House takes another whack at controversial child sex abuse bill

House lawmakers are, once again, picking up a bill that would make it easier for victims in child sex abuse cases to sue their abusers.
Early this summer, a Senate panel amended the legislation to get rid of its retroactivity clause, which would have allowed victims to take legal action on assaults dating back decades. But advocates now say they want the original version, or nothing.

http://www.witf.org/state-house-sound-bites/2016/09/house-takes-another-whack-at-controversial-child-sex-abuse-bill.php 

Allentown bishop addresses grand jury probe

A week after declining to address the question, Allentown Bishop John O. Barres acknowledged what his counterparts in five other Catholic episcopates already had: The diocese is being investigated by a statewide grand jury examining how church leaders handled decades of child sex abuse allegations.
In a letter to parishioners last weekend, Allentown Bishop John O. Barres confirmed that his diocese had been subpoenaed and is cooperating with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-pa-allentown-diocese-priest-abuse-0927-20160927-story.html 

Guam abuse victims warned of Catholic Church's motives

The Church has issued a statement encouraging people with knowledge of sexual abuse by clergy members to contact its abuse response co-ordinator.
This is after the passing of a bill lifting the statute of limitations for lawsuits against child sex abusers and private institutions that may have protected them.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/314395/guam-abuse-victims-warned-of-catholic-church's-motives 

Spotlight on 'Spotlight': Matt Carroll talks future of investigative journalism, Academy Award-winning movie

The real-life investigative reporter in "Spotlight" offered an inside look into the Academy Award-winning movie and the story behind it Wednesday night.
Matt Carroll—former database reporting specialist for The Boston Globe investigative team called Spotlight and self-professed “data geek”—discussed the team’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that uncovered pervasive child sex abuse within the Boston Catholic Church and "Spotlight," the 2015 film made about it. Sponsored by the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, the event was held in the Sanford School of Public Policy for an audience of about 40 people.

http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2016/09/spotlight-on-spotlight-matt-carroll-talks-future-of-investigative-journalism-academy-award-winning-movie 

Lawmaker vows to push stronger bill on abuse-related lawsuits

At a press conference at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg on March 2, 2015, State Rep. Mark Rozzi speaks about legislative reforms to the state's statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases. A Pennsylvania lawmaker who says he was sexually abused as a child by a Catholic priest says he'll continue fighting for the state to lift its statute of limitations for abuse-related lawsuits, despite the measure's rejection in the Senate as Pennsylvania's session winds down.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2016/09/29/lawmaker-vows-push-stronger-bill-abuse-related-lawsuits/ 

Catholic Church accused of ignoring independent review of Melbourne Response

Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart has been accused of exacerbating the suffering of clerical abuse victims by ignoring an independent report on the archdiocese's compensation scheme that he received a year ago.
Victims who want their compensation claims reviewed have been forced to wait while the Archdiocese of Melbourne continues to delay the release of the report, fuelling claims of stalling and obfuscation by the church.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/victoria/catholic-church-accused-of-ignoring-independent-review-of-melbourne-response-20160929-grrcd7.html 

Fighting for Children and Advocates Call for Boycott, protest of Cardinal Dolan’s event

Fighting for Children and Advocates Call for Boycott, protest of Cardinal Dolan’s rededication of Coleman High School chapel
On Monday  Oct. 3 at 10 AM members of the political action committee Fighting for Children, survivors of child sexual abuse, and advocates will protest Cardinal Dolan’s rededication of the chapel at the John A Coleman high school, and are urging elected officials to boycott the rededication, on account of Cardinal Dolan’s opposition to eliminating the Statute of Limitations for child sexual abuse and his efforts to keep survivors of clergy sex abuse from receiving fair compensation.

http://www.protectnykids.org/fighting-for-children-and-advocates-call-for-boycott-protest-of-cardinal-dolans-event/ 

Suspension of child abuse inquiry lawyer a 'devastating blow'

he suspension of the most senior lawyer to the troubled public inquiry into institutional child abuse has been called a devastating blow to survivors of abuse.
Ben Emmerson QC was suspended before he was expected to resign over apparent disagreements about the remit of the inquiry under its fourth chair, Alexis Jay. It is the latest setback to the inquiry after the resignations of three previous chairs, and has fuelled fears that the process is “careering out of control”.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/29/suspension-of-child-abuse-inquiry-lawyer-ben-emmerson-is-devastating-blow 

California Lifts Rape Statute Of Limitations In Wake Of Cosby Case

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill eliminating California’s 10-year time limit for prosecutors to file rape and child molestation charges.

Brown made the announcement without comment Wednesday amid a nationwide debate sparked by sexual assault allegations against comedian Bill Cosby.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/09/28/california-rape-statute-of-limitations-bill-cosby-sb813/ 

Window for sex-abuse claims could open after all

A push to allow victims of clergy sex abuse the right to sue for damages in old cases is barreling toward a vote, with support from key state officials.
The House last spring opened a window allowing victims of old sex crimes to sue for damages. The window was snapped closed by the Senate, which voted only to extend the statute of limitations on those cases moving forward.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/local_news/window-for-sex-abuse-claims-could-open-after-all/article_2646386a-c1a3-5e55-96b6-7595eb16735d.html 

Has Pope Francis Failed?

When Pope Francis ascended to the chair of St. Peter in March 2013, the world looked on in wonder. Here at last was a pope in line with the times, a man who preferred spontaneous gestures to ritual forms. Francis paid his own hotel bill and eschewed the red shoes. Rather than move into the grand papal apartments, he settled in the cozy guesthouse for visitors to the Vatican. He also set a new nondogmatic tone with statements like “Who am I to judge?”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/opinion/has-pope-francis-failed.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160928&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1 

Pastor accused of child molestation denied bond

After hearing from friends of Pastor Ken Adkins, as well listening to recordings of phone calls of Adkins talking about the child molestation charges against him, a Glynn County judge ruled Thursday to deny bond on charges of aggravated child molestation.
Adkins, 56, pastor of the Greater Dimensions Christian Fellowship, has been in the Glynn County Jail since Aug. 26, when he surrendered on charges resulting from allegations he molested a teenage boy in 2010.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/georgia/pastor-accused-of-aggravated-child-abuse-bond-hearing 

Former Agape Bible Church members say they’re abuse victims

Several former members of Agape Bible Church are coming forward, claiming they have also been victims of sexual assault because of the church.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers first reported last week that associate pastor Robert “Bob” Wyatt turned himself into police. He is accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl at the church over a period of two years.

http://kdvr.com/2016/09/27/former-agape-bible-church-members-come-forward-say-theyre-abuse-victims/ 

Child sex abuse inquiry: Top lawyer 'considering quitting'

The most senior lawyer working for the inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales is considering resigning, the BBC understands.

Ben Emmerson QC is believed to disagree with its new chairwoman, Professor Alexis Jay, over its future. The Times reports that he wants to reduce the inquiry's workload, but Prof Jay and the home secretary have both said its scope will not be changed.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37491585?post_id=10204672433356106_10207668429134128#_=_ 

Window for sex-abuse claims could open after all

A push to allow victims of clergy sex abuse the right to sue for damages in old cases is barreling toward a vote, with support from key state officials.
The House last spring opened a window allowing victims of old sex crimes to sue for damages. The window was snapped closed by the Senate, which voted only to extend the statute of limitations on those cases moving forward.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/local_news/window-for-sex-abuse-claims-could-open-after-all/article_2646386a-c1a3-5e55-96b6-7595eb16735d.html 

Pastor kills himself after mistakenly sending his nude photos intended for his mistress to church members instead

It was a case of a shameful "wrong send" that resulted in the tragic death of a pastor.
Pastor Letsego of Christ Embassy in Limpopo, South Africa reportedly hanged himself in shame after he mistakenly sent photos of his genitals to members of his church using the WhatsApp texting service in mobile phones.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pastor.kills.self.after.mistakenly.sending.his.nude.photo.intended.for.his.mistress.to.church.members.instead/96398.htm 

Child Sex Abuse Letter

I wrote Sunday about the political decisions being made this week about how best to promote more access to justice for survivors of child sex abuse.
   House Bill 1947 awaits action in the House, where it passed overwhelmingly earlier this year, only to be watered down by the Senate. House supporters will have to decide whether to accept the Senate version in the short time remaining in this session or to restore provisions in the original bill and hope the Senate will have a change of heart.

http://www.mcall.com/opinion/white/blog/mc-child-sex-abuse-letter-20160927-story.html 

Lawmaker seeks stronger child sex abuse lawsuits bill

A Pennsylvania lawmaker who has told of his victimization as a child by a Roman Catholic priest said Tuesday he will keep fighting for legislation to allow onetime-child sexual abuse victims to sue for damages, despite the measure’s rejection in the Senate as the legislative session winds down.

Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, is backed by top House lawmakers, victim advocates and both major party candidates for state attorney general – Republican John Rafferty and Democrat Josh Shapiro – as part of wider legislation to respond to child sexual abuse cover-ups. 

http://www.observer-reporter.com/20160927/lawmaker_seeks_stronger_child_sex_abuse_lawsuits_bill 

Former Altar Boy Coordinator At Dorchester Church Charged With Sexual Abuse

A former altar boy coordinator at a Dorchester church was arraigned Wednesday on charges that he sexually abused a child in the 1980s.
Walsh pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of child rape and indecent assault and battery. Michael Walsh, 79, was an altar boy coordinator at Dorchester's St. Brendan's on Rita Road. when the assaults occurred, said the Suffolk County.

http://crcconnection.com/2016/09/28/former-altar-boy-coordinator-at-dorchester-church-charged.html 

Cardinal Dolan ousted priest for sex abuse claim, but accuser's lawyer says children still at risk

Timothy Cardinal Dolan has removed a Rockland County priest accused of sexual abuse — but children may still be at risk, said a lawyer for the clergyman’s alleged victim.
Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian said the Archdiocese of New York told him in August that Monsignor John J. O’Keefe — most recently the pastor of St. Margaret of Antioch in Pearl River — had been permanently removed from his duties following an investigation into allegations he had sexually abused his client in the 1980s.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cardinal-dolan-ousted-priest-accused-sexual-abuse-article-1.2807497 

Guam's Catholic Church in crisis over abuse claims

A Vatican administrator has urged Rome to remove the head of the Catholic Church in Guam over child sex allegations, warning that abuse scandals could bankrupt the church in the predominantly Catholic Pacific territory.
Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai was sent to Guam three months ago to investigate the accusations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who denies any wrongdoing.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0919/817640-guam-church/ 

Paedophile priest laughed as children abused at Catholic primary school

A notorious paedophile priest laughed while he watched boys as young as 6 years old have sex with one another.
One of those boys, Scott Hallett, says he is scarred by what he was forced to do by NSW priest Vincent Ryan but, at the time, he did not realise he was being abused.  "At the time I didn't know what Father Ryan was doing was wrong," Hallett, now 51, told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse this week.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/child-abuse/news/article.cfm?c_id=146&objectid=11706387 

Study about Priests’ sexual misconduct

We have appreciated our readers as they have struggled to come to terms with their experience of priests. They were successful in putting into writing their own particular experience. This is what makes our blog wonderful. People from all over the world come together to discuss one experience: falling in love with a Catholic Priest.

Some of our readers have gone beyond that. They have chosen their field of study, the area where priests behave sexually inappropriately. Thanks to Stephen (at the end of the article there is some personal information about his studies and interests), we are going deeper in our reflection. I wish to welcome you to read his findings. 

https://maltesemarriedcatholicpriest.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/study-about-priests-sexual-misconduct/ 

Since When Has the Catholic Church Not Changed?

To the Editor:

Re “Dilution of Doctrine,” by Ross Douthat (column, Sept. 18):

It never ceases to amaze me how flexible conservative Catholics’ view of papal authority can be. When they like what a pope says, they extend his authority to the farthest reaches of subjects and to any format in which a statement is made.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/opinion/since-when-has-the-catholic-church-not-changed.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160926&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=0 

Child sex abuse bill opponent responds to new law

As Catholic lay protestors hail the signing of Bill 326-33 into Public Law 33-187 as a moral victory, others in the community have not been so quick to embrace the new law.
Dr. Ricardo Eusebio, president of the lay organization "I Familan Mangatoliku Siha Pari Si Apuron," or "Catholic Families for Apuron," told the Post that members of the organization were disappointed at the enactment of the bill because it fails to fully address the injustice perpetrated against victims of child sex abuse.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/child-sex-abuse-bill-opponent-responds-to-new-law/article_155a0f5e-83cb-11e6-888e-73a83ed878c1.html 

Catholic Church article off base (letter)

I am writing to express my sincere disappointment with your headline article Sept. 17, “Grand jury investigates diocese.” Let me start by saying all of us who are faithful Catholics are deeply disturbed and saddened by the child abuses that have occurred in our church. Individuals were to blame for the abuse, but some church leaders were to blame for the cover-ups and lack of compassion for the victims.

http://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/readers/2016/09/26/catholic-church-article-off-base-letter/91125898/ 

Guam removes statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases

Hagatna, Guam Guam has removed the statute of limitations on civil litigation in cases involving accusations of child sex abuse over the objections of the Catholic archdiocese.
Gov. Eddie Calvo signed Bill 326-33 into law late Sept. 23 amid a flurry of controversy from both oppositional and proponent parties. Among the opponents was the Agana archdiocese, which circulated among parishioners a petition asking the governor to veto the bill.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/guam-removes-statute-limitations-child-sex-abuse-cases 

With Pope Francis, it’s time to pay heed to the wisdom of the elderly

As the world experiences a massive boom in the elderly population, Pope Francis has been calling for greater attention to both the needs and the gifts of older persons -- and it's worth remembering that at the roots of the Christian story are Simeon and Anna, two wise senior citizens still looking ahead.

When Pope Francis opens his breviary to pray each day, a letter from his grandma Rosa greets him. It was written on the day of his ordination to the priesthood in 1969.

https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/09/24/pope-francis-time-pay-heed-wisdom-elderly/ 

Opinion: Stronger accountability makes the church safer

A Mennonite conference took action this summer to make the church a safer space by enhancing the accountability of its credentialed leaders.
Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA, which includes 33 congregations in Pennsylvania and several other states, sent a letter to all its credentialed leaders informing them that each one needed to renew their ministry credential.

http://mennoworld.org/2016/09/26/latest-issue/opinion-stronger-accountability-makes-the-church-safer/ 

Church protest grows

About 150 Catholic activists – the most so far – turned out yesterday morning for the weekly protests held outside the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña. Stretching to the driveways on both ends of the walkway in front of the cathedral, protestors were stalled at multiple segments of the picket line as they adjusted to the unprecedented turnout.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/church-protest-grows/article_e0cfe626-82fa-11e6-aed7-2fc8ffa0c2f0.html 

Former Wyckoff youth pastor sentenced to six years in sex abuse case

A former youth pastor at a Wyckoff church hung hishead as he was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for crimes against teenage girls that ranged from sexually explicit text messages to intercourse.
David Hayman, 38, a married father of three, appeared before Judge Margaret Foti in Superior Court in Hackensack. He listened, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him, while three victims, now in their 20s, spoke of the damage they suffered after becoming his “daughters,” as Hayman had described a select group of girls on whom he showered special attention.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/former-wyckoff-youth-pastor-sentenced-to-six-years-in-sex-abuse-case-1.1665844 

Collin Co. program aims at fighting child abuse in churches

Right now, nine churches in North Texas have completed the Partners in Protection program: A series of classes and educational opportunities put on by Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County. Katy Seitzler helps run the program and says it's designed to detect and prevent abuse inside and outside the church.
"Religious organizations have a special opportunity to be there for young children," Seitzler said. The program comes as many religious organizations have been in the news for abuse from clergy or staff in positions of power. Teaching Pastor Jarrett Stephens with Prestonwood Baptist church has gone through the training, like most people who work at the Plano house of worship.

http://www.wfaa.com/mb/news/local/collin-county/collin-co-program-aims-at-fighting-child-abuse-in-churches/324072902 

TX--Churches tout abuse prevention program; Victims respond

We endorse virtually any effort to increase public awareness and understanding of abuse and prevention. But we worry that many church officials engage in programs like this for their public relations value. And we worry that these programs can inadvertently add to an already pervasive and unhealthy sense of complacency in churches.
And we must remember that it’s rarely a lack of information that’s problematic in these cases. It’s a lack of courage and compassion. Church officials usually know the right thing to do about suspicions or knowledge of child sex crimes. But all too often, they’re too timid to call 911, fearing controversy, decreased membership and declining donations.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/tx_churches_tout_abuse_prevention_program_victims_respond 

Chicago priest charged in child porn case posts bond

Octavio Munoz, a 40-year-old Chicago priest accused of possessing child pornography, has posted $50,000 bail and is free on electronic monitoring, authorities said Friday.

A family member put up the money — $5,000 — to secure Munoz’s release, a Cook County Jail spokesman said Friday.  Munoz’s had only $2,000 in savings, his lawyer said at a bond hearing Wednesday.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/chicago-priest-charged-in-child-porn-case-posts-bond/ 

Catholics who have left the church say they would not return

In the lead up to Pope Francis’ US visit at the end of September 2015, the survey also revealed that although the number of practicing Catholics in the US may be dropping, the number of people affiliated in some way with the Church is in fact rising, be it through their parents, a spouse or some other cultural connection.
For a long time, a quarter of the US population was made up of Catholics but the new Pew survey shows that this dropped to 20.8 per cent in 2014 from 23.9 per cent in 2007.

http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/catholics-who-have-left-the-church-say-they-would-not-return 

NSW Government accused of stalling national compensation scheme for abuse victims

he New South Wales Government has been accused of holding up a national $4.8 billion redress scheme for children who suffered abuse in institutions.
The scheme was recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in August last year. It recommended a national scheme be set up under the auspices of the Commonwealth Government, which would provide the support and back up.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-24/nsw-gov-accused-of-stalling-abuse-compensation-scheme/7873490 

Calvo signs sex abuse bill

Bill 326-33 has been signed into law by Gov. Eddie Calvo, opening the door for civil action against perpetrators of child sex abuse. The governor, in a lengthy letter, detailed his reasoning for signing the bill.
"My conscience has been conflicted for the last two weeks. Let me be clear that I am not judging any single person or institution. I am deciding whether a group of people has been denied justice and should therefore be entitled to seek it with judgment by due process of law," the governor stated.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/calvo-signs-sex-abuse-bill/article_3b622dae-8172-11e6-9a94-3388b94d7138.html 

Hon says he voiced Guam's concerns to Vatican

Fresh off the plane, KUAM News got an exclusive interview with apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, who arrived at the Guam International Airport early Thursday morning. Hon was in Rome to attend a seminar for new bishops as well as give the Holy See a status report on the Archdiocese of Agana.
"I expressed the wish of the people here and the clergy here," Hon said upon arriving. "I think I mentioned already in my earlier message that for the best interest of the archdiocese that the Holy See declare sede vacante for the archdiocese."

http://www.kuam.com/story/33153715/2016/09/21/hon-says-he-voiced-guams-concerns-to-vatican 

Church report: Seminary may need to be closed

A committee of Catholic priests said a seminary in Yona may need to be closed for the good of the Archdiocese of Agana unless the seminary can clarify its purpose, seek formal accreditation to ensure the quality of its priest formation program, and ensure its financial independence.
Father Jeffrey San Nicolas, delegate to Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, released the church report earlier this week after holding a press briefing about issues facing the Catholic church on Guam, including the Neocatechumenal Way’s alleged interference in local church matters.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/09/22/church-report-seminary-may-need-closed/90825084/ 

Governor weighs church, victims’ concerns; set to decide today

Gov. Eddie Calvo is weighing the concerns of the Catholic church and the community as he decides what to do with a bill that would allow victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers, according to the governor's office.

Today is the governor’s last day to sign or veto Bill 326-33, or the bill lapses into law without his signature. Senators on Sept. 12 approved the bill 13-0. If it becomes law, it could make the Catholic church on Guam open to lawsuits by those who, in recent months, have publicly accused priests of raping or molesting them.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/09/22/governor-weighs-church-victims-concerns-set-decide-today/90825044/ 

Sealed lawsuit alleging St. Louis archbishop knew priest was danger to children set for trial

ST. LOUIS • Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer on Monday set a March 27 trial date for a civil lawsuit in which a Lincoln County teenager and her family accused St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson of knowing a priest was a danger to children before the cleric was charged with molesting the teen in 2012.
The lawsuit was filed the following year in Lincoln County by the girl’s parents against Carlson and the Archdiocese of St. Louis after she told police the Rev. Xiu Hui “Joseph” Jiang, then an associate pastor at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in the Central West End, had molested her at her home in Old Monroe. Jiang was added as a defendant in the lawsuit last year.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/sealed-lawsuit-alleging-st-louis-archbishop-knew-priest-was-danger/article_f5ea645b-53b2-594f-aaba-b2d4b379da37.html 

Morganfield Priest Reinstated after Investigation

The Catholic Diocese of Owensboro announces it has reinstated a priest after investigating allegations he had engaged in inappropriate conduct with a minor several years ago.
Fr. Freddie Byrd will resume his position as pastor of St. Ann Church in Morganfield, Kentucky.
On June 8, 2016, Fr. Byrd was temporarily suspended from public ministry after being accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct with a minor in 1983, five years before he was ordained to the priesthood.

http://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/morganfield-pastor-reinstated-after-investigation 

Archdiocese discloses information on priest accused of abuse

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the name and assignment history Sept. 16 of deceased priest Father William Hough, who has a substantiated claim against him of sexually abusing a minor while he was a priest of the archdiocese.
The alleged abuse occurred between 1964 and 1966. Father Hough died in 1994. He served at St. Mary in St. Paul, St. Elizabeth in Minneapolis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis, Resurrection in Minneapolis, St. Mary of the Purification in Marystown, and St. Anthony of Padua in Minneapolis. He was ordained in 1963 and retired in 1991.

http://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/archdiocese-discloses-information-priest-accused-abuse/ 

Punishing road to redemption for St. George's School sex-abuse victim

Victim sued elite Middletown, R.I., school and was silenced by "hardball tactics" — but found her voice, and her way back.  The investigator's report hit Anne Scott "like a freight train."

It brought her back nearly 40 years to a locked room at St. George's School where athletic trainer "Doc Gibbs" raped and sexually molested her time and again until her mind nearly fractured. She was 15, a sophomore at the elite Episcopal boarding school in Middletown. The abuse lasted a year and a half. 

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160917/punishing-road-to-redemption-for-st-georges-school-sex-abuse-victim 

Background article: Father Farrell's crimes and the church's cover-up

This Broken Rites article is the most comprehensive account available about how Catholic Church leaders remained silent for 30 years about Father John Joseph Farrell's sex-crimes against children. In 1993, Broken Rites began researching the Farrell cover-up. In 2012, our research helped to make a "Four Corners" television program about the Farrell cover-up, thus bringing this cover-up to nationwide attention.
And this has helped to encourage the Federal Government to establish its national child-abuse Royal Commission. Gradually, Broken Rites (but not the church officials) encouraged some of Farrell's victims to talk with child-protection police, resulting in the jailing of Farrell (now aged 63) in 2016. Broken Rites is proud to have exposed this cover-up.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/210 

AG diocese investigation warranted (editorial)

In an August editorial about a list of 15 priests accused of sexual abuse who had served in the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, we wondered whether that list represented “just the steeple of a massive cathedral of corruption and exploitation.”
That, sadly, is what was found in the Altoona-Johnstown when the state attorney general’s office conducted an investigation.

http://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/09/20/ag-diocese-investigation-warranted-editorial/90700138/ 

Sex-abuse victims make new push to change Pa. law

With the fate of a child sex-abuse bill on the line in Harrisburg, clergy sex-abuse victims and their relatives told their stories Tuesday as part of a renewed push to change Pennsylvania law so victims can sue for decades-old attacks.

A bill that passed the House in April would have, among other things, expanded the statute of limitations so victims age 50 and under could sue the men or women who abused them decades ago, as well as the institutions that supervised them.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160921_Sex-abuse_victims_make_new_push_to_change_Pa__law.html 

Church defends opposition to bill

In an emotionally wrought address to media, lay organizations and members of the clergy, Rev. Jeff San Nicolas read from a statement in which he reiterated the archdiocese’s opposition to the passage of Bill 326-33.
"The Archdiocese of Agana is not seeking to protect child sexual abusers of any kind, it simply desires for the people of God to be well informed about the true effects of Bill 326-33," he said.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/church-defends-opposition-to-bill/article_365ca92e-7f1a-11e6-9d52-e764ca4a0e16.html 

Guam's Catholic Church warns abuse lawsuits would threaten services

The Catholic Church in Guam says it would be bankrupted by legislation allowing lawsuits in historical sex abuse cases. Last week, the Guam Legislature approved a bill removing the statute of limitations for civil action in such cases.
But the Church launched a petition calling on Governor Eddie Calvo to veto the bill. A string of abuse allegations had been made against its Archbishop and other clergy members.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/313851/guam's-catholic-church-warns-abuse-lawsuits-would-threaten-services 

Clergy abuse news conference: 3 takeaways

Days after confirming a statewide grand jury investigation into six Catholic dioceses, including Harrisburg, State Rep. Mark Rozzi stood with survivors of clergy sex abuse in Philadelphia to issue a call to action.
Rozzi and others spoke in support of statute of limitations reform that includes a retroactive provision to allow adults who were victims of childhood sexual abuse to seek justice. Rozzi said a retroactive provision that was included in House Bill 1947, which would reform the statute of limitations for civil action in Pennsylvania, was "gutted" by the Senate during the last legislative session

http://www.ydr.com/story/news/2016/09/20/clergy-abuse-news-conference-3-takeaways/90727968/ 

Archbishop warns of Guam church shutdown; seeks removal of Apuron

HAGÅTÑA — The passage of a bill that would lift the statute of limitation for sex-abuse cases, if signed into law, would open the floodgates for lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana and drive the Guam church into financial bankruptcy, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai said Sunday.

“In other states where similar laws were enacted, the results have been school closures and cessation of vital services,” the apostolic administrator said in a message addressed to the faithful and read at Sunday Mass.

http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/89296-archbishop-warns-of-guam-church-shutdown-seeks-removal-of-apuron 

Guam's Catholic Church in crisis over child sex claims

A Vatican administrator has urged Rome to remove the head of the Catholic Church in Guam over child sex allegations, warning the scandal could bankrupt the church in the deeply religious Pacific territory.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai was sent to Guam three months ago to investigate the accusations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who denies any wrongdoing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3795966/Guams-Catholic-Church-crisis-child-sex-claims.html 

Church leader 'doesn't recall' confession

A senior member of the Catholic Church insists he doesn't recall NSW priest John Farrell making child abuse confessions during a meeting they both attended 24 years ago.
National director of Catholic Mission Brian Lucas has told the child sex abuse royal commission he doesn't remember Fr Farrell making detailed admissions about abusing five boys in the 1980s, while he was an assistant priest at Moree in northern NSW.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/09/19/church-leader-doesnt-recall-confession 

Father John Farrell 'abused children to show affection'

Former Moree Catholic priest Father John Joseph Farrell "only fondled genitals as it was his way of showing affection" a church official allegedly told the parent of an abused altar boy, a royal commission has heard.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is looking into the behaviour of Father Farrell, who sexual abused altar boys in Moree in the 1980s, and how the Catholic dioceses of Armidale and Parramatta handled complaints about him.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-13/priest-abused-children-to-show-affection-royal-commission/7838198 

New Report Reveals Breakthrough for Pope Francis' Sex Abuse Commission

The commission set up by Pope Francis in March 2014 to advise him on preventing child sexual abuse is now making significant progress. A report published by the Vatican following the Sept. 8-11 plenary meeting of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors reveals the role of members in educating Vatican personnel and church leadership in countries across the globe on their responsibility for the protection of children, adolescents and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse.

http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/new-report-reveals-breakthrough-pope-francis-sex-abuse-commission 

Mary Magdalene and the search for redemption on the Sea of Galilee

The Legion of Christ was founded in Mexico in 1941 by the Vatican’s favourite fundraiser, Father Marcial Maciel. A friend of Pope John Paul II, in his time he made millions of dollars for the Roman Catholic church and recruited thousands of young men into the priesthood. He was feted by wealthy Mexican widows and the neocon right.
But that was before he was outed as a serial abuser of children and young men and discovered to have fathered at least three children with two women, whom he kept in luxury apartments in different countries. He embezzled funds. He was a drug addict. He was even accused of abusing his own children. As he was considered too old for a trial, the Vatican quietly retired him to Florida in 2006. He died two years later. But the order he founded struggled on, under new leadership.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2016/sep/09/mary-magdalene-and-the-search-for-redemption-on-the-sea-of-galilee 

Pope Francis’ child protection panel takes another positive step?

Pundits were once again this week debating the effectiveness of Pope Francis’ Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, as news spread that commission members have been speaking with new bishops and Vatican offices about child protection best practices. Voice of the Faithful believes this action is another step in the slow progress of Francis’ papacy toward dealing with the clergy sexual abuse scandal, while not yet the substantial steps needed.

https://voicefaithful.wordpress.com/2016/09/16/pope-francis-child-protection-panel-takes-another-positive-step-voice-of-the-faithful/ 

Catholic Mission director denies covering up child sexual abuse

A senior Catholic Church figure has disputed claims he covered up child sexual abuse, saying none of the cases he dealt with required reporting.
The national director of Catholic Mission, Father Brian Lucas, said he had been “pilloried” in the media with headlines about a cover-up.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/19/catholic-mission-director-denies-covering-up-child-sexual-abuse 

Guam's Catholic Church in crisis over abuse claims

A Vatican administrator has urged Rome to remove the head of the Catholic Church in Guam over child sex allegations, warning that abuse scandals could bankrupt the church in the predominantly Catholic Pacific territory.
Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai was sent to Guam three months ago to investigate the accusations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, who denies any wrongdoing.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0919/817640-guam-church/ 

Church leader to face another grilling

A Catholic Church leader is expected to face more tough questions about his knowledge of former priest John Farrell when the child abuse royal commission resumes on Tuesday.
National director of Catholic Mission Brian Lucas was grilled over a full day on Monday about the church's response to child sex abuse allegations, including allegations against Fr Farrell.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/09/20/03/34/church-leader-to-face-another-grilling 

Priest guilty of sexual abuse stripped of clerical duties

GB Diocese priest stripped of duties - Former Green Bay Diocese Priest Michael Carroll has been stripped of his duties following being found guilty of sexual abuse of minors.
Carroll has been permanently restricted from priestly duties by the Vatican and can no longer administer sacraments, wear clerical attire or present himself publicly as a priest.

http://www.nbc26.com/news/priest-guilty-of-sexual-abuse-stripped-of-clerical-duties 

Child abuse royal commission: Church had long-held concerns about NSW priest

Catholic church officials were strongly opposed to the ordination of a priest who was later accused of molesting children and who was repeatedly transferred despite concerns from clergy and parishioners, a royal commission has heard.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is investigating how Catholic church authorities at Parramatta, in Sydney's west, and Armidale, in northern New South Wales, handled allegations of abuse by the former priest John Joseph Farrell.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-12/child-abuse-royal-commission-investigations-john-joseph-farrell/7837096 

Youngstown diocese, Franciscans settle with 28 abuse victims

Twenty-eight victims of the late Franciscan friar Stephen Baker, whose superiors face a criminal trial for allegedly failing to halt his years of sexual assaults on minors, reached a $900,000 settlement earlier this year with the Diocese of Youngstown and his religious order — settlements that some advocates now say were insultingly low.
The out-of-court settlements were reached in March after mediation between lawyers for all sides but only recently became public. In addition to the diocese, the settlement was reached with the Hollidaysburg, Pa.-based Immaculate Conception Province of the Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regulars.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2016/09/13/Franciscans-Youngstown-diocese-settle-with-28-victims/stories/201609130157 

The Catholic Church Is Taking A Big Step To Curb Sex Abuse

A commission established to advise Pope Francis on preventing sex abuse in the church released a report on Monday outlining new measures it hopes will help safeguard vulnerable children.
Following a week of meetings in Rome, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors announced several new initiatives, including a training program for bishops and a day of prayer for victims of sex abuse.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-catholic-church-is-taking-a-big-step-to-curb-sex-abuse_us_57d855cce4b0fbd4b7bc0a91 

Retired priest charged with indecently assaulting boy

A 72-year-old retired priest has been remanded on bail after he was charged with indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy at a Co Cork boarding school in the early 1980s.

Fr Tadhg Ó’Dálaigh was charged with indecently assaulting the boy while teaching at Coláiste Chroí Naofa in Carrignavar, Co Cork, on an unknown date between September 1980 and June 1981.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/retired-priest-charged-with-indecently-assaulting-boy-1.2789781 

Elite sinks child abuse probe to save itself

There is something amiss in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse when its third chairperson resigns amid disturbing revelations about its ever-changing remit. It has certainly lost the confidence of the victims, says STEVEN WALKER Back in April Justice Lowell Goddard, the chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, admitted that she was going to ignore allegations against prominent politicians as directed by the then home secretary Theresa May.

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e1de-Elite-sinks-child-abuse-probe-to-save-itself 

Phoenix pastor accused of child molestation, impregnating teen

PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) - A Phoenix pastor is jail and accused of molesting girls, including two that went to his church, and impregnating a girl who may have been as young as 13 years old.
Jose Vicente Morales was arrested on Friday, Sept. 9 near 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road.

http://www.azfamily.com/story/33098066/phoenix-pastor-accused-of-child-molestation-impregnating-teen# 

Scranton Diocese part of grand jury sex abuse probe

HARRISBURG — Four more Catholic dioceses, including Scranton, have been swept into a grand jury investigation of clergy sex abuse and cover-up allegations in communities stretching from the Delaware River to the Monongahela.
On Friday, officials in all four dioceses confirmed they received subpoenas from the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office. The others are Erie, Greensburg and Pittsburgh.

http://standardspeaker.com/news/scranton-diocese-part-of-grand-jury-sex-abuse-probe-1.2092515 

Catholic Church's Top Exorcist Dies at 91; Priest Claimed to Send 160,000 Demons Back to Hell

this is so easy for the catholic church to do... just think of how many innocent children boys and girls... they sent to hell by abusing... and raping us... most of us are still living our lives in hell... because of the guilt... shame... torment and pain... we carry in us today...  Ann

 ===================================

Father Gabriele Amorth, the Catholic Church's top exorcist who claimed to have sent 160,000 demons back to hell, has died in a Rome hospital at the age of 91.
Pauline Father Amorth, who was appointed the exorcist for the diocese of Rome in 1985, has died after suffering from a pulmonary illness, according to National Catholic Register, which reported that he was admitted to the hospital a few weeks ago.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/catholic-churchs-top-exorcist-dies-at-91-priest-claimed-to-send-160000-demons-back-to-hell-169715/ 

Hon in Rome urging removal of Apuron

In a statement read at Catholic Masses throughout Guam yesterday, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, urged Gov. Eddie Calvo to veto Bill 326, now on the governor's desk, that would remove the statute of limitations on civil suits involving accusations of child sex abuse.
"Putting the house in order without burning it down" was the title of the address read by clergy at all Masses.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/hon-calls-for-veto-of-sex-abuse-bill/article_d5d3da0a-7d61-11e6-9c17-f3aed37bb900.html 

NSW bishop destroyed sex abuse letter

A Sydney Catholic bishop destroyed a letter regarding civil action against a pedophile priest years after police raided his office and left him "traumatised", a royal commission has heard.

Former Parramatta Bishop Bede Heather testified he developed a stress disorder and became very concerned about confidentiality after police investigating child sex allegations left his office in "disarray" in 1994.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/32624607/nsw-bishop-destroyed-sex-abuse-letter/#page1 

Former Armidale Bishop Luc Matthys says victims of abuse should not get compensation

The former Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, Bede Heather, told a royal commission he destroyed documents relating to potential legal action against a paedophile priest.
Bishop Heather told the public inquiry he destroyed documents because he was traumatised by a police search of his office as part of an earlier investigation into sexual abuse by clergy.

http://www.moreechampion.com.au/story/4168127/matthys-says-victims-should-not-get-compensation/ 

Sharing the expertise: Papal advisors on abuse expand reach, influence

VATICAN CITY – Though it has no juridical power, Pope Francis' committee on protecting children has discovered it has consultative punch.

Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors have now become the go-to team for educating bishops, Vatican diplomats in training and Curia staffers, religious orders and local churches about safeguarding children, adolescents and vulnerable adults and protecting them against sexual abuse.

http://www.catholicregister.org/faith/item/23087-sharing-the-expertise-papal-advisors-on-abuse-expand-reach-influence 

Child protection training for new bishops is welcomed | The Irish Catholic

The decision to involve the Vatican’s child protection commission in training new bishops is very welcome, child abuse survivor Marie Collins has said.

Mrs Collins, in Rome for a plenary assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, told The Irish Catholic that the commission has been “invited to take part in training of new bishops here in Rome this week”, continuing, “I will be taking part.”

http://irishcatholic.ie/article/child-protection-training-new-bishops-welcomed 

Pastor accused of sexually assaulting teen wants bond reduced

The leader of a North Aurora church will ask the judge overseeing his sex assault case to reduce his bail at a hearing later this month.
Ralphael Robinson, 39, who is listed with an Aurora address, appeared in Kane County court Thursday for a hearing at which he was scheduled to be arraigned on charges of criminal sex assault, criminal sex abuse, attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse and violation of sex offender registry rules. During the appearance, Robinson's attorney requested Judge Linda Abrahamson set a hearing for a bond reduction motion. Robinson remains in Kane County Jail on $107,500 bail, with arraignment and the bond issue scheduled for Sept. 30.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-north-aurora-pastor-sex-case-st-0916-20160915-story.html 

Dallas evangelical seminary requires sex abuse awareness training

(RNS) At Dallas Theological Seminary, it’s now a graduation requirement that students intending to become ministers take a short training class in sexual abuse awareness.
“This is not exhaustive, and there is more work that needs to be done by all of us as a culture,” Mark Yarbrough, the school’s vice president for academic affairs, told The Dallas Morning News. “But this is a way we can help students become informed so that when they are leaders, they are better equipped on how to help establish appropriate parameters in working with children.”

http://religionnews.com/2016/09/15/dallas-evangelical-seminary-requires-sex-abuse-awareness-training/ 

Catholic bishops across state subpoenaed in child abuse probe

Bishop Lawrence Persico was subpoenaed to provide information to a statewide grand jury investigation into child abuse in the Catholic church.
Persico was subpoenaed Sept. 1 to give any information related to past and present allegations of sexual abuse of children in the Diocese of Erie.

http://www.yourerie.com/news/local-news/catholic-bishops-across-state-subpoenaed-in-child-abuse-probe 

Six of state's eight Catholic dioceses under investigation

HARRISBURG — Four more Catholic dioceses — Erie, Greensburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton — have been swept into a grand jury investigation of clergy sex abuse and cover-up allegations in communities stretching from the Delaware River to the Monongahela.
On Friday, officials in all four dioceses confirmed they received subpoenas from the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. Their confirmations come a day after the Harrisburg Diocese told the newspaper that it, too, had gotten a subpoena.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-allentown-catholic-dioceses-priest-grand-jury-20160916-story.html 

With pedophile priests, Twin Towers, and war crimes, USA is now The Falling Man

"There was something going on that was not familiar American territory about dealing with tragedy.  There were things about that day that you weren’t supposed to say, you weren’t supposed to see."  – Tom Junot, The Falling Man

I've seen the mentality to which Junot refers in the pedophile priest crisis, and as a result we get news like this:

 

http://cityofangels12.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/with-pedophile-priests-twin-towers-and.html 

Church bars Ukrainian priest over allegations he exploited woman with dementia

Ukrainian Orthodox authorities have barred the pastor of a Humboldt Park church from serving as a priest following allegations that he improperly took more than $500,000 from a 93-year-old parishioner diagnosed with dementia.
Nicholas Chervyatiuk has not been charged with a crime, and he has vigorously denied the allegations, made in papers filed in probate court this spring by the Cook County public guardian.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-ukrainian-priest-removed-met-20160912-story.html 

Bishop Gerard Hanna testifies at Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse

BISHOP Gerard Hanna has spoken of being forced to work with suspected paedophile priest John Farrell and of the tight restrictions he placed on him. The retiring Bishop of Wagga diocese was questioned about Farrell on Wednesday at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The bishop said he was parish priest of St Nicholas’ in Tamworth in 1984 when Farrell was foisted on him by Bishop Henry Kennedy amid rumours of inappropriate behaviour following his overnight removal from Moree.

http://www.easternriverinachronicle.com.au/story/4166399/bishop-kept-tight-rein-on-child-abuser/ 

How far back should coverage go in clergy sex scandals? Two Penn newspapers differ

Child porn charges against a Pennsylvania priest are yielding coverage with a different kind of ghost" – the specter of past crimes illustrated with a literal list in a newspaper. But is such a focus always warranted? Do journalists use this with the Catholic sins, alone?
After a Faithful Reader brought this up, I looked at the examples sent in. Here's what I saw. The focus is retired Monsignor John S. Mraz, charged with collecting and viewing child porn on two laptops. Two local newspapers do a fine job on the story – to a point.

http://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2016/9/14/how-far-back-should-coverage-go-in-child-porn-cases-two-penn-newspapers-differ 

2 more people accuse Marrero pastor of sex crimes, raising total to 5, police say

Two more people have come forward to accuse a Marrero pastor of molesting them when they were young girls, raising to five the number of people accusing him of sexual crimes as part of a growing investigation, Orleans Parish court documents said.
The documents said police have also been contacted by two additional possible victims, though their allegations are not detailed in the record.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/09/sherman_smith_marrero_second_h.html 

Child sex abuse inquiry chairwoman to be paid £185,000

The academic and former social worker will also receive an annual accommodation allowance of £35,000.
She is the fourth person to head the inquiry. Her predecessor, Dame Lowell Goddard, who resigned last month, had criticised the scope and scale of the inquiry and said it should be reviewed.
Dame Lowell was being paid £355,000.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37375853?post_id=10204672433356106_10207576354272314#_=_ 

Former BUMFS pastor pleads guilty to felony

BURLINGTON - Pastor Richard Hogg, former spiritual life coordinator for the Burlington United Methodist Family Services, has pled guilty in Mineral County Circuit Court to one felony count of sexual abuse of a minor by a parent, guardian, or custodian.
The incident occurred when Hogg was employed by Burlington United Methodist Family Services.

http://www.newstribune.info/news/20160915/former-bumfs-pastor-pleads-guilty-to-felony 

Pastor among 22 arrested in child sex sting operation

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WEAR) — Parishioners from the church neighboring First United Methodist Church of Pace circled around the building in prayer on Wednesday night. Hours earlier, news broke that the senior pastor was one of nearly two dozen men arrested in a child sex sting led by the Pensacola Police Department.
“It’s a major issue,” Chief David Alexander III said in a press conference. “It is something I believe the people need to know, that this is very serious and there are long term consequences when we don’t do what we can to pull these kind of people off the street.”

http://kcby.com/politics/nation-and-world/pastor-among-22-arrested-in-child-sex-sting-operation 

EXCLUSIVE: Long Island milkman urges customers to donate to Democrat who supports Child Victims Act and is running against John Flanagan

A Long Island milkman hopes to deliver justice to survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
The owner of Milky Whey Calfeteria has asked his 200 Suffolk County customers to donate this week's bill to the Democrat running against State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, a longtime foe of efforts to reform the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/milkman-urges-customers-fund-campaign-senate-big-article-1.2794178 

New legislation to help uncover abuse in Guam's Catholic Church

A bill that would enable victims of historical sexual abuse in Guam to file civil action is a step closer to becoming law.
A victims advocate says it could have tremendous implications for the Catholic Church which has been hit by more allegations of abuse by Guam's Archbishop and other clergy members.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201816477/new-legislation-to-help-uncover-abuse-in-guam's-catholic-church 

Grand jury investigating sex abuse in Allentown, Harrisburg dioceses, lawmaker says

The Pennsylvania attorney general's office is looking into allegations of abuse by priests in the Allentown Diocese as part of a bigger statewide investigation, a lawmaker who was called to testify told The Morning Call on Thursday.
The Harrisburg Diocese also is under investigation.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-pa-allentown-diocese-grand-jury-20160915-story.html 

Former Alabama youth pastor arrested in sweeping sex sting allegedly solicited 14-year-old boy

Twenty-two men – including 4 from Alabama and a former youth pastor at a Wetumpka church - were arrested in an internet sting that targeted adults who traveled to Pensacola to have sex with children.
Dubbed "Operation Undertow," the Pensacola police said the sting took place Sept. 7-11. Warrants were issued for all of the suspects after they contacted undercover agents via the computer in an attempt to arrange sexual encounters with teenage males and female.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/09/4_alabama_men_nabbed_in_sweepi.html 

Church court finds former priest guilty of sexually abusing children

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- Prayer and penance, that’s the life a former priest, found guilty of assaulting children, has been ordered to live. The order came from the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) at the Vatican.
Allegations against 72-year-old Michael Carroll came in 2002, according to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. The four allegations date back to the late 1970s and early '80s, according to the diocese.

http://fox11online.com/news/local/green-bay/church-court-finds-former-priest-guilty-of-sexually-abusing-children 

Hundreds of alleged abuse victims threaten to boycott Jay inquiry

An independent inquiry into the sexual abuse of children has been dealt another blow after hundreds of alleged victims of abuse threatened to boycott it.
Former inmates at Medomsley detention centre in Consett, County Durham, where abuser Neville Husband preyed on children and young adults over a 15-year period from the late 1960s onwards, have written to their lawyers stating that they want to withdraw from the inquiry after learning that it will not hear evidence from people who were aged 18 or over at the time they were abused.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/08/hundreds-of-alleged-abuse-victims-threaten-to-boycott-jay-inquiry 

Francis meets two Italian victims of clerical abuse

VATICAN CITY: The Pope recently met two Italian victims of clerical abuse, one of them was a child when the abuse took place and the other an adult. This is according to Fr. Hans Zollner, a German psychologist, Jesuit and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that met from 5 to 11 September in the Vatican.
He supported the idea of instituting a prayer day for paedophilia victims, proposed a model for helping national Bishops’ Conferences to further improve anti-abuse guidelines and said he was satisfied with the recent papal document on the responsibility of bishops and other Church superiors in this field. The Commission will also soon be launching its very own website. Its members were invited for the first time to a refresher course for bishops in the Vatican.

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/francis-meets-two-italian-victims-of-clerical-abuse/31743/4 

Vatican, archdiocese investigate decades-old sex abuse allegation

Deacon Leonard Stohr, the Archdiocese of Agana’s sexual abuse response coordinator, said he spoke Tuesday with a man who reported he witnessed the Rev. Antonio Cruz and seminarian Anthony S. Apuron — now the island's archbishop — sexually molest a 10-year-old altar boy during a church rectory sleepover in March 1964.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/09/13/vatican-archdiocese-investigate-decades-old-sex-abuse-allegation/90294316/ 

Priest charged with child porn removed from ministry, diocese says

The Diocese of Allentown announced Tuesday that a monsignor accused of possessing child pornography has been removed from public ministry. Monsignor John Stephen Marz.
In a statement released following the arraignment of John Mraz, the diocese said Mraz cannot present himself as a priest. The 66-year-old Mraz, who served as pastor of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Emmaus, is accused of having "numerous" images and videos on his laptop depicting the sexual abuse of children.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/index.ssf/2016/09/allentown_diocese_priest_charg.html 

Guatemalan Authorities Raid ‘Lev Tahor Cult’ Compound And Take All Children Away From Parents

According to reports from Guatemalan news agencies, the building housing members of the “Lev Tahor” cult have been raided by the Public Ministry (MP) which investigates allegations of child abuse.
Authorities were reportedly notified of parents exposing their children to severe punishments that have resulted in injuries.

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/461698/guatemalan-authorities-raid-lev-tahor-cult-compound-and-take-all-children-away-from-parents.html 

Former high school coach in Kearney is charged with child abuse, 2 other counts

MINDEN, Neb. — A former Kearney Catholic High School coach is charged in Kearney County Court with two felonies and one misdemeanor: child abuse; enticement by electronic communications device; and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to court records, Shawn Dowse, 44, of Kearney, was arrested Thursday on a Kearney County warrant. The court has sealed details about the reason for his arrest.

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/former-high-school-coach-in-kearney-is-charged-with-child/article_bb59390e-7933-11e6-9b19-c799680791dc.html 

Lifting of statute of limitations on child sex abuse welcome

We commend the members of the Guam Legislature for the unanimous passage of Bill 326 and we urge Gov. Calvo to sign it into law. Once enacted, the bill will eliminate the statute of limitations for civil cases involving child sex abuse.
Child molestation is a particularly abhorrent crime with traumatic, long-term emotional effects. Children are often not able to understand what happened to them or why it happened, and are unable to report the attack.

http://www.postguam.com/forum/editorial/lifting-of-statute-of-limitations-on-child-sex-abuse-welcome/article_433753b6-78a7-11e6-8bfc-e75afc1f8d7a.html 

"Clerical Sexual Misconduct Involving Adults within the Roman Catholic Church"

A Recommendation: Stephen Edward de Weger's Thesis "Clerical Sexual Misconduct Involving Adults within the Roman Catholic Church"

 A resource I'd like to recommend to you: Stephen Edward de Weger's master's thesis (pdf) in the School of Justice of Queensland University of Technology's Faculty of Law. It's entitled "Clerical Sexual Misconduct Involving Adults within the Roman Catholic Church." Stephen's outstanding thesis draws on interviews with adults sexually abused by Roman Catholic authority figures, notably priests. 

 

http://bilgrimage.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/a-recommendation-stephen-edward-de.html?m=1 

Sexual Abuse Charges Put Shadow on U.S. Gymnastics Federation

Considering how many medals U.S.A. Gymnastics brought home from the Rio Games — an amazing 12, including Simone Biles’s three individual golds and the women’s team gold — the federation’s post-Olympics glow should be brighter than ever.

A 36-city tour starring Biles and other standouts is starting Thursday in Spokane, Wash. A rush of money is pouring into the sport. After every Summer Games, gyms typically see a bump in enrollment because kids, including my 4-year-old, watched the Olympics and want to do what their new heroes do.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/14/sports/olympics/sexual-abuse-charges-put-shadow-on-us-gymnastics-federation.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160913&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1 

Legio Maria pope denies eloping with married woman

Pope Romanus Ongombe of the Legion Maria sect has denied allegations from one of the sect’s cardinals that he eloped with a married woman.
Cardinal Samson Arogo, the Head of Administration of the church headquartered at Got Kwer,  Migori County, claimed that his pope eloped with three women.  Pope Ongombe denied the allegations, explaining that, “I have moved up the ranks from a padre, to bishop then cardinal, and now I am the pope. Everyone knows that I never engaged in such conducts. I am a pope installed by God.”

http://www.sde.co.ke/thenairobian/article/2000215278/pope-denies-eloping-with-married-woman 

Child abuse inquiry is independent, insists chief

Almost a quarter of staff of the national child abuse inquiry have been recruited from the Home Office, its chairwoman disclosed yesterday, as she tried to allay fears that the body was not independent of the government.
Alexis Jay said that the 155 staff at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) were “bound together by a commitment to make this inquiry a success”. She added: “Their duty and loyalty is to the inquiry, not to any government department.”

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/independence-challenge-over-abuse-inquiry-ttxbhcx32 

Royal commission has passed on 1,659 child sex abuse cases to police

The royal commission has referred more than 1,500 child sexual abuse cases to the police to consider for further investigation, a hearing has heard.

Up to 71 people were prosecuted after 1,659 matters reported since 2013 were passed on, imposing strains on resources of police forces in Australia, ABC News reported.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3784756/Police-pressure-1-659-child-sexual-abuse-cases-following-royal-commission.html 

Press Council Adjudication

THE Press Council considered a complaint by Margaret Masters about two articles in The Sunday Times headed “Swan Homes hired killer” on 13 September 2015 and “Church calls cops over Swan Homes” on 20 September 2015.
The articles were also published online by PerthNow with different headlines. The articles reported on allegations by former child residents of the Swan Homes orphanage of abuse by a former house master, Leonard Darcey, and Mrs Master’s father, children’s home director Angus Peterkin.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/press-council-adjudication/news-story/9eae96eb78f8ac099964783bda02d38c 

Church's legal team has until Monday to respond to lawsuit

Attorneys representing the Archdiocese of Agana and Archbishop Anthony Apuron have until Monday to file responses in a $2 million libel and slander lawsuit filed against them. The plaintiffs listed are Roy Quintanilla, Walter Denton, Roland Sondia, and Doris Concepcion on behalf of her son, the late Joseph "Sonny" Quinata.

http://www.kuam.com/story/33054813/2016/09/Thursday/churchs-legal-team-has-until-monday-to-respond-to-lawsuit 

Report into Salvation Army’s Southern Territory released

The Royal Commission’s report into Case Study 33 - The response of The Salvation Army (Southern Territory) to allegations of child sexual abuse at children’s homes that it operated, was released today.
The report follows a public hearing held in Adelaide, which examined the experiences of former child residents, as well as the response of The Salvation Army (Southern Territory) (TSAS) to allegations of child sexual abuse of former residents of boy’s homes in Eden Park (SA), Box Hill and Bayswater (Victoria) and Nedlands (WA).

http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/2016-09/report-into-salvation-army%E2%80%99s-southern-territory-re 

Legislators to tackle sex abuse, minimum wage bills

Another slew of bills are slated for the legislative floor today as senators begin session. At the top of the agenda is Bill 326-33, a measure that seeks to eliminate the statute of limitations for civil claims involving sexually abused children.
A series of public hearings on the bill saw testimony from alleged victims of Archbishop Anthony Apuron and other priests. Leo Tudela, the eldest of the accusers at 73 years old, alleged for the first time during his testimony in early August that he was sexually abused by Rev. Louis Brouillard in the 1950s.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/legislators-to-tackle-sex-abuse-minimum-wage-bills/article_2ab5876c-77f9-11e6-882f-832c12a1241e.html 

Child sexual abuse must be addressed: Orthodox rabbis

Twenty-one rabbis in Canada are among 300 Orthodox rabbis who have signed a strongly -worded warning of the necessity to respond in a forthright manner to sexual abuse of children in the Orthodox Jewish community.

Released in August, the proclamation was prompted by victims’ suicides “committed as a direct result of child sexual abuse,” as well as other physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual consequences. 

http://www.cjnews.com/living-jewish/health/child-sexual-abuse-orthodox-rabbis 

Transparency drives diocesan safe environment procedures

When the movie “Spotlight” won the Best Picture Oscar earlier this year, some Catholics may have rolled their eyes given the movie’s true-story subject matter. Based on the Boston Globe’s uncovering of the priest sex scandal there and the archdiocese’s attempts to cover it up, it seemed to the uninitiated another case of Hollywood rewarding films that kicked around the Universal Church.
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor was not one of those people.

http://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/4866/Transparency-drives-diocesan-safe-environment-procedures 

Former Chalan Pago altar boy says he saw sexual abuse by Apuron, Antonio Cruz in '64

Church officials will investigate a report that Archbishop Anthony Apuron and another priest sexually abused an altar boy in Chalan Pago 52 years ago, according to a statement issued by the Archdiocese of Agana Monday night.
Yigo resident Ramon Afaisen De Plata, 62, told Pacific Daily News he witnessed an altar boy being abused at Our Lady of Peace and Safe Journey Catholic Church. The pastor at the time, the Rev. Antonio C. Cruz, lived above the church, he said.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/09/12/former-chalan-pago-altar-boy-says-he-saw-sexual-abuse-apuron-antonio-cruz-64/90221764/ 

Catholic teacher charged with abusing two girls at WA college

A WA Catholic schoolteacher has been charged with sexually abusing two female students. The Maylands man, 47, indecently assaulted two female students aged 13 to 14 between January 2014 and July 2015 when he was a teacher at a Catholic college, police say.
He has been charged with five counts of indecent dealing with a child over 13 and under 16 and is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday. BUNBURY MAN ON CHILD SEX CHARGES

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/catholic-teacher-charged-with-abusing-two-girls-at-wa-college/news-story/d18ad739b89033fb6f3a2786510be589

Arrest Of Rabbi And Member Of Satmar Community For Conspiring To Kidnap And Murder

Goal of the Alleged Scheme Was to Obtain a Religious Divorce for the Victim's Wife

Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and William J. Bratton, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the filing of a federal criminal complaint charging SHIMEN LIEBOWITZ and AHARON GOLDBERG with conspiring to kidnap and murder an individual in order to obtain a religious divorce for that individual’s wife.  LIEBOWITZ and GOLDBERG were arrested yesterday in Central Valley, New York, while meeting to plan the kidnapping and murder.  They will be presented later today before Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman in federal court in Manhattan.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-arrest-rabbi-and-member-satmar-community-conspiring