French bishops name senior civil servant to head independent abuse panel

'I'm not an enemy of the Church' says new commissioner criticised by conservative Catholic bloggers.  The French bishops have named a respected senior civil servant to head their independent commission on sexual abuse of minors, prompting arch-conservative Catholics to try to discredit him as too liberal for the post.

Traditionalist Catholic bloggers denounced the decision to name Alain Christnacht at the head of a commission of experts such as retired judges, doctors, psychologists and parents to advise bishops on how to deal with abuse cases.

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/5477/0/french-bishops-name-senior-civil-servant-to-head-independent-abuse-panel 

Norway Catholic Clergy Opt Out of Civil Marriages

Oslo bishop wants to separate Catholic marriage from civil ceremony to avoid marrying gays OSLO (ChurchMilitant.com) - Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo is saying his priests should stop officiating civil weddings while conducting Catholic marriages. He's doing so to protect his priests from eventually being ordered by the state to perform so-called same-sex marriages. 
In Norway, as in the United States, a priest signs the the couple's civil marriage certificate after they receive the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. In this way the clergy is acting as agents of the state in conducting civil marriages.

http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/norway-bishops-opting-out-of-civil-marriages 

Worshippers seek healing for Kansas City diocese torn apart by sexual abuse

They held small stones in their palms in a solemn procession to the altar at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty.
About 100 worshippers lined up to place the stones at the base of a wooden cross. It was to symbolize letting go of a burden they’ve carried. Then the procession wound around two basins of water, where they washed their hands.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article73942742.html

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article73942742.html#storylink=cpy

 

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article73942742.html 

Christnacht to lead the French commission re-assigning priests investigated for child abuse

Alain Christnacht, 70, a top bureaucrat, will chair France’s Independent National Expert Commission on Child Abuse, whose creation was announced on April 12 by French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) as part of the fight against child abuse within the Catholic Church.
The new body will offer prelates advice in the valuation of cases of priests under investigation or sentenced for child abuse and will help identify the tasks that can eventually be assigned to such priests without putting minors at risk.

http://www.italy24.ilsole24ore.com/art/panorama/2016-04-24/in-france-public-official-to-lead-the-commission-on-child-abuse--191251.php?uuid=AClTgkED 

Andrew Bolt interviews Cardinal George Pell after the Royal Commission in Rome

A DEFIANT George Pell has stated he will not resign over the child abuse scandal and said the Catholic Church was being held to a higher standard than others.
In an exclusive interview with Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt, Cardinal Pell complained he had become a hate figure, when asked about a police investigation into allegations he had abused between five and seven children.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/andrew-bolt-interviews-cardinal-george-pell-after-the-royal-commission-in-rome/news-story/e6c3959acb3c70c74c036bc203f8b6f6 

Sexual assault awareness key to understanding, lawyer says

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Baylor has held several opportunities for students to get involved and educated on the issue. Although the month is ending, sexual assault awareness remains relevant.
Justin Smith, 2010 Baylor Law School graduate and current partner vat Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm in Longview, has tried several sexual abuse and assault cases. Smith said he believes it is a much bigger problem than people realize.

http://baylorlariat.com/2016/04/27/sexual-assault-awareness-key-to-understanding-lawyer-says/ 

Danger of Church colluding in false abuse impression

I sometimes also wonder about the centrality and prominence that safeguarding has taken in the life of the Church”, writes Editor, Michael Kelly  The watchdog set up to monitor the Church’s adherence to stringent child protection rules has published a new set of ‘standards’.
Amongst other things, the document aims to redress a perception that a priest who is accused of abuse is treated unfairly. These concerns have been particularly evident when a priest has been stood aside, forced to leave his home and months, or even years later, is found to have no case to answer.

http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/danger-church-colluding-false-abuse-impression 

Court rules in favour of judge hearing clerical sex abuse case, fundamental right to fair hearing 'not breached'

Mr Justice Joseph R Micallef will continue to preside a case filed by victims of clerical sex abuse at Dar San Ġużepp in the late 1980s, who are seeking compensation from the Church.

The victims had questioned the judge’s impartiality on grounds that he presides the Radju Marija Foundation, which they claimed had strong links with the ecclesiastical authorities.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160428/local/court-rules-in-favour-of-judge-hearing-clerical-sex-abuse-case.610335# 

Hopes new abuse guidelines can heal bishop/priest relations

The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) has expressed hope that new child protection guidelines may help improve damaged relations between priests and bishops.
The independent safeguarding watchdog, the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC), has been rolling out new standards and more detailed guidelines are expected next month.

http://irishcatholic.ie/article/hopes-new-abuse-guidelines-can-heal-bishoppriest-relations 

Three Friars to Stand Trial for Protecting Homosexual Abusive Brother

Brother Stephen Baker was permitted to work with children, molested over 100.
hree Franciscan friars are being ordered to stand trial on allegations they worked to protect a homosexual priest with a history of child molestation.
Following hours of testimony, a district judge in Blair County, Pennsylvania ruled Wednesday the Revs. Giles Schinelli, Robert D'Aversa and Anthony Criscitelli will face charges of conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children. Prosecutors allege that over two decades the three Franciscans, who successively acted as provincial ministers for the Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regulars of the Immaculate Conception Province in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania from 1986 to 2010, repeatedly allowed Br. Stephen Baker to work with children despite his known history of abusing minors, resulting in the purported molestation of over 100 children, the vast majority post-pubescent males.

http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/friars-to-stand-trial-for-protecting-homosexual-abusive-brother

Priest dismissed after allegations of sexual misconduct briefly worked at St. Joseph's

The Archdiocese of Boston recently announced that it has dismissed Thomas H. Maguire from the clerical state. According to his assignment history Maguire served at 10 Massachusetts parishes, including Saint Joseph Parish in Needham.
A March 31 press release from the Archdiocese of Boston stated that Maguire’s dismissal followed “allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct in the presence of minors.”

http://needham.wickedlocal.com/article/20160422/NEWS/160429281 

Queens pol pushes for bill to aid child sex abuse victims

A Queens Assemblywoman has announced plans for two days of lobbying in Albany to push for a bill that would make it easier for sexually abused children to bring lawsuits as adults.
The proposed Child Victims Act would eliminate the civil and criminal statutes of limitations in New York for child sex abuse. And it would create a one-year window for victims who have been time-barred in the past to file criminal charges or civil claims.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/queens-pol-pushes-bill-aid-child-sex-abuse-victims-article-1.2611859 

Two Dozen More Lawsuits Alleging Child Sexual Abuse Expected

Most of the claims target the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii and its religious affiliates. The deadline for such cases expires Sunday.

With a legal window scheduled to close Sunday, an estimated 25 lawsuits were expected to be filed at 1st Circuit Court in Honolulu by closing time Friday — the last business day to register the complaints.

http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/04/two-dozen-more-lawsuits-alleging-child-sexual-abuse-expected/ 

Religious order moved serial sex abuser to Africa despite crimes at Rubane House

The De La Salle religious order moved a serial sex abuser to Africa, in 1982, despite being aware of his crimes at a boys home in County Down.

The senior brother had previously been moved out of Rubane House, where he abused young boys, and became principal of a school in Downpatrick. The details were revealed at the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-29445925 

Not Just Boys: Catholic Church Abuse of Women + Girls

It was indeed outrageous that the Reverend Raniero Cantalamessa, with the Pope in eyeshot, compared the public outcry over the Catholic Church priest abuse scandal to homicidal anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany.
But there was another reason to be troubled by Cantalamessa’s homily. Though he admirably addressed the crucial need to end violence against women, he did so without any acknowledgment of the church’s own culpability in the abuse, endangerment and intimidation of women.

http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/04/14/not-just-boys-catholic-church-abuse-of-women-girls/ 

More Victims Claiming Sexual Abuse by Montana Priests

In January, Indian Country Today Media Network reported that a Yakima, Washington–based law firm had filed a 12-page legal complaint on behalf of a Northern Cheyenne tribal member seeking justice for years of abuse she suffered as a child at Montana’s St. Labre Indian School in the 1950s and 1960s. 
The case is a significant one, as the accused is Father Emmett Hoffmann, a near-legendary figure on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. 

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/07/30/more-victims-claiming-sexual-abuse-montana-priests-126332 

Online groomer Geoffrey Dunwell jailed for abusing girl, 14

A man who sexually abused a 14-year-old girl he groomed online has been jailed for six years.

Geoffrey Dunwell, 48, of Goose Lane, York, groomed her before carrying out sex assaults in Ossett and Dewsbury, West Yorkshire Police said. At Leeds Crown Court, he was convicted of seven counts of sexual activity with a child and cleared of an eighth.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36113237 

Two more paedophile cases hit French Catholic church

A priest in the French Basque country was accused of sexually assaulting a teenager on Wednesday and a former monk was to appear in court on Friday in ongoing revelations of paedophilia in the French Catholic church. Lyon Archbishop Philippe Barbarin is currently under investigation for allegations that he covered up cases of sexual assault on minors in his diocese.

The mother of the alleged victim filed a case for sexual assault on her son in the 1990s against a priest in Bayonne on Wednesday and he has been relieved of his functions.

http://en.rfi.fr/france/20160428-two-more-paedophile-cases-hit-french-catholic-church 

Dennis Hastert, Who Abused Teenage Boys, Is Just Tip of Iceberg

It was a long time ago that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (shown) sexually abused teenage boys. So long, in fact, that the crimes’ statute of limitations has expired. But a very small measure of justice was done
Wednesday when the ex-Illinois congressman was sentenced to 15 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and two years’ supervised release under the condition he submit to sex-offender treatment. The Republican had pled guilty to charges relating to his efforts to cover up his crimes, as CBS News reported:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/23079-dennis-hastert-who-abused-teenage-boys-is-just-tip-of-iceberg 

Sanctity of confession stands for now, but Louisiana Supreme Court to have final say

BATON ROUGE–After Judge Mike Caldwell of the 19th Judicial District ruled earlier this year that a priest does not have to reveal alleged wrongdoings heard in confession, the ruling was automatically sent for appeal to Louisiana's Supreme Court.
"We support the judge's decision," Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Director of Communications Rick Hinshaw recently told the Louisiana Record. "The seal of the confessional is absolutely sacred in Catholic teaching."

http://louisianarecord.com/stories/510719839-sanctity-of-confession-stands-for-now-but-louisiana-supreme-court-to-have-final-say 

Jewish Leaders: Extend Time For Child Sex Abuse Victims to Sue Their Abusers

Jewish leaders and rabbis from a range of denominations have come out in support of legislation that would give New York State child sex abuse victims more time to sue those they hold responsible for their abuse.
Over the last few days, more than 50 leaders and activists, including some 30 rabbis, signed a letter in support of the Child Victims Act. The measure, first introduced years ago by Margaret Markey, a New York State Assembly Democrat, would extend the statute of limitations for civil suits against alleged sexual abusers of children and against institutions that fail to act against such abuse under their roofs.

http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/339463/jewish-leaders-extend-time-for-child-sex-abuse-victims-to-sue-their-abusers/ 

Spotlight: Fighting the darkness within the Catholic Church

aking on the Catholic Church must have been pretty daunting for the Spotlight investigative team at the Boston Globe newspaper. The film of the same name, Spotlight, was one of the most challenging and brilliant films I have seen in a very long time. Gripping, enthralling and upsetting to think about the thousands of lives affected by the breaking of that most sacred of trusts between priests and vulnerable children.
Starring a plethora of fabulous character actors – Michael Keaton, Leiv Schrieber, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, and written and directed by Tom McCarthy, the film systematically takes us through the painstaking investigative process that a group of reporters undertook to shed light on the abuse of children by priests and members of the Catholic clergy throughout the Boston diocese between the 1960s and the early 2000s.

http://villainesse.com/culture/spotlight-fighting-darkness-within-catholic-church 

Unanimous agreement as Cardinal George Pell told the royal commission he was ‘not cut from the same cloth’

IF THERE was a single line that attracted unanimous nods of agreement in Cardinal George Pell’s third day in the witness box, it was that he was very much a unique character.
“They realised very clearly I was not cut from the same cloth,” he told the child abuse royal commission hearing sitting in Rome to a couple of stifled chuckles in the room. For anyone who has sat though his late night testimony there was never any doubt of that.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/unanimous-agreement-as-cardinal-george-pell-told-the-royal-commission-he-was-not-cut-from-the-same-cloth/news-story/a6c1a46012b73e0266637c8373425874 

Mental fitness' of accused pedophile Father Peter Comensoli to be tested in court

A former Wollongong priest accused of molesting two boys in separate incidents in the 1960s will have his competency to stand trial tested during an upcoming court hearing.
Lawyers for Father Peter Lewis Comensoli raised concerns about their client’s “mental fitness” in Wollongong District Court on Tuesday ahead of his scheduled trial date in May.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3872527/fr-comensoli-may-avoid-child-abuse-trial/ 

Parents protest, priest removed

A priest who was convicted of an assault and battery charge in California, and who has been serving at a church in Lawton, has been removed from his position on Tuesday. This was following public outcry over his appointment.
The news of Father Jose Alexis Davila’s removal from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church came just days after details of the crime surfaced. He had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault and battery charge for inappropriately touching a 19-year-old woman in 2011. The priest completed his probation requirements and the charges were dismissed October 2015.

http://www.kswo.com/story/31825188/parents-protest-priest-removed 

Vincent Gerard Ryan: Convicted paedophile and former priest pleads guilty to further offences

A notorious paedophile from the New South Wales Hunter region who has already served a 14-year sentence could be sent back to prison.

Former priest Vincent Gerard Ryan has pleaded guilty to three charges, including an act of gross indecency and attempting sexual intercourse with a boy in 1984.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-27/convicted-paedophile-pleads-guilty-to-further-offences/7363642 

East Bay minister charged with 23 counts of child sex abuse

An East Bay minister has been charged with 23 counts of sexually abusing a teenage parishioner over a three-year period.
The Contra Costa County district attorney’s office charged Fernando Maldonado, a 32-year-old Concord resident, on Monday with 12 counts of lewd acts with a minor, 10 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and one count of sodomy of a minor.

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/East-Bay-minster-charged-with-23-counts-of-child-7377296.php 

New video evidence supports boy’s claims of sexual assault on Buffalo school bus

Diocese, district denied boy’s story after first review.  The little boy who claimed to be sexually molested by a student nearly twice his age while on a Buffalo school bus with no bus aide late last year was telling the truth all along, new video evidence shows.
While his claims had been dismissed based on initial reviews of footage from the bus camera, investigators have recovered additional video from the bus that captured the 6-year-old being sexually abused by the older student during the ride from their Catholic school on the West Side, the boy’s mother told The Buffalo News.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/schools/new-video-evidence-supports-boys-claims-of-sexual-assault-on-buffalo-school-bus-20160426 

Irish have longest marriages and second highest birth-rate in Europe

IRISH people enjoy - or endure - some of the longest marriages and working weeks in Europe.
Measuring Ireland's Progress uses a range of data on health, economics, society, the environment and education to paint a picture of how the country fares against EU counterparts, and what we need to know about ourselves.
Unsurprisingly, we keep out-breeding most of the continent with a birth-rate second only to the traditionally more romantic French.

http://www.irishnews.com/news/republicofirelandnews/2016/04/27/news/irish-have-longest-marriages-and-second-highest-birth-rate-in-europe-500721/ 

Pennsylvania judge orders three priests to trial in sex abuse case

A Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday ordered three Franciscan friars to stand trial on charges they endangered boys by assigning a fourth cleric they knew to be a sexual predator to work at a Catholic high school in the 1990s.
Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner ordered Fathers Giles Schinelli, 73; Robert D’Aversa, 69, and Anthony Criscitelli, 61, to stand trial in Blair County Court of Common Pleas in Hollidaysburg, Pa., on felony charges of endangering the welfare of children and conspiracy. No date for the trial was set.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-church-idUSKCN0XO2P5

7 Victims Claim Sexual Abuse at Loyola School in NYC

(New York, NY) - Longtime teacher, coach and athletic director, Louis Tambini, abused girls at a prominent Jesuit, Catholic School in New York City. 

The yearlong investigation conducted by lawyers and school officials concluded with a report confirming both the reports of abuse and a lack of response by church and school officials. 

 

http://www.andersonadvocates.com/Posts/News-or-Event/2102/7-Victims-Claim-Sexual-Abuse-at-Loyola-School-in-NYC.aspx 

Bishop Peter Ball victim steps away from Church investigation into clergy sex abuse

A victim of clergy sex abuse will not cooperate with a Church review because "bullying and silencing" were not in the terms of reference.  Peter Ball was jailed for 32 months after he was found to have abused his position as the Bishop of Lewes in southern England.
Rev Graham Sawyer announced his decision in a letter to Dame Moira Gibb, who chairs an independent review of how the Church of England handled allegations made against Peter Ball, former Bishop of Lewes.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/bishop.peter.ball.victim.steps.away.from.church.investigation.into.clergy.sex.abuse/84496.htm 

Feds move to extend civil rights for sex abuse victims

Finally there is some good news. A reauthorization bill in the US Senate has a new provision that extends the federal civil rights of victims of child sex crimes, including child sexual abuse and child pornography.
Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to reauthorize the Adam Walsh Act, a federal program enacted in 2006 that required states to classify sex offenders according to their crimes. The act also required states to implement a registration mechanism to monitor and control offenders’ whereabouts after (or in lieu of) jail time.

http://theworthyadversary.com/4195-feds-move-to-extend-civil-rights-for-victims 

Loyola School on Upper East Side covered up teacher who molested seven girls in 1970s, 1980s — but victims can’t sue

Louis Tambini was a legendary figure at Loyola, a history teacher, coach and athletic director who worked at the small Catholic school on the Upper East Side for more than 30 years.
Tambini was also a creep who molested seven girls who attended the school in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/loyola-school-covered-teacher-molested-7-girls-article-1.2612472 

Altoona-Johnstown bishops' actions on abuse claims called into question

Sitting through Mass with the Rev. Joseph D. Maurizio Jr. presiding was surreal for Elizabeth Williams. She felt a chill. “I just wanted to get up and leave. But I felt I could not,” said Williams, a physician's assistant.

Her anxiety stemmed from knowing she was about to confront Maurizio with allegations that he had molested boys at a shelter for street kids in Honduras. 

http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/10250687-74/maurizio-diocese-abuse 

Child abuse expert has seen the worst of people, but her optimism endures

There was a toddler with swollen thumbs who kept coming in to the pediatric clinic where Dr. Ann Botash was working. She and the other doctors wondered if he had a joint problem or an immune disease that could be causing his painful puffy thumbs and vomiting.
Then the child returned to Upstate University Hospital in a coma. It turned out his mother's boyfriend had been hanging the boy by his thumbs. Then the man used the child as a punching bag, which was causing the vomiting. The doctors discovered the abuse only because the boyfriend confessed, Botash said.

http://www.syracuse.com/empire/index.ssf/2016/04/child_abuse_expert_has_seen_the_worst_of_people_but_her_optimism_endures.html 

Bathrooms and Pedophiles

I don’t care who can use what bathroom, if you let your child go into a bathroom alone, you’re an idiot. I don’t let my 14 year old daughter go into a public restroom alone. There is a reason why women go to the bathroom in groups, because that’s the safest thing to do.
I was raped as a child by a mechanic, pedophiles come from all walks of life, trans people taking a leak are the least of my worries.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/throughbrokenroses/2016/04/24/bathrooms-and-pedophiles/ 

St William's sex abuse: Demonstration held at St John of Beverley church.

VICTIMS of historic sex abuse have held a demonstration at a Beverley church today. Joined by their lawyer, they handed out leaflets to residents as they visited the Roman Catholic Church of St John of Beverley, in North Bar Without.
It follows numerous convictions following sexual abuse cases at St William's approved school in Market Weighton, where the victims are yet to receive an apology or compensation.

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/St-William-s-sex-abuse-Demonstration-held-St-John/story-29167228-detail/story.html 

Where Do Priests Accused Of Abuse Go?

Churches in South America are buzzing with priests who were transferred there from places like U.S. and U.K. But many of these priests have a dark, unknown past.
A lot has changed in U.S. and U.K. in the past several decades. As society distances itself from the hold of religious institutions, the power of clerical authorities has waned in the developed countries. This has weaved new patterns on our social fabric, but one undeniably positive thing to come out of this change was that priests and religious figures are no longer immune to the law of the land.

http://blog.gaycatholicpriests.org/2016/04/where-do-priests-accused-of-abuse-go/ 

Washington Post: Catholic Church defiant and obstructive on child sex abuse

In three years at the helm of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has been a source of inspiration for millions of faithful around the world.

In one critical respect, however, he has fallen short of his own promise: to come fully to terms with decades of child sex abuse by clergymen and the institutional cover granted to them by bishops and cardinals.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/opinion/column/washington-post-catholic-church-defiant-and-obstructive-on-child-sex/article_ee3aa353-47cd-53cc-973b-f09efddba20c.html 

Wisconsin Film Festival: 'The Club' looks unflinchingly into the heart of religious corruption

In the Oscar-winning “Spotlight,” there’s a scene in which one of the reporters is horrified to discover that a halfway house for pedophile priests is located just around the corner from his house.

Pablo Larrain’s “The Club” goes inside a house like that. Just as the Chilean director didn’t flinch from looking at the dark heart of political corruption in films like “Tony Manero,” he peers into the darkness of religious corruption in this new film. The film played Monday at Sundance Cinemas as part of the Wisconsin Film Festival.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/rob-thomas/wisconsin-film-festival-the-club-looks-unflinchingly-into-the-heart/article_a4b3fad0-50d6-50bf-86f4-aa9f28e050d2.html 

Ooty diocese denies reinstating priest punished in US for minors’ abuse

The Ooty diocese on Friday denied that it had reinstated controversial Indian priest Joseph Jeyapaul, who served a sentence in the US for abusing minor girls.
Father Sebastian Selvarajan, secretary of Bishop House, Ooty and spokesperson for the Diocese, told Hindustan Times that Jeyapaul was not given any job or assignment or reinstated as was being alleged. He has been simply given a residence, a permit to stay, that is all, he said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/ooty-diocese-denies-reinstating-priest-punished-in-us-for-minors-abuse/story-MjylI6yyMgJVmEHgqt9J5H.html 

Rockhampton Catholic leaders respond to sex abuse

ROCKHAMPTON Bishop Michael McCarthy and Sister Berneice Loch from the Sisters of Mercy, have released a joint statement following the release of the Neerkol report. 
"In response to the publication of the Royal Commission's final report. into St Joseph's Orphanage, Neerkol, we commend the courageous survivors who shared their heartbreaking stories that have enabled the Royal Commission to prepare this important report," they wrote.

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/rocky-bishop-lacked-training-deal-child-sex-abuse/3003655/ 

Notice given of abuse allegation against suspended priest

Parishes where suspended archdiocesan priest Father Thomas Graham served are being notified of a decades-old but recently reported allegation of sexual abuse against him.
The sexual abuse, deemed credible by the archdiocese’s Review Board, occurred in the 1980s at St. Alban Roe Parish in Wildwood, where Father Graham was serving as pastor. The Review Board advises the archbishop on matters related to sexual abuse by clergy and other archdiocesan personnel in order to provide assistance to those who have been abused and to ensure that those who have done harm are not allowed to do so again.

http://stlouisreview.com/article/2016-04-20/notice-given-abuse 

Narrating Medicine: The Long Lasting Impact Of Child Abuse

One day when we were in first grade and sitting on a rickety wooden bench under a large oak tree in her backyard, my best friend’s mother called her to come inside.
A few minutes later, I heard wailing like an animal being gutted. Squinting my eyes and looking perplexed, I turned to my friend’s younger sister who was sitting beside me. She whispered, “She’s just getting beat.” Beat? What’s that, I wondered. She explained. Depending on the severity of their perceived wrongdoings, they were administered one of three levels of physical punishment: a stick, a belt or a big slab of wood. Their parents had moved from Ireland to our small suburb in New Jersey.

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2016/04/child-abuse-impact 

Religious orders key to child protection

In a continuing effort to protect children, the Catholic Church's focus is now turning to religious orders of men and women.   Much of the attention had been on how dioceses and national bishops' conferences have been responding to victims and protecting children.
But, religious orders and congregations are sometimes left out of that picture, even though they, too, have a duty to make sure every person in their care is safe. Also, the majority of the more than 300,000 Catholic schools and orphanages around the world are run by religious brothers and sisters whose charisms are to promote human dignity and Gospel values.

http://www.catholiccourier.com/news/world-nation/religious-orders-key-to-child-protection/ 

Priest convicted of sex crime in San Diego resurfaces in Oklahoma

A convicted San Diego priest who pleaded guilty to fondling a teenage girl in 2011 is now serving in parishes in Oklahoma City. Father Jose Alexis DaVila admitted to abusing a 19-year-old woman and now he is involved with three churches. It's a move that is being called both stunning and hurtful.
Blessed Sacrament's website in Lawton Oklahoma says as of March 29, Father Jose Alexis DaVila left to serve the following parishes in Oklahoma: Saint Ann Church, Elgin and Missions, Mother of Sorrows Church in Apache, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Sterling.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/31798050/priest-convicted-of-sex-crime-in-san-diego-resurfaces-in-oklahoma#

Are Catholic elites practicing Black Mass Child Sacrifice?

“I saw the former Catholic Pope Joseph Ratzinger murder a little girl″ stated a survivor of Black Mass rites to Kevin Annett of the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State. “It was at a French chateau in the fall of 1987. It was ugly, horrible and didn’t happen just once. Ratzinger, (Dutch Catholic Cardinal) Alfrink and (Bilderberger founder) Prince Bernhard were some of the more prominent men who took part.” www.itccs.org
There has been great reluctance to damage the reputation of the Holy See by reporting the abuse of children. Under a 1980s Vatican decree still in effect called the Crimean Solicitations, Catholics faced excommunication and even jail time if they reported abuse. 

http://childabuserecovery.com/are-catholic-elites-practicing-black-mass-child-sacrifice/ 

Child sex abuse widespread in Exclusive Brethren, research claims; New Zealand

Four out of ten former Exclusive Brethrens who responded to a study looking at traumatic experiences growing up in the sect say they were sexually abused as children in New Zealand.
The study, carried out by a former Brethren, found 18 of 44 participants claimed they had been sexually abused as children.  The figure was significantly higher than the worldwide average, which found around 27 per cent claimed they had suffered child sex abuse.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/78883222/Child-sex-abuse-widespread-in-Exclusive-Brethren-research-claims 

The Vatican Just Put a Convicted Rapist Back in a Parish

This may be the worst case we’ve ever seen. What does a priest have to do to get kicked out of the Catholic Church?

ROME—Just what is it that the Vatican does not get about predator priests? Apparently a lot. Father Joseph Jeyapaul is a priest from India who admitted to raping two adolescent girls in Minnesota when he served the Crookston, Minnesota, diocese from 2004 to 2005. 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/24/the-vatican-just-put-a-convicted-rapist-back-in-a-parish.html

Hundreds of de-identified sex abuse cases might be reopened

Hundreds of cases of child sex abuse going behind decades might be reopened after a Catholic Church publicly deserted a argumentative use famous as blind reporting. Blind stating occurs when an organization passes on an claim of child sex abuse, yet strips a news of a name of a victim, definition military are incompetent to inspect a report.
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge has performed papers underneath Freedom of Information (FOI) laws that, for a initial time, exhibit a unusual border of blind reporting, that has potentially authorised hundreds of perpetrators to continue to abuse children.

http://myexpress.com.au/top-stories/hundreds-of-de-identified-sex-abuse-cases-may-be-reopened/ 

Clergy abuse victim speaks out in GF

A sexual abuse survivor is speaking out, and asking regional religious leaders to take action. Joseph Jeyapaul was recently convicted of sexually abusing a teenager in 2005 when he was serving in the Crookston Diocese. He was deported back to India and a Bishop.
The Pope recently lifted his suspension and a bishop in India may assign him to a church there.

http://www.wdaz.com/news/north-dakota/4012513-clergy-abuse-victim-speaks-out-gf

The Roman Catholic Church's worldwide sex abuse scandal has stretched into one of the world's least Catholic countries: Japan

The Roman Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal has stretched into one of the least Catholic countries: Japan, where former students at a prestigious all-boys parochial school allege they were molested or raped by religious brothers who taught there decades ago.
Three former students at St. Mary's International School in Tokyo told The Associated Press they were sexually abused by brothers there. One described "health checkups" in which a brother touched boys' testicles. Another says he was raped in the chapel by two brothers at age 11.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ca1493dee19f4238994a699111b5f1cc/AS--Japan-Catholic-School-Abuse 

Victim sues Bishop, but Ooty diocese shows no signs of ousting sexual offender Father Jeyapaul

"I felt abused and degraded and victimsed all over again," the victim said about the reinstatement. After Megan Peterson, a 26-year-old American woman, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against an Indian Bishop for reinstating a convicted child molester priest with the Ootacamund diocese in Tamil Nadu, the latter has refused to comment on the developments. 
"We got to know about the lawsuit from media reports. However, we cannot comment on it now as it will first be referred to our legal department," Sebastian Selvanathan, Spokesperson of the Ooty diocese, told TNM.

http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/victim-sues-bishop-ooty-diocese-shows-no-signs-ousting-sexual-offender-father-jeyapaul-41915

Reporting on Abuse in the Church: What’s New? Plenty.

Times Insider delivers behind-the-scenes insights from New York Times staff. In this podcast, Laurie Goodstein, the national religion correspondent, discusses her work covering sex abouse in the Catholic Church. 

Laurie Goodstein is the national religion correspondent for The New York Times. Since 1994, Ms. Goodstein has written stories about sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Long before “Spotlight.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/insider/reporting-onabuse-in-the-church-whats-new-plenty.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160420&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=0 

 

Southwark Playhouse to Stage UK Premiere of STALKING THE BOGEYMAN

Based on an extraordinary true story, Stalking the Bogeyman follows renowned journalist David Holthouse's secret plot to murder the man who raped him when he was seven years old, and highlights the complexities of childhood sexual assault.
Following a critically acclaimed off-Broadway run, where the New York Times called the play "a riveting true story that has only deepened with its trip to the stage", the play is now receiving its UK premiere.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Southwark-Playhouse-to-Stage-UK-Premiere-of-STALKING-THE-BOGEYMAN-20160420 

Catholic order denies 'culture of collusion' over abuse

Among the litany of accusations that led to the recent announcement of a royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse, none have been more shocking than those surrounding the Catholic order Saint John of God.

A former nun, who worked for the order, has spoken to 7.30 about what she says is a culture of collusion within its ranks.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-06/ex-nun-speaks-out-about-catholic-order/4413736 

Ooty diocese shelters priest facing sexual abuse charges

Udhagamandalam: Fr Jeyapaul Joseph Palanivel, the priest with a history of child sexual abuse charges and now accused of sexually abusing an American woman, has been given a residence by the Ootacamund diocese which refuses to divulge where he is.

"We cannot disclose the whereabouts of Fr Jeyapaul Joseph Palanivel," said diocese spokesman Fr Sebastian Selvanathan . He also refused to divulge the whereabouts of Ooty bishop A Amalraj. Jeyapaul, who served as a priest in Crookston township of Minnesota in 2004 and 2005, was arrested in India in 2012 on charges of sexually abusing two girls in a congregation. He was extradited to the US. After serving his sentence for a year and one day, he was deported to India last year. Recently, advocacy group SNAP (Survivors Net work of those Abused by Priests) announced that one of the sexual abuse survivors in the US has sued the priest and the diocese.

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Ooty-diocese-shelters-priest-facing-sexual-abuse-charges/articleshow/51920862.cms 

DONOHUE REPLIES TO WASHINGTON POST

The Washington Post editorial, “Obstruction on Child Sex Abuse,” leaves the impression that Pope Francis is not serious about the Vatican tribunal on wayward bishops, and that American bishops are not serious about priestly sexual abuse.

It fails to note that it was only 10 months ago that the pope announced his decision to establish the tribunal. This may seem like an eternity to the editorial board, but to an organization that has been moving slowly for over 2,000 years (often with good reason), it is like yesterday. And as we shall see, the editorial board’s impatience is selectively employed when it comes to these matters.

http://www.catholicleague.org/donohue-replies-to-washington-post/ 

When Children Are Forced To Have Children

This week on Refinery29, we've been talking about periods.
Periods can give women a vital option: The option of whether or not to have children. That option is not there for everyone. Some women, as we have documented at length on this site previously, are unable to conceive a baby – and live in fear of multiple miscarriages, of never quite having the family they dreamed of, and of routine disappointment each time they pee on that formidable, white plastic stick. Women elsewhere, on the other hand, are made to have children against their will.

http://www.refinery29.uk/2016/04/108818/forced-child-pregnancy

Catholic Church in Hartford Battles Insurer Over Priest Sex Abuse Claim Payments

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford has taken its dispute with an insurance company to trial, seeking reimbursement of more than $1 million in payments made to settle sexual misconduct cases involving priests and minors.
Testimony began last Friday in a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven.

http://integrated.processmyquote.com/catholic-church-in-hartford-battles-insurer-over-priest-sex-abuse-claim-payments/ 

Japan Catholic School Sex-Abuse Victims Demand to Be Heard

The Roman Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal has stretched into one of the least Catholic countries: Japan, where former students at a prestigious all-boys parochial school allege they were molested or raped by religious brothers who taught there decades ago.

Three former students at St. Mary's International School in Tokyo told The Associated Press they were sexually abused by brothers there. One described "health checkups" in which a brother touched boys' testicles. Another says he was raped in the chapel by two brothers at age 11.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/japan-catholic-school-sex-abuse-victims-demand-heard-38531734 

Secular experts to advise French church on child sex abuse

The French Catholic Church has decided to set up a new independent commission made up of secular experts in charge of advising bishops and helping them handle the sensitive cases of child sex abuses by priests.
Monsignor Georges Pontier, the chief of France's bishops, announced Tuesday a series of measures to fight pedophilia inside the French church, amid growing concerns over newly-revealed child sex abuse cases, especially in the Lyon diocese run by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/68526b80b8384fc6a47995ab2bd8684b/secular-experts-advise-french-church-child-sex-abuse 

House OKs retroactive limits in abuse cases

A long-sought measure to retroactively change the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases has been queued up for a final vote in the state House.
The proposal would erase the statute of limitations in criminal cases of child sex abuse going forward, and extend the limit for civil cases from the victim's 30th birthday to when he or she turns 50.

http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2016/04/house-oks-retroactive-limits-in-abuse-cases.php 

Wanted for sex crimes, fugitive rabbi Berland arrested in South Africa

Fugitive Rabbi Eliezer Berland was arrested in South Africa on Thursday and is expected to face extradition to Israel, where he is wanted on suspicion of carrying out sex crimes.
Berland’s attorney Sharon Nahari on Thursday confirmed his client’s arrest, and said Israeli authorities had filed a request to extradite him.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Wanted-for-sex-crimes-fugitive-rabbi-Berland-arrested-in-South-Africa-450598 

Leniency for alleged sex abusers like Hastert denies justice to victims

I see parallels in the case of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and the sexual abuse of children by priests. As Hastert faces sentencing, a judge must weigh whether the damage to Hastert's reputation resulting from the revelations of alleged sexual abuse is punishment enough.
I have to choose my words carefully, because Hastert isn't charged with sexually abusing children, and he hasn't admitted to it. As part of a plea deal, he's pleaded guilty to a bank structuring charge for withdrawing large sums. When federal authorities confronted him about the withdrawals, he allegedly lied about it. But that charge was dropped as part of the plea deal, in which he also admitted paying about $1.7 million to someone.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-hastert-st-0408-20160407-story.html 

UC Berkeley faculty hold emergency meeting on sexual harassment handling

Administrative accountability and utilization of faculty expertise were among the calls to action proposed by concerned UC Berkeley faculty members at a Thursday emergency meeting on sexual harassment handling.
The special meeting of the Academic Senate’s UC Berkeley division began with a brief presentation from UC Berkeley School of Law professor Eric Rakowski on the campus’s disciplinary process and ended with statements from high-level administrators, including Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, who pledged to work with faculty to address the various criticisms and suggestions made throughout the open discussion.

http://www.dailycal.org/2016/04/07/uc-berkeley-faculty-hold-emergency-meeting-sexual-harassment-handling/ 

Pedophile NSW ex-priest awaits sentence

 A disabled girl repeatedly raped by a pedophile priest thought the abuse was "OK with God".

The girl was one of 12 children groomed and molested by former Catholic priest John Joseph Farrell, 62, in a decade-long period of abuse at Moree and Tamworth, in NSW's north, during the 1980s.62, in a decade-long period of abuse at Moree and Tamworth, in NSW's north, during the 1980s.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/31302891/ex-priest-destroyed-abuse-victims-faith/ 

St. George's School administrator put on leave

In a letter to alumni, the school said Bob Weston was placed on leave after allegations that concern 'Mr. Weston observing appropriate boundaries with students.'
St. George's School placed an administrator on leave in January as an independent investigator began examining systemic sexual abuse at the elite Episcopal school, the school said in a letter to alumni Wednesday. State police are also investigating those allegations against half a dozen former faculty members and several students, largely in the 1970s and '80s.

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160407/st-georges-school-administrator-put-on-leave 

NC--Predator priest is now at “Spiritual Center”

A newspaper is reporting that an ex-priest who was convicted of child sex crimes is now at a North Carolina “spiritual center.” We think, this is a dangerous move and we urge his colleagues and supervisors to oust him.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution spoke recently with William Groves, a now-defrocked priest who pled guilty to felony abuse and sheltering “runaway Indian and Hispanic kids and giving them drugs and alcohol.” In June 2015, he was vice treasurer at the Spiritual Light Center in Franklin, North Carolina. Two local citizens told us they began to be suspicious when Groves repeatedly offered to set up a children’s program at the Center even though there were few children among the members there.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/nc_predator_priest_is_now_at_spiritual_center 

Bronx man, 50, remembers high school principal sexually abusing him, says N.Y. statute of limitations is 'very unfair'

The nightmares still surface in the darkness, leaving Mark Taylor awake and alone with his horrific memories of high school.

The Bronx man remembers his predatory principal sexually abusing him for three soul-crushing years, starting when he was a 14-year-old sophomore.  LAWMAKER EXPECTS ASSEMBLY TO VOTE ON BILL ALLOWING SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDRED TO BRING LAWSUITS AS ADULTS

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx-man-remembers-sexual-abuse-high-school-principal-article-1.2598550 

House passes statute of limitations overhaul

A major change to the state’s statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases is headed to the state Senate, after receiving final approval from House lawmakers.
By a vote of 180-15, the House passed a plan to erase the time limit on criminal child sex abuse cases going forward and let victims bring civil suits until their 50th birthday, an extension of 20 years. The measure would also allow victims to sue institutions that harbored their abusers.

http://www.ydr.com/story/news/2016/04/12/house-passes-statute-limitations-overhaul/82956494/ 

Vic Catholic education officers to testify

The royal commission will hold a further public hearing into how Catholic Church authorities handled child abuse complaints. 

Four former Catholic education officials will give evidence at a further hearing into how church authorities handled child abuse complaints in the Melbourne archdiocese.

http://www.bay939.com.au/news/national-news/62268-vic-catholic-education-officers-to-testify 

House bill abolishing statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases headed to senate

The State House has passed a bill that would reform the statute of limitations regarding child sexual abuse cases.  The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Ron Marsico,  R-Dauphin County, and Rep. Joseph Petrarca, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong/Juniata counties.
“This is an important bill for Pennsylvania children,” said Rep. Joseph Petrarca, Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “Not only does it help to protect our children, it also allows child sex abuse survivors to seek justice.”

http://fox43.com/2016/04/12/house-bill-abolishing-statute-of-limitations-for-child-sexual-abuse-cases-headed-to-senate/ 

Hundreds of de-identified child sex abuse cases may be reopened

Hundreds of cases of child sex abuse going back decades may be reopened after the Catholic Church publicly abandons a controversial practice known as blind…
By the National Reporting Team's Natasha Robinson and Alison Branley  Hundreds of cases of child sex abuse going back decades may be reopened after the Catholic Church publicly abandoned a controversial practice known as blind reporting.

http://myinforms.com/en-au/a/30957867-hundreds-of-de-identified-child-sex-abuse-cases-may-be-reopened/

Priest's suicide note begs forgiveness for sins

A former University of Notre Dame theology professor accused of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s characterized his suicide as "a farewell gift" he hoped would "bring healing to anyone that (he) might have hurt."
That is according to a suicide letter an attorney for the Rev. Virgilio Elizondo's accuser released to the San Antonio Express-News, the paper reported Tuesday.  Elizondo shot himself and died March 14, according to San Antonio police. A suicide letter was found nearby, the Express-News reported.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/publicsafety/priest-s-suicide-note-begs-forgiveness-for-sins/article_1ee4df86-ff1b-5185-aa57-bb74e137ed6e.html 

Lawsuits: Ex-prior abused St. John's Prep students

Two lawsuits filed Tuesday name St. John's Abbey's former prior the Rev. Tom Andert as an abuser of two former students in the 1970s and early '80s.
The lawsuits come after St. John's Abbey and its review board previously cleared Andert by claiming the allegations against him were unsubstantiated. But the lawyer representing the men suing Andert said that abbey investigators never interviewed the victim in one of the lawsuits before declaring the allegations unsubstantiated.

http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2016/04/12/lawsuits-ex-prior-abused-st-johns-prep-students/82943394/ 

The cowardice and hubris of Pope Francis

To universal fanfare from the mainstream and Catholic media, Pope Francis has issued a long-awaited document, Amoris Laetitia, "the Joy of Love," as his conclusion to the Catholic Church's two-year Synod on the Family. But to this Catholic, the pope's supposedly reformist document is a botch job.

For two years, bishops presented their respective cases for two contradicting views of marriage, re-marriage, and the Church's own sacraments. Pope Francis didn't choose between these two options. He chose them both. The pope did not effect some grand synthesis. He merely gave his imprimatur to the Church's own confused practice on these matters and, more frighteningly, to its self-doubt.

http://theweek.com/articles/617324/cowardice-hubris-pope-francis 

FL--Victims urge Orlando bishop to act on abuser

A predator priest from the Altoona Pennsylvania area identified last month in a grand jury report now lives in Orlando. We urge Orlando Bishop John Noonan to aggressively seek out anyone in Florida who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes.
He is Fr. Martin D. McCamley. A grand jury convened by Pennsylvania’s attorney general found that:

http://www.snapnetwork.org/fl_victims_urge_orlando_bishop_to_act_on_abuser 

The Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse

It was a good day last Wednesday when the full PA House passed overwhelmingly HB 1947. While the bill did not include all we had wanted and had worked for, it does:
Open a window with no end date for many survivors (those under 50 whenever the law is enacted).  Help expose more predators who have been hiding behind the short time limitations that have been part of PA laws for way too long. Outs predators on notice that there will be NO time limits when they will feel safe from being identified and prosecuted if they sexually abuse a child.

http://www.abolishsexabuse.org/ 

From ‘hot hand’ to ‘banana pinch,’ church day cares are hurting kids

Corporal punishment is banned in most day cares across America. But four states have carved out exceptions for religious day cares. In North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri and Indiana, church day cares may physically punish children in accordance with their religious beliefs.
But when workers don’t spare the rod, children can be hurt in ways that child welfare regulators consider abuse and neglect, licensing and other records show. Here are some of the ways we found children were punished.

https://www.revealnews.org/blog/from-hot-hands-to-banana-pinches-church-day-cares-are-hurting-kids-and-getting-away-with-it/?utm_source=Reveal&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=facebook 

Coordinating the Catholic Church's response to Child Sexual Abuse with a commitment to justice and compassion for survivors

This week I met up with Baroness Sheila Hollins from the UK. She is a member of the House of Lords and has been appointed to Pope Francis' Commission for the Protection of Minors. She is a very accomplished and eminent person, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and part of the Vatican team sent to Ireland to inquire into the Diocese of Armagh.
Baroness Hollins speaks gently and frankly about the enormous task facing the global Catholic Church to address child abuse and to prevent it happening again. She acknowledges that some, like Pope Francis "get it ", and others don't.

http://www.tjhcouncil.org.au/media/tjhc-blog.aspx 

Local youth advocate reacts to Pa. House vote on child sex abuse cases

Pennsylvania lawmakers are closer to giving victims of child sex abuse more time to sue their accused abusers.
The state House voted on Tuesday, approving a bill that would change the age limit for people bringing civil suits against accused child abusers from age 30 to 50. Local representatives and those who help our youth now say it's a step in the right direction.

http://wjactv.com/news/local/local-youth-advocate-reacts-to-pa-house-vote-on-child-sex-abuse-cases 

About Catholic Church Cover-Up

The Roman Catholic Church is one of the oldest and most revered institutions in the whole world. It is the “original” branch of Christianity, founded by Jesus and his followers around 50 AD. The Catholic Church is headquartered in Vatican City, which is located inside Rome, and is led by the Pope. It is the largest branch of Christianity by far with an estimated 1.25 billion followers spread out amongst almost all the world’s countries.
The church has played a prominent role in shaping the moral code of most western countries, and many other countries throughout the world. Despite their long time standing as a pillar of morality, the church has been accused of many very immoral things throughout it’s history, including the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and most recently, widespread molestation and sexual abuse of children by members of the church and the subsequent cover up of this practice by the church.

https://penningtonarchive.wordpress.com/about/ 

Support for Ballarat's female sex abuse victims

The Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault is for the first time seeking expressions of interest for a support group for female survivors of sexual abuse.
There is light at the end of a very dark tunnel for female sexual and physical assault victims of Australia”s worst paedophile priest, Fr Gerald Ridsdale and other Catholic clergy, including nuns stationed in Ballarat. Following the SBS Online feature, 

http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/article/2016/04/13/support-ballarats-female-sex-abuse-victims

Windows closing for clergy sex abuse victims to sue Catholic church

Minnesota and Hawaii created windows for abuse victims to file lawsuit even after states’ statute of limitations closed – but their time will be up in April.
The courthouse doors will soon close on victims of clergy sex abuse in Minnesota and Hawaii when a brief window to bring charges against the Catholic church expires.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/13/catholic-church-sex-abuse-minnesota-hawaii-victims-lawsuit?CMP=share_btn_fb#_=_ 

Church Militant’ says ‘feminized kids’ caused sex scandals — and altar girls are unappealing

People are quickly losing interest in “the church” as an institution. Young people and the millennial generation, in particular, are the least religious of any generation in America today, according to a Pew survey. Is this because many right-wing churches are driving away people as they become more accepting of progressive policies?
Did the sex abuse scandal scare off Catholic parents who want to protect their children? Is it even, as the right-wing has proposed, a downfall in family values? No, according to “Church Militant,” altar Girls and “feminized kids” are the culprits.

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/04/church-militant-says-feminized-kids-caused-sex-scandals-and-altar-girls-are-unappealing/ 

EXCLUSIVE: NY adults sexually abused as kids get support from group of Democrats to push legislation

The five members of a breakaway group of state Senate Democrats say they will support new legislation to help adults who were sexually abused as children seek legal recourse, the Daily News has learned.
“As we’ve said for years, the only way to achieve true justice for victims of child abuse is to eliminate the statute of limitations for both civil and criminal penalties,” said Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeffrey Klein of the Bronx.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-adults-abused-kids-support-group-dems-article-1.2604980 

Rochester Catholic Schools Announce Lawsuits Related to Claims of Child Abuse

Rochester Catholic Schools announced on Sunday it is named as a party in civil lawsuits related to the Child Victims Act implemented in May 2013. The new law established a three-year window for survivors of childhood abuse to file a civil claim and seek a just resolution. This window of opportunity closes May 25, 2016. Prior to the Child Victims Act, many survivors of childhood sexual abuse were unable to file a civil claim due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
These lawsuits were filed by child abuse victims that allegedly took place 30 to 50 years ago.

http://www.kaaltv.com/education/child-victims-act-priest-child-abuse-catholic-schools-students-children-sexual-abuse-sexual-assault-rochester-mn/4108792/?cat=10151 

Witness: 3 religious leaders enabled friar to be predator

Records from a Franciscan religious order show three former leaders knew a friar had been accused of child sex abuse before he was allowed to work at a high school and other jobs where he was later accused of molesting more than 100 children, an investigator testified Thursday.
Jessica Eger, a special agent with the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said documents showed Giles Schinelli, Robert D'Aversa and Anthony Criscitelli were aware of allegations dating to 1977 against Brother Stephen Baker, who killed himself in 2013.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/855b9bbdfdf3467cb4397fc7aeb87c82/3-franciscan-friars-face-child-endangerment-hearing# 

Five men deny abuse at St Ninian's School in Fife

Five men have gone on trial accused of sexually and physically abusing pupils in their care at a school in Fife between 1967 and 1983.  They are charged with abusing boys who were aged between 11 and 16 at the former St Ninian's School in Falkland.
At the High Court in Glasgow John Farrell, 73, Paul Kelly, 63, Edward Egan, 78, Michael Murphy, 76, and William Don, 61, denied the charges.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-36038468 

Fight against paedophile priests in France to be toughened

The Catholic Church in France was to unveil steps against paedophilia on Tuesday following a scandal over an archbishop accused of covering up for a priest who has admitted abusing boys.
The episcopate is to announce the measures after a meeting of its executive body with a source close to the case telling AFP that there would be “concrete announcements, measures that are aimed at improving the consideration” of paedophile cases.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/909491 

One victim’s personal reflection of mercy

My favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I appreciate the scene where George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) hugs his home’s creaky old staircase banister, giving thanks and gratitude for the home’s beautiful imperfections and for his life. And this is where my story begins…
From the late 70’s into the 80’s, a priest from the Ft. Wayne diocese sexually abused me, starting at age 12. To my shame, this went on for 10 years. The abuse occurred in the church rectory, school residence, camping trips, and gym clubs. He knew this innocent boy was anxious, depressed, and afraid.

http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2016/04/one-victims-personal-reflection-of-mercy/ 

Pastor in alleged sex abuse cover-up returns to preaching conference roster

Organizers of a major preaching conference this week in Louisville, Ky., ignored calls to disinvite a founder of the conference accused of participating in a cover-up of child sexual abuse.
C.J. Mahaney, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, took the stage April 12 at the Together for the Gospel conference at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville, while leaders with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests staged a protest outside.

https://baptistnews.com/2016/04/13/pastor-in-alleged-sex-abuse-cover-up-returns-to-preaching-conference-roster/ 

Canberra churchgoers seek training in how to spot, report child sex abusers

There has been a spike in Canberra churchgoers seeking child protection training following royal commission revelations of past Australian child sex abuse.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has uncovered horrific cases of abuse and failures to report attackers across the country.  Assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Matt Brain said it had led to a surge in interest in child protection training in the ACT.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/canberra-parishioners-seek-training-to-stop-child-sex-abuse/7321186 

Why Did The Catholic Church Cover Up Child Sex-Abuse In Australia?

Denis Hart told Victoria's parliamentary abuse inquiry that the Church takes full responsibility for its actions, but his contrition provided little comfort for abuse victims and their families. Hamish Fitzsimmons reports from Melbourne on Archbishop Hart's long-anticipated appearance.
HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: Much of the focus of this parliamentary inquiry into abuse by organisations has been on the crimes committed by clergy in the Ballarat region of Central Victoria. But the state's most senior Catholic was today addressing the situation in the nation's second largest city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEHu0Zorvlg

In Britain, the name of a courageous Christian is smeared

Decades after his death, Anglican Bishop George Bell was accused of sexual abuse. Rather than investigate the charges fully, the Church of England paid off the accuser.
Britain has been rocked in recent years by a weird scandal concerning sexual abuse—a man using the code-name “Nick,” who turned out to be a serial liar, accused a number of prominent people of hideous sexual crimes. After a lengthy police investigation costing some £2 million, it emerged that there was no truth in any of his lurid stories.  

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Blog/4723/in_britain_the_name_of_a_courageous_christian_is_smeared.aspx

Peru church sex abuse: Founder and leader found guilty of physical and sexual abuse

Last week, an elite Peruvian Catholic group admitted that its founder and former leader is guilty of the accusations of sexual and physical abuse made against him last year.
For victims of Luis Fernando Figari, founder and leader of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, the statement from the church’s current leader has been a long time coming. Last October, Peru’s attorney general launched an investigation into allegations Figari sexually and physically abused children and former members of the sect.

http://www.cctv-america.com/2016/04/13/peru-church-sex-abuse-founder-and-leader-found-guilty-of-physical-and-sexual-abuse 

Hastert Accuser, a Former Wrestler, Is Expected to Testify at Sentencing

A former high school wrestler who has said that J. Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House, sexually abused him decades ago is expected to speak at Mr. Hastert’s sentencing hearing this month.

The former wrestler, identified in court documents as Individual D, is among at least four wrestling team members whom prosecutors say Mr. Hastert abused when he was a winning wrestling coach in a rural Illinois community from the late 1960s through the early 1980s.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/us/hastert-accuser-individual-d-is-expected-to-testify-at-sentencing.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160413&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=0 

How the Church Fails Women and Girls

“Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.—Second Samuel 13:12b, 14, 20-22

https://sojo.net/articles/how-church-fails-women-and-girls

Three More Lawsuits Allege Sexual Abuse By Hawaii Priests

A clerical expert has also identified Father Joseph Ferrario as a child abuser before he was named  The fact that more lawsuits were filed Wednesday against the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii alleging sexual abuse may not elicit much shock.

Such legal action against the church in Hawaii and everywhere else has been widespread in recent years.  So Kailua attorney Mark Gallagher, who filed the three latest lawsuits in 1st Circuit Court in Honolulu, shared information with reporters at a brief press conference to illustrate just how terrible child sex abuse can be for the young victim.

http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/04/three-more-lawsuits-allege-sexual-abuse-by-hawaii-priests/ 

Exclusive boarding schools face reckoning on sexual abuse

A series of sexual abuse scandals is forcing a reckoning at some of New England's most exclusive boarding schools and sending a shudder through similar institutions around the country that have long been training grounds for members of America's elite.
At St. George's School in Rhode Island, scores of alumni have come forward to complain of being sexually violated by teachers or schoolmates. At St. Paul's in New Hampshire, a rape trial revealed a tradition in which senior boys competed to have sex with younger girls. And at New Hampshire's Phillips Exeter Academy, several graduates have accused faculty members of sexual abuse and other inappropriate behavior.

http://www.reformer.com/ci_29763815/exclusive-boarding-schools-face-reckoning-sexual-abuse

Inaction despite alarm over Vic priest

A senior Catholic sister alarmed that a priest had boys in his bedroom told a Melbourne archbishop about rumours he was sexually abusing boys. Nothing was done.
Boys would climb through a window to get to the bedroom of Gardenvale parish priest Fr Ronald Pickering, the Star of the Sea College superior told the Presentation Sisters Order of Victoria's congregation leader Sr Marie Therese Harold in 1978.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/04/14/13/50/inaction-despite-alarm-over-vic-priest 

Melbourne archbishop told of child sex abuse rumours but did nothing – inquiry

A senior Catholic nun, alarmed that a priest had boys in his bedroom, told a Melbourne archbishop about rumours he was sexually abusing boys. Nothing was done.
Boys would climb through a window to get to the bedroom of Gardenvale parish priest Ronald Pickering, the Star of the Sea college superior told the congregation leader of Victoria’s Presentation Sisters order, Sr Marie Therese Harold, in 1978.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/14/melbourne-archbishop-told-of-child-sex-abuse-rumours-but-did-nothing-inquiry?CMP=share_btn_fb#_=_ 

A new film about the school where my husband studied never mentions child sex abuse

The Academy Award-winning film “Spotlight” compels audiences to re-think institutionalized child sex abuse and the systemic protections for those responsible. Because of “Spotlight,” it is now impossible to sanction intimate relationships between little boys and clergy members without first considering child safety.
But what about lesser-known, secular or smaller organizations with a similar history? Instead of victims numbering in the thousands, what happens when the victim count is in the mere hundreds? Or dozens?

http://bangordailynews.com/2016/04/15/opinion/a-new-film-never-mentions-the-child-sex-abuse-described-at-this-school-where-my-husband-studied/ 

Sex abuse haunts victims of Catholic Brother William Standen, court hears

Victims of a paedophile Catholic brother who went on to become principal of a prestigious Sydney school have told of the broken relationships, drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm and thwarted careers that have dogged their lives in the 30 years since.
William Peter Standen, who also goes by the name Brother David or Brother Dave, was the principal at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral College for a decade before he retired in 2010.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sex-abuse-haunts-victims-of-catholic-brother-william-standen-court-hears-20160415-go751h.html 

Irish clerical abuse survivor critical of Amoris Laetitia

Mark Vincent Healy disappointed that there is only one reference in Amoris Laetitia to the issue of the sexual abuse of children.
An Irish survivor of clerical sexual abuse has expressed concern over the lack of any substantial discussion of child sexual abuse in Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love).  Mark Vincent Healy became the first Irish male survivor of clerical child sexual abuse to meet Pope Francis when an historic meeting was arranged in 2014.

http://www.catholicireland.net/irish-clerical-abuse-survivor-critical-amoris-laetitia/ 

French Catholic Church announces new measures to deal with cases of paedophilia

Mired in scandal involving a cover-up of the sexual abuse of children which reaches the highest ranks of the clergy, bishops announced that special groups would be set up to listen to the victims. They would be overseen by a lay person to avoid any conflict of interest.
Speaking at a press conference Monsignor Georges Pontier, Marseille archbishop and president of France’s Bishops Conference explained:

http://news.thaivisa.com/world/french-catholic-church-announces-new-measures-to-deal-with-cases-of-paedophilia/138322/