Claims disgraced bishop failed to safeguard people in diocese

Claims of a sex abuse cover-up and a failure to adequately protect women from sexual predation by a monk have surfaced in the diocese of disgraced bishop Charles Drennan. Bishop Drennan had his resignation accepted by the Vatican earlier this month after an investigation into complaints by a young woman of inappropriate sexual behaviour. It later emerged a second woman made a similar complaint several years ago.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/401473/claims-disgraced-bishop-failed-to-safeguard-people-in-diocese 

Stolen from their mother and abused, children of Garden Point mission lead charge for justice

Maxine Kunde still has nightmares about what she endured as a child at the Garden Point mission on Melville Island, north of Darwin. "Some nights when you're sleeping, it'll just all come back," she said. Siblings have come forward to speak out on being sexually and physically abused at Garden Point mission Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are not yet part of National Redress Scheme There are fears that legal processes are too slow for survivors who are dying "And you get up, crying and upset, and I stop and say, 'well, what are you crying for?' But that's how it is."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-26/children-of-garden-point-lead-charge-for-justice/11446710 

An abuse survivor's plea: Be open and honest with us

When it comes to church officials and leaders of survivor peer-support-groups entering into agreements around reporting sexual abuse in churches, confidentiality and exclusivity are entirely inappropriate. In fact, confidentiality and exclusivity risk harming victims and survivors because they offend against trust, openness and transparency.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/116986094/an-abuse-survivors-plea-be-open-and-honest-with-us 

Survivors Describe Rape, Assaults in Rare Look at U.S. Magdalene Laundries/Video, Live Discussion Sponsored by Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC

Two women who allege they were abused and assaulted as teens in homes run by Catholic nuns in the United States tell their stories in a documentary offering a rare look at our own country's "Magdalene Laundries" premiering at 7:30 p.m., EST, Wednesday, December 11, 2019. The 15-minute video will be followed by a live discussion on Facebook featuring the women in the documentary and their attorneys...

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/survivors-describe-rape-assaults-rare-191800832.html

Dead man’s estate files child sex abuse suit against nuns

The estate administrator of a former Catholic school student has filed a child sex abuse lawsuit against the Sisters of Mercy, which operated and managed the school. C.C., who is deceased, but is identified by pseudonymous initials to protect his identity, was allegedly sexually abused in the early 1980s while in the second grade at Santa Barbara Catholic School. He was allegedly molested by Raymond Cepeda, who was then an assistant pastor and religion teacher, and who also is now deceased.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/dead-man-s-estate-files-child-sex-abuse-suit-against/article_3ab593f6-c88b-11e9-a5c6-43fb2b12ea3b.html 

Religious discrimination: Can human rights be ceded to organisations?

Is there a legal or moral basis of the government's draft bill on religious freedom? I reread the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (a reasonable place to start as Australia does not have a bill of rights). My reading of it is that human rights apply to persons, not organisations or governments. The declaration requires governments to protect and maintain the rights of individuals. There is no mention of governments legislating to allow selected organisations to discriminate against others.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/religious-discrimination-can-human-rights-be-ceded-to-organisations-20191212-h1kcpx.html 

Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry will now focus on top boarding schools

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was set up in October 2015 to “shine a light in the dark corners of the past”. It has the power to compel people and organisations to give evidence, and so far it has cost £27 million. It had been expected to report back within four years but in 2018 the timeline was extended because so many witnesses came forward. The inquiry will now publish its final findings “as soon as reasonably practicable”.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scottish-child-abuse-inquiry-will-now-focus-on-top-boarding-schools-0tbkrcsgd 

Victim of Nazareth House nuns’ abuse breaks silence as she sues for £750,000

Annemarie McGuigan has now spoken publicly of her ordeal for the first time. Ms McGuigan, from Renfrewshire, was taken to Nazareth House in Aberdeen with her sister and brother in 1969 when she was eight. She was separated from her brother and became a target for Sister Alphonso, who was convicted of assaulting children in 2000.

https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/victim-of-nazareth-house-nuns-abuse-breaks-silence-as-she-sues-for-750000/ 

The Married Catholic Priest in 2020

After a careful examination of events, with great responsibility, we announce that this year, Pope Francis will let married priests join the rest of priesthood. We will celebrate and be joyful for such event. It shows that notwithstanding the internal pressure of some particular priests and lay people, the Holy Spirit has succeeded in helping the church steer his ship in these troubled waters.

https://maltesemarriedcatholicpriest.wordpress.com/2020/01/06/the-married-catholic-priest-in-2020/ 

Protection from spiritual abuse needed in safeguarding

In the formation of leaders in the Church, the issue of “spiritual abuse” should be addressed as part of safeguarding policies, while humility and love should be taught as pillars of ministry, theologian and abuse survivor Dr Rocio Figueroa has proposed.

https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2020/01/09/protection-from-spiritual-abuse-needed-in-safeguarding/ 

The Catholic Boys New Zealand

The author of three books around the tough world of the SAS and infantry army, Mike Ledingham joins with two of his bothers to tell the story of their abuse by the same Catholic priest. On the face of it, the Ledinghams were a great example of a Catholic family with strong Irish roots growing up in New Zealand. The “faith” was strong in the family members, so much so the boys served as altar boys at the local church.

https://www.bms.co.nz/product-page/the-catholic-boys 

Survivor backs push to lift veil on church child abuse secret deals

A church abuse survivor has supported calls for religious groups to waive victims' secrecy obligations at Royal Commission hearings. Author Mike Ledingham​ welcomed Wednesday's announcement that Crown agencies would lift confidentiality obligations on State care abuse survivors. Simon Mount QC, counsel assisting the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, said he expected churches to follow suit.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/114991825/survivor-backs-push-to-lift-veil-on-church-child-abuse-secret-deals 

'A Momentous Time For Survivors.' Hundreds of Sex Abuse Lawsuits Anticipated Today After New York State Passes Child Victims Legislation

It was the early 1950s and Peter Vajda was a boy attending a Catholic boarding school in the Bronx when he says a religious brother molested him. The brother is likely long dead, but the church survives. Just after midnight Wednesday morning, Vajda, now 75, filed a civil lawsuit naming the Archdiocese of New York as a defendant. Justice, he says, may have been delayed but he won’t let it be denied. “Now it’s their turn. Now it’s their time,” he told The Associated Press Monday. “And I want them to get everything they deserve in the way of punishment.”

https://time.com/5651719/new-york-child-victims-act-sex-abuse-lawsuits/ 

Lawsuit: Man regrets not exposing priest in late '70s to prevent other kids from sex abuse

A former Guam resident now living in California "extremely regrets" not exposing Father Raymond Cepeda in the late 1970s, which he said could have prevented the priest from also sexually abusing other children, according to one of two clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed on Wednesday. One of the latest plaintiffs is identified in federal court documents only with the initials U.U.U. to protect his privacy.

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2019/08/14/man-regrets-not-exposing-priest-70-s-prevent-others-abuse/2005788001/ 

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Boy Scouts Also Hit With Abuse Lawsuits

Victims of sex abuse in New York are filing cases not only against Catholics but against members of other organizations like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Boy Scouts as well. Various non-Catholic groups are being bombarded with lawsuits in New York on Wednesday as a one-year window on abuse claims is opened due to the Child Victims Act (CVA) sparked by corruption within the Catholic Church.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/jehovahs-witnesses-boy-scouts-also-hit-with-abuse-lawsuits 

Catholic Dioceses launch independent system to report misconduct by bishops

The Dioceses of the Boston Province have launched a third party, independent system to report abuse by Catholic bishops, according to a statement released Wednesday. The Bishops of the province have agreed to make a reporting system available now in the wake of Pope Francis’ landmark Vos estis letter and the nearly unanimous response to that letter by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2019.

https://www.southcoasttoday.com/news/20190814/catholic-dioceses-launch-independent-system-to-report-misconduct-by-bishops 

Sex Abuse Victims of Boy Scouts, Catholic Clergy, Epstein Sue as New York Opens Litigation Window

The Roman Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, schools and hospitals, the late financier Jeffrey Epstein are some of the targets named in a flurry of sex abuse lawsuits filed Wednesday in New York as the state began accepting cases once blocked by the statute of limitations. Hundreds of lawsuits were filed as plaintiffs rushed to take advantage of the one-year litigation window, created by state lawmakers this year to give people who say they were victims a second chance to sue over abuse that, in many cases, happened decades ago.

https://ktla.com/2019/08/14/sex-abuse-victims-of-boy-scouts-catholic-clergy-epstein-sue-as-new-york-opens-litigation-window/ 

R.I. Catholic Diocese to turn over 70 years of records to attorney general

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence that will provide access to diocesan files and records dating back to 1950 as part of its ongoing review of allegations of clergy child sex abuse. The review, in conjunction with the Rhode Island State Police, is meant to identify any prosecutable cases and make sure that no credibly accused clergy members are in active ministry, according to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office.

https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190723/ri-catholic-diocese-to-turn-over-70-years-of-records-to-attorney-general 

After new reports on German choir abuses, bishop vows to boost prevention

A German bishop has vowed to intensify “preventive measures” after two church-sponsored reports confirmed systemic violence and abuse at his diocese’s cathedral schools between 1945 and 1995, including 30 years when their famous choir was run by Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, brother of retired Pope Benedict XVI. “The goal (of the reports), using methods and mechanisms of social psychology, was to identify factors which encouraged these cases,” said Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg.

http://catholicphilly.com/2019/07/news/world-news/after-new-reports-on-german-choir-abuses-bishop-vows-to-boost-prevention/ 

Lawsuit: Priest forced Asan altar boy to clean bathroom in the nude then abused him in '72

A lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges Monsignor Jose Ada Leon Guerrero sexually abused an Asan altar boy in early 1970s, starting with forcing him to clean a church bathroom in the nude as punishment for telling on another boy's marijuana use. Leon Guerrero, now deceased, allegedly sexually abused the minor boy for two to three months before the youth quit being an altar boy in 1972, the lawsuit says.

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2019/07/25/lawsuit-priest-forced-asan-boy-clean-bathroom-naked-then-abused-him/1824319001/