
Thompson, arrived at Christchurch’s, Nazareth House in 1951, aged 10, and the abuse at the hands of the nuns started, just weeks after her arrival. When she was aged 15, she suffered sexual abuse from a priest.

http://canterburyatheists.blogspot.co.nz/2009/05/christchurch-author-details-abuse-at.html

Expert admits Jehovah's Witnesses flawed

The treatment of child abuse victims by the Jehovah's Witness church is seriously flawed, a national inquiry has heard from a consultant hired by the church.
Monica Applewhite, a US-based consultant specialising in child abuse risk analysis and education programs for institutions, mostly churches, was employed by Watchtower Australia to evaluate the Witnesses' policies for the royal commission hearing.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/07/31/03/40/jehovah-s-witnesses-inquiry-resumes