Clergy Child Molesters (135) — References/Archive/Blog
[≤ 2001 (Franciscan)] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Teenage girl.
One in Four,
www.onein four.org/ news/news 2007/ grants ,
The Irish Times, ~ April 01, 2007
IRELAND -- The Supreme Court has granted an appeal by the DPP to clear the way for the trial of a Franciscan priest on charges of indecently assaulting a teenage girl who sang in the church choir.
The Supreme Court yesterday, by a three to two majority, granted the DPP's appeal against a High Court decision of February 2003 restraining the trial on grounds of blameworthy delay by the prosecution in making important documents available to the defence.
The majority court found there was no prosecutorial delay and also held that allegedly important documents produced in 2001 after the first and aborted trial of the priest could be inferred to have been in the possession of the defence just before that first trial.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2007
7:44 AM]
(This is the first of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
for Sun April 01, 2007. )
INTENTION: A challenge to RELIGIONS to PROTECT CHILDREN
Series starts:
www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethicscontents.htm
Visit
http://www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker . These are digests of and links to mass media coverage of clergy abuse. Get fuller details by trying the links.
[1990s-2007 Armstrong*] - Episcopalian. Seceded from Church. Money.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Jean Torkelson, March 29, 2007
COLORADO -- An investigation by the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado into accusations of "financial wrongdoing" by the Rev. Don Armstrong of Grace and St. Stephen's parish alleges the theft and misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars in church money over about 10 years, the bishop said.
The allegations are listed in a March 27 letter to parishioners of the 2,000-member Colorado Springs church from Bishop Rob O'Neill.
Armstrong could not be reached for comment. On Monday, he explained to the Rocky Mountain News in broad terms the allegations and denied wrongdoing.
The bishop's letter was sent a day after Armstrong and nine of the parish's 11-member governing board voted to secede from the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and from the national church as well.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2007
7:21 AM]
[1960s-70s (A Christian Brother)] - RCC. Penalty difference discriminatory, he says!
One in Four,
The Irish Times, ~ April 01, 2007
IRELAND -- The Supreme Court has cleared the way for a Christian Brother to bring a challenge to the constitutionality of laws which provide for maximum sentences for indecent assaults of males which is five times higher than maximum sentences for such offences against females.
The 1861 law provides for a 10-year maximum sentence for indecent assault of males and a two-year maximum sentence for a first offence of an indecent assault of a female.
The Brother, who is facing trial on 31 charges of sexually abusing several boys in a residential school in Co Galway on dates in the 1960s and 1970s, claims the laws are a manifest discrimination on grounds of gender and are therefore unconstitutional and in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003.
[1800s-1970s - 4 Churches, Provinces] - Indigenous children.
Toronto Sun,
By MARIANNE MEED WARD, April 01, 2007
CANADA -- The federal government has a lot of apologizing to do. But why stop at residential schools?
I don't mean to make light of the trauma inflicted upon natives at these schools. In previous columns, I've supported their quest not only for an apology for the abuse they endured, but also financial compensation for the promising lives that were derailed into addiction and poverty. The residential schools, for all their lofty ambition to give natives a "good Christian education" (and that itself was problematic), contributed to the decimation of native culture, native pride and in far too many cases individual native lives.
The government contracted with churches to run the schools. The Roman Catholic and United Churches ran most of them, with a few Anglican and Presbyterian-run schools scattered around. Their goal wasn't simply to educate natives. It was to convert them from their native spirituality to Christianity. But this was a harsh Christianity influenced by the harsh realities of life in Canada from the late 1800s, when the schools first opened, to the 1970s when the last one was closed.
[2006-07 Republic of Ireland] - Impost on victims.
One in Four,
The Irish Times, ~ April 01, 2007
IRELAND -- Taoiseach Bertie Ahern again insisted that abuse victim Louise O'Keeffe will not lose her house as the State pursues her for €500,000 in legal costs.
Ms O'Keeffe, from Cork, is facing the bill after the High Court decided last year that the State was not responsible for the sexual abuse she suffered as a national school student in the 1970s.
Mr Ahern said that he could not comment on the details of the case, which had been appealed to the Supreme Court, adding that he had made it clear last March that the Government had asked the State Claims Agency, the statutory body that deals with legal fees, to approach the issue of costs in a measured and sensitive way.
"The agency informed Ms O'Keeffe's solicitor at the time, and on the record, that while the same arrangements would have to be made in respect of costs, there was no question whatsoever of her losing her house, which was the issue."
[1966-67 Mons. Smith*] - RCC. 2 girls.
Howard County Times,
By Jennifer Surface, Mar/29/07
MARYLAND -- Baltimore County police are investigating allegations that an Ellicott City priest sexually abused two girls 40 years ago.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore has removed from ministry Monsignor Richard Smith, 67, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish, in Ellicott City, following reports of alleged abuse from two women and Smith's admission to some of the allegations, according to archdiocese spokesman Sean Caine.
Church officials informed Smith's Ellicott City parishioners of the allegations at a community meeting after Masses on March 25, Caine said, adding that many people had trouble coping with the news.
"The archdiocese is providing as much support and pastoral care as possible to the community," Caine said.
[1900s-2000s Republic of Ireland]
One in Four,
The Irish Times, by Mary Raftery, ~ April 01, 2007
There is something particularly unedifying about the spectacle of a Government Minister slithering away from responsibility. When that responsibility involves the duty of the State to ensure the safety of children, it is especially reprehensible, writes Mary Raftery
IRELAND -- Minister for Education Mary Hanafin attempted last week to defend the legal tactics of the State, which has recently threatened hundreds of victims of child sexual abuse in national schools that if they did not immediately drop their cases against her department, they would be actively pursued for enormous legal costs.
It was all the lawyers, she said in an interview on RTé news. She claimed to know nothing about the threatening letters, nor did she sanction them. "It was very much a legal letter going to other lawyers. It wasn't in any way intended to upset or to offend . . . It was never sent to the clients themselves," she said.
What a relief! It will be a great comfort to victims of abuse that all this business about them having to pay huge costs was merely a housekeeping matter between lawyers, "a legal response to a legal question", according to the Minister in charge.
[1977 Daly] - RCC. 2 boys.
City of Angels,
http://cityofangels 3.blogspot.com/ 2007/03/cover- ups-document- destruction- concern.html , ~ April 01, 2007
Dive in the files and find the felonies
"Out came Father John Daly totally naked, holding the doors wide open."
CALIFORNIA -- It had been one short wet ride after another for days. Now they'd been on this onramp for hours. More rain came and the two boys held out their thumbs as occasional cars and trucks drove past. The Arizona-Calexico region got 14 inches of rain after Hurricane Heather in August 1977, but two teenagers hitchhiking to the Haight Ashbury weren't thinking about the weather.
Finally headlights approach and stop. The boys don't even look inside the car, just jump in. The driver tells them in an Irish brogue that he works at a Catholic Church where hitchhikers can clean up, even have a bed to sleep in.
Around two AM the two boys burst out church doors. They tumble into the town of Holtville. Mike vomits on the side of the road.
"Police, open up," the officers stood with weapons drawn listening to loud thumps coming from inside the room at the back of the church. Then...
Out came Father John Daly totally naked, holding the right and left doors wide open with the light pouring down on him, all 250 pounds of his body billowing in the rain and early morning light for all to see.
[ Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2007
7:28 AM]
[1972-74 Deacon Bals] - RCC. 6 females.
Cincinnati Enquirer,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 01, 2007
CLEVELAND (OH) - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland paid $27,200 over nearly three years to the wife and children of a former deacon accused of fondling girls after he was forbidden from working for the diocese, court records show, a revelation that angers his accusers.
Stephen Sozio, an attorney for the diocese, called the $800 monthly payments to Renee Bals, wife of Jerry Bals, "a stipend to a woman with eight children who was, through no fault of her own, in dire financial straits."
Court records also show that Jerry Bals was still living in the home in suburban Eastlake when the payments were made from June 2000 to April 2003.
"It's another example of how the church is taking care of the clergy but not taking care of the people," said Mary Brigid, who accused Bals of groping her over several occasions from 1972 through 1974. Six women sued the diocese in 1994, saying Bals abused them.
- RCC.
North County Times,
Staff and Wire Reports, April 01, 2007
CALIFORNIA -- Ten priests who once served at North County churches, including four now deceased, are on a list of 38 priests for whom the Catholic Church says exist credible complaints of sexual abuse during their tenures.
The list posted on the Web site of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego was released as part of a promise to show its members and the public the extent of its financial jeopardy, which prompted it to file for bankruptcy protection in February.
Two of the priests served at churches in Escondido, and two served in Oceanside.
The cities of Vista, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Ramona, Fallbrook, Poway and Temecula each have the name of one priest on the list.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2007
7:04 AM]
[> 100 yrs - Churches and Provinces] - Indigenous children.
The Huffington Post,
by Tim Giago, ~ April 01, 2007
UNITED STATES -- It is not in the least bit uncommon for the thousands of Native Americans pushed through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Church operated boarding schools for more than 100 years, to have suppressed memories.
I wrote a book of poetry that was published in 1977, called The Aboriginal Sin. A mainstream publisher would never have published the book, but the only Native American publishing house in the Nation, The Indian Historian Press, Inc., instead published it.
The book is now many years out of print.
A Cahuilla Indian man from California, Rupert Costo, a man who had been a product of an Indian mission boarding school, read the packet of poems I had written in the 1950s, poems I wrote whenever I had this deep feeling of depression related to my 10 years at a Catholic Indian mission boarding school on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:31 PM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun April 01, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Holland -NEW*] - Christian. 3 girls.
WSBTV,
www.wsbtv. com/news/ 11496314/ detail.html ,
~ April 02, 2007
DOTHAN, Ala. -- A Dothan pastor faces more criminal charges after police said a third victim alleged she was sexually abused.
53-year-old Earl Houston Holland is now charged with nine counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Holland is being held at the Houston County Jail under a $250,000 bond on each count. He was arrested March 27th and was charged with four counts of sexual abuse.
Police believe most of the incidents happened during a church-related event at Holland's home and one at the Dothan Conference Center. A District Judge set his bond at a hearing Thursday and made his first court appearance Friday.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2007
11:01 PM]
[? 2000s Hoang -NEW*] - RCC. Child.
The Oregonian,
Posted 18:20PM, April 02, 2007
TILLAMOOK (OR) -- A Catholic priest in Tillamook has been placed on administrative leave while police investigate accusations that he molested a child in Portland.
The Rev. Joseph V. Hoang, 39, was put on leave March 19 after the Portland Archdiocese received a report of sexual abuse against him, according to church spokesman Bud Bunce.
Church officials later learned that a criminal investigation by Portland police already was underway, Bunce said.
Sgt. Brian Schmautz, a Portland police spokesman, confirmed that a detective was investigating child sex-abuse accusations against Hoang, but would not release details, including the victim's age, the severity of the alleged abuse or when it might have occurred.
Priests and other Catholic officials are automatically placed on administrative leave when potentially credible sex abuse allegations surface, Bunce said. Church officials have not looked into the charges against Hoang and will wait for the police investigation to finish before deciding what to do next, he added.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
9News,
posted by Jeffrey Wolf , Web Producer, Last updated 7:17:56 PM,
Apr/2/2007
GOLDEN (CO), (AP) - A jury was selected Monday for the second sexual assault trial of a former Roman Catholic pastor convicted last week on separate charges of sexually assaulting a young parishioner in Fort Collins.
Timothy Joseph Evans, 44, is charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust for allegedly fondling a 16-year-old boy between 1995 and 1997 while assigned to the Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada.
Opening statements were set for Tuesday.
Evans was convicted last week in Larimer County District Court of two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and one count of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse. He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced May 30.
[1960s-70s to 2006 Jacobson (Jesuit)] - RCC. Father of 4 (no support), + sex with 7 women + pros.
KTVA,
Associated Press, Article Last Updated 03:42:25 PM AKDT, Apr/02/2007
ALASKA -- A church official says two civil suits were settled against a former Jesuit priest who fathered at least two children and had sex with several women while serving in Alaska.
Two men and two women from western Alaska will share in a nearly two million dollar agreement, plus therapists fees, in their suit against the Reverend James E. Jacobson. The retired 83-year-old Jesuit priest served in Alaska from the early 1960s to 1976.
The men sued Jacobson for child support. The women, one of whom is the mother of a male plaintiff, accused him of rape. The Reverend John D. Whitney is head of the Society of Jesus in Oregon.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The Scotsman,
http://news. scotsman. com/scotland. cfm?id=5106 12007 ,
~ April 02, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A PRIEST at the centre of the Angelika Kluk murder trial has resigned his position at the church where her body was found, it was revealed to a jury yesterday.
Father Gerry Nugent, 63, said he had quit the post about two weeks ago, but no further details were disclosed as he began what is expected to be a lengthy period in the witness box.
The trial has heard that Fr Nugent had claimed to police that he had a sexual relationship with the Polish student.
Fr Nugent described to the High Court in Edinburgh how he met Ms Kluk, 23, and Peter Tobin, 60, the man who is accused of raping and murdering her.
- RCC denies "mental reservation" theory.
LA Observed,
by Kevin Roderick, ~ April 02, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in New York is upset with the L.A. Times for coverage of the priest abuse cases here. At issue is a story last month that mentioned something called the "doctrine of mental reservation" and that was followed by a correction over the weekend. The league's official email says:
On March 26, the Los Angeles Times ran an article by John Spano that gave credence to a totally baseless charge by attorney Irwin Zelkin that Catholics are permitted to skirt the truth under oath in order to protect the best interests of the Catholic Church. The piece, "Catholic Doctrine is Cited in Priest Sex Abuse Cases," called into question the veracity of Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, and San Diego Bishop Robert H. Brom.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Telegraph,
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent, Last Updated 2:24am BST, for Apr/03/2007
SCOTLAND -- A priest who confessed to sleeping with a Polish student whose body was found in his church told a court yesterday that he admired her vitality and love of life.
Father Gerard Nugent, 63, also told the jury in the Angelika Kluk murder trial that the man accused of murdering her had quickly won his trust and held a key for the church.
He was giving evidence at the trial of Peter Tobin, 60, the church handyman, who denies raping and murdering Miss Kluk, 23, and hiding her body under the floor near the confessional in St Patrick's Church, Glasgow.
Fr Nugent, who said he had resigned from the parish two weeks ago, told the High Court in Edinburgh that he ran an "open door policy" at the church.
- RCC denial.
Catholic League,
April 02, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- On March 26, the Los Angeles Times ran an article by John Spano that gave credence to a totally baseless charge by attorney Irwin Zelkin that Catholics are permitted to skirt the truth under oath in order to protect the best interests of the Catholic Church. The piece, "Catholic Doctrine is Cited in Priest Sex Abuse Cases," called into question the veracity of Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, and San Diego Bishop Robert H. Brom. Zelkin, who is suing the Catholic Church, says that a so-called doctrine of mental reservation allows Catholics to dodge the truth in cases where the reputation of the Church might be sullied.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented on this today:
"The Los Angeles Times was right to run a 'Correction' on this story on March 31, but it was entirely too lame. Instead of saying that Zelkin's accusatory statement regarding Bishop Brom - charging him with invoking mental reservation-was 'based only on the recollections of Irwin Zelkin,' the 'Correction' should have included an apology to Cardinal Mahony and Bishop Brom for leaving the impression that they might counsel lying under oath.
- RCC.
Renew America,
by Matt C. Abbott, April 2, 2007
UNITED STATES -- The following is the eulogy given by SNAP board member Peter Isely at the funeral of his mother, Magdalene, who recently passed away.
The Our Father, the prayer my mother, Magdalene, prayed every day of her life begins with the phrase, 'Our Father, who is in heaven.' God, Christ instructs us, is absent from the earth. He is nowhere to be found here. So, the prayer implies, it is truly pointless to look for him.
When Jesus appeared to Mary and Mary Magdalene at the tomb they mistook him for the gardener. He said to them: 'The one you are seeking for is not here.'
I asked Magdalene's beloved husband of 30 years, Charles, if he had some instructions for this eulogy. First, he told me not to talk about him, so I won't. Second, he asked me to speak directly about what my mother endured at learning that two of her sons had been sexually assaulted by priests when they were children. I have spoken on ...
[1990s-2007 Armstrong*] - Episcopalian. Seceded from Church. Money.
CBS 4,
AP, ~ April 02, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (AP) -- The rector of a conservative breakaway Episcopal parish told parishioners he is confident he will be cleared of accusations of financial misconduct.
All questioned financial transactions have "sound explanations and have been handled appropriately," the Rev. Donald Armstrong said in the letter to parishioners Friday.
The Colorado Diocese suspended Armstrong in January and barred him from the property of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish in Colorado Springs, the largest Episcopal parish in the state.
On Monday, parish leaders voted to leave the denomination and join a Nigerian-linked missionary diocese, leading to Armstrong's return. Parish leaders said they were upset over the liberal direction of the national church, including its position on homosexuality.
- Religion generally.
The Coloradoan,
By KELLI LACKETT, KelliLackett@coloradoan.com , April 02, 2007
COLORADO -- Americans have been bombarded in recent years with images of clergy who have fallen from grace.
Last week the story hit home when a former priest at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish was convicted of child sexual assault and abuse.
For some, the sex scandals are a culmination of a decades-long trend of parishioners and lay people seeing clergy as subject to human frailties with warts and foibles like the rest of us.
"I do feel that priests are human beings," said Lois Schmidt, a parishioner and lay leader at Blessed John XXIII University Center, who also was a school principal for 24 years.
"Justice should be served," she said. "(But) if we can all learn a lesson from this, it is that we all are broken. Everyone has their skeletons in the closet and crosses to bear."
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
The Coloradoan,
By KELLI LACKETT, KelliLackett@coloradoan.com , April 02, 2007
COLORADO -- Shannon Yockey makes it her mission to help parents talk with their children about sexual abuse.
That's why she and her husband, Rob, talked to their children last week when former Catholic priest Tim Evans was convicted of child sexual abuse.
Both Kaitelyn, 7, and Stephen, 5, were baptized at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish by Evans.
"They saw his picture in the paper," Yockey said. "We talk about sexual abuse in our home. We talk about parts of the body."
The Yockeys have been parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for 11 years. Shannon Yockey, a licensed clinical social worker, leads workshops that teach parents how to talk to their children about sexual abuse. She also is a volunteer for the Larimer Child Advocacy Center.
[Katinas*] - Greek Orthodox. Minors.
Orthodox Reform,
April 1, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Another call from The National Herald for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese chancellor, Bishop Savas of Troas, "who spoke contemptuously about other members of the Synod", to be reprimanded and removed from his position.
Savas should have already received an official reprimand from the President of the Eparchial Synod, the Archbishop. It is not only about the problems Savas faces with parishes, but also that he has created serious problems within the Synod.
The Patriarchate should probably also look into the Savas issue and instruct his boss to do something for the good of the Archdiocese. The synodal hierarchs' recommendation to the Archbishop that Savas be relieved from his chancery duties and assigned to a secondary position with a salary is probably a good suggestion.
The Archbishop said he has been considering the possibility for several months now, but he has not acted on it yet - just another typical case of indecisiveness until an issue completely deteriorates and becomes more detrimental to the life of the Church.
[Katinas*] - Greek Orthodox. Minors.
Orthodox Reform,
April 2, 2007
NEW YORK -- In the aftermath of the Holy Eparchial Synod in New York on March 14-15 where the Fr. Nick Katinas scandal was debated, another scathing article from The National Herald charges Archbishop Demetrios with endangering the Greek Orthodox Church with his handling of the Fr. Katinas situation:
...with his entire approach to the highly sensitive matter concerning alleged pedophilia involving Rev. Nicholas Katinas, the former longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, Archbishop Demetrios of America's last mask of false piety has fallen. His Eminence has appeared to be completely insensitive toward the victims and their families, even putting the entire Church and our Greek American community at risk, with potentially serious consequences ... the Archbishop's refusal to do what obviously needs to be done - i.e., send Father Katinas to Spiritual Court, as he should have done by now, and proceed to defrock him - leads the Church in America down a dark and dangerous path.
- RCC denial.
NewsBusters,
~ April 02, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is publicly voicing its strong objections to two recent columns in the Los Angeles Times regarding the priest abuse scandal. Both articles contained substantial falsehoods, according to the Archdiocese.
1. A March 26, 2007, article in the Times claimed that Church officials and employees, when questioned in legal proceedings, could invoke something called " 'mental reservation' - a 700-year-old doctrine by which clerics may avoid telling the truth to protect the Catholic Church." The article quoted Irwin Zalkin, a lawyer for abuse victims, as saying of church officials under oath, "You're never going to know the truth, one way or the other."
The truth? There is no such doctrine, and the term "mental reservation" is found nowhere in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
[COMMENT: Neither are some other teachings, such as Limbo (scheduled to be cancelled)!
COMMENT ENDS.]
- RCC.
The Journal News,
By GARY STERN, April 2, 2007
NEW YORK -- When Pope Paul VI amended Canon Law in 1966 to require that bishops submit retirement papers at the age of 75, Cardinal Francis Spellman was already 77. But New York's long-ruling archbishop died in office the following year, showing early on how fickle the pope can be about accepting those papers.
Never mind. Whenever a big-name bishop nears the three-quarter century mark, speculation swirls about whether he will be asked by the pope to lean his staff in a corner for special occasions.
This will be especially today, when Cardinal Edward Egan turns 75.
From the day Egan came to New York in 2000, becoming the region's 12th Catholic boss, it's been widely believed that he would be the first to leave office alive. He was a Roman at heart, the conventional wisdom held, who would close parishes and schools and balance the budget before being rewarded with a plum spot in the Vatican bureaucracy.
Then came the national sex-abuse crisis and widespread dissatisfaction with how Egan handled several high-profile cases.
- Wright cleared.
Oxford Mail,
By Andrew Ffrench, ~ April 02, 2007
UNITED KINGDOM -- Father Michael Wright thanked his Oxford congregation for their "fantastic support" during his nine-month ordeal fighting sex abuse allegations.
And they responded by applauding the vicar who has served them since 1980.
Father Wright, 69, vicar at St Barnabas Church, Jericho, arrived home at the vicarage on Tuesday after being acquitted of six counts of a serious sexual offence and six charges of indecent assault.
His congregation held prayers for him during the trial and yesterday they welcomed him back for his first Sunday morning mass since he was cleared.
- Fiction.
FastPitch,
Date Released: Apr/01/2007
FLORIDA -- What happens when you discover a revered pastor is at the head of one of the largest and most active systems of sexual and physical abuse? For reporter, Crystal Houston - the answer was to find out as much as she could. At the end of the story, however, Crystal may end up losing her life. E. Claudette Freeman's new book SHELTERED DELIVERANCE (Authorhouse Publishing) tells a chilling story of sex, beatings and fraud all under the guise of religion. A master storyteller, Freeman pulls you in with warm reflections of life and a passionate and envious story of romance. Once she has your attention, she smoothly leads you into the demented worship practices of a pastor whose fathered a large part of his flock.
- RCC.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY WHITNEY WOODWARD, Sun-Times Springfield Bureau, April 2, 2007
SPRINGFIELD (IL) -- A bid to let all childhood sexual abuse victims sue those who harmed them -- even decades after the fact -- has prompted the Catholic Church to take on victim advocates in an effort to kill the measure.
Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills) introduced a bill that would give victims of childhood sexual abuse a two-year period after the bill becomes law in which to sue those responsible, but gutted it after protests from church officials.
The bill would have opened a window for lawsuits even if the statute of limitations -- or time period in which legal action can be taken -- had expired.
Four years ago, lawmakers extended the window during which childhood sexual abuse victims can file a suit to five years after "discovering" or recognizing the abuse, or by the age of 28, whichever is later.
But because of their age at the time of the abuse, childhood victims may not report wrongdoing until it is too late to take legal measures, advocates said.
[Rapp] - RCC. Male.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Pamela Manson, Article Last Updated 04:04:58 AM MDT, Apr/02/2007
MAGNA (UT) -- Former Catholic priest James F. Rapp has been part of Charles Colosimo's existence since he was a boy. Today, although Rapp is no longer near Colosimo, his presence lingers - painfully.
Colosimo cannot escape memories of the man he says sexually abused him. He sees Rapp's picture when he looks through Colosimo family photos taken at weddings and other major events. He has stacks of legal documents that remind him of his long - and ultimately unsuccessful - lawsuit to hold the Catholic Church liable for his torment.
But counseling and a book he's writing about a horrific part of his life have brought him peace.
"I'm in the process of recovering," said Colosimo, who is 45. "I feel like I'm better every day."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2007
6:52 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon April 02, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2006 Hamupunji -NEW*] - RCC. Married woman impregnated.
A.N.D.,
www.andnet work.com/ index?service= direct/0/ Home/story& sp=l270697 ,
By Mazuba Mwiinga, ~ April 03, 2007
ZAMBIA -- A Catholic Priest in Monze Diocese of southern Zambia was on Saturday found dead outside Monze Mission Hospital in an incident parishioners speculate to have been self poisoning though Church authorities allude the death to a meningitis attack.
Fr. Hamupunji, former Parish Priest for Zimba in Kalomo District, died unattended to by anyone before his body was allegedly found close to a day after his death. People close to the church authority in Monze in a telephone interview from Livingstone say that the church is keeping Fr. Hamupunji's mysterious death as normal as possible.
A former catholic priest student close to Diocesan leadership and wished to be unnamed for fear of being misunderstood, said that Fr. Hamupunji's death is being treated with kid gloves "so that no one gets to know the truth behind his death". He said that the meningitis story making rounds in the church is a cooked up version to hide a 'scandalous version of what might have happened'.
The source said that Fr. Hamupunji is suspected to have poisoned himself after learning that he had impregnated a married woman and might have received too much pressure from the church leadership and the husband to the woman. He said that the church in Monze is trying by all means to keep the matter from public domain due to recent past adulterous scandals that the church had been handling between Priests and married women.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2007
7:38 AM]
[2000s Brock -NEW*] - Baptist. Teenage boy.
Queerty,
~ April 03, 2007
NORTH CAROLINA -- It's good to know Ted Haggard isn't the only complete and utter liar in the world. And when we say "good", or course, we mean "bad", especially when considering the details of Baptist Pastor Todd Turner Brock's spectacular fall.
Heading up North Carolina's Tabernacle Baptist Church for 17-years, Brock's been described as a nice, quiet man, but those days are over. The 42-year old has been arrested for a slew of charges stemming from his stemming of a 17-year old boy. The boy went to Brock after his friend came down with cancer. Sensing the boy's weakness, Brock allegedly initiated a sexual relationship that not only involved oral and anal sex, but bondage and a bit of homemade porn, which Brock allegedly planned to sell.
After finding out about the illicit and underage interrelations, the unidentified boy's mother went to the police. The police, for their part, enlisted the FBI and set up a sting operation. Using a 17-year old boy as an informant, the boys in blue caught the man of cloth in a web of telephone conversations and emails, thus leading to his arrest.
[1970s-80s Russell] - Christian. 9 boys.
ABC,
~ April 03, 2007
AUSTRALIA -- A former church youth camp leader has been jailed for at least four years for the sexual abuse of young boys more than 20 years ago.
The Adelaide Supreme Court judge said she had no option but to jail Trevor John Russell, despite acknowledging that he had already been "fully rehabilitated".
Russell admitted sexually abusing nine boys in the 1970s and 80s, some of whom he had been trusted to take care of at church youth camps.
Justice Margaret Nyland said the 57-year-old had served a prison sentence for other child sex offences in the late 1980s and had left jail "genuinely" rehabilitated.
[? 2000s Hoang*] - RCC. Child.
Seattle Times,
The Associated Press, ~ April 03, 2007
TILLAMOOK (OR) - A Roman Catholic priest in Tillamook is under investigation by police following accusations that he molested a child in Portland, church officials said.
The Rev. Joseph V. Hoang, 39, was put on administrative leave March 19 after the Portland Archdiocese received a report of sexual abuse, church spokesman Bud Bunce told The Oregonian newspaper.
Church officials later learned that a criminal investigation by Portland police already was under way, Bunce said.
Sgt. Brian Schmautz, a Portland police spokesman, confirmed an investigation but would not release details surrounding the case - including the alleged victim's age, the severity of the alleged abuse or when it might have occurred.
[~ 2006-07 Robinson*] - "Gate City Church". Girl.
Times-News,
April 3, 2007
POCATELLO, Idaho - A youth pastor charged with sexually abusing a minor may continue to work at the church where the crime allegedly occurred, a judge says.
Joshua J. Robinson, 29, was charged in February with two counts of lewd conduct with a minor and one count of sexually abusing a minor, for allegedly abusing a teenager starting when she was 15 years old.
Because of the charges, a no-contact order was issued directing Robinson to stay away from the girl. But last month, 6th District Judge Peter McDermott modified the order, allowing Robinson to return to his job as a youth pastor at Gate City Christian Church in Chubbuck. Robinson is still prohibited from contacting people younger than 18.
On Monday, Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor Cleve Colson asked the judge to reconsider the change. One of the charges against Robinson allegedly took place at the church, Colson said, and the prosecutor's office is worried that the youth pastor still has access to minors at the church. Robinson also is allegedly still participating in a church Web site that is frequented by the congregation's youth, Colson said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2007
10:14 PM]
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The Scotsman,
By STEPHEN MCGINTY AND JOHN ROBERTSON, ~ April 3, 2007
SCOTLAND -- Catholic priest confesses to affair and to alcoholism
Father Gerard Nugent returned to alcohol after decade of sobriety
Angelika Kluk murder trial continues, with Peter Tobin accused
Key quote: "I took full responsibility. I knew it was wrong. I knew I was doing wrong and I felt guilty. I felt terrible and I knew it had to stop, so that part of the relationship stopped." - Father Gerard Nugent
- Baptist mission volunteers. Pornography used by 50%.
Christian Post,
By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter, 08:38 AM ET, Tue, Apr. 03 2007
UNITED STATES -- Half of males who apply to serve as a missionary for the Southern Baptist Convention's international mission agency are turned down, according to a Baptist pastor. The primary reason is the use of internet porn.
Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., received an e-mail from a pastor who recently attended a regional summit of the International Mission Board. The pastor, who preferred to remain unidentified, drew highlights from the summit, including the current statistic of female missionaries outnumbering male ones two to one, according to Burleson's blogpost on Monday.
The summit drew attention to the pervasive problem of internet porn among men. As much as 50 percent of lay men and clergy said they viewed porn within the past year, as of May 2006, according to the International Bible Society.
- Religions.
SQLFusion,
by Terri Saunders, Local News, Tuesday, April 03, 2007
CANADA -- The community at large must learn to care for victims of sexual abuse, officials with the Cornwall Public Inquiry say, and a series of workshops is being planned to achieve that goal.
As part of a number of research projects approved by the commission, the workshops will focus on educating professionals and members of the public on how to deal with adult survivors of abuse and assist them on the path to healing.
It is often years after the abuse occurs when victims finally come forward to talk about their experiences, officials say, and people need education as to how to receive this information.
"For people who may receive disclosure of historical sexual abuse, receiving disclosure requires training and emotional support," said Comm. Normand Glaude. "Unless someone is working in a very specific type of job where training already occurs, disclosure may take people unaware.
- RCC.
Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes (website),
www.clerical sexualabuse. com/2007/04/ sipe_calls_ for_.html ,
April 03, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Last week the San Diego diocese released [the names of] 38 priests accused of molestation or abuse.
"Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes" author and victims' rights advocate Richard Sipe said that this action does not do enough.
He told San Diego's NBC affiliate that the list is incomplete and omits the names of several priests who have strong evidence of abuse against them.
Sipe has challenged the diocese to release thousands of pages of documents that, he argues, will reveal a history of lies and cover-ups.
- Religions.
Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes,
~ April 03, 2007
ILLINOIS -- The Catholic Church is taking on victims' rights advocates in Illinois.
A bill in the state legislature would allow victims of clerical sexual abuse to file suit against their abuser even decades after the abuse allegedly occurred.
Under the proposed legislation, victims would have a two-year window in which to bring cases forward.
Advocates say that since many victims are quite young when abuse occurs, they may not be able to press charges or express their pain until years after the event-- often long after the statute of limitations has expired.
[1960s Sister Benen Kent (Sisters of St Francis)] - RCC. Girls.
The Post-Bulletin,
www.post bulletin. com/newsmanager/ templates/ localnews_ story.asp?a= 289517&z=2 ,
By Janice Gregorson, 8:26:15 AM, for Apr/4/2007
MINNESOTA -- A district judge has dismissed all claims brought by one woman alleging sexual abuse as a child by a now-deceased nun with the Sisters of St. Francis and also dismissed some of the claims filed by a second woman.
Olmsted District Judge Joseph Chase issued his findings Friday in the cases of Karen Britten of Chicago and Patricia Schwartz of Eden Prairie, Minn.
The two women filed civil lawsuits last year claiming they'd been repeatedly molested by Sister Benen Kent in the mid-1960s while they were students in Chicago. At the time, they allege, Kent was their piano and music teacher at St. Juliana's parish school in Chicago. Kent, a member of the Franciscan Sisters, died in 2003 at age 85.
In 2005, Christine Bertrand of Sierre Madre, Calif., filed a similar civil suit against the order. Bertrand and Britten are sisters.
Friday's ruling does not affect the Bertrand case.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
9News,
~ April 03, 2007
GOLDEN (CO), (AP) - Opening arguments are set for Tuesday in the trial of a former Roman Catholic priest charged with sexually assaulting a teenager.
It is the second trial for 44-year-old Timothy Joseph Evans in two separate cases.
He was convicted last month in Fort Collins of sexually assaulting a young parishioner. He is scheduled to be sentenced in that case in May.
In the Jefferson County case, Evans is charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. He is accused of fondling a 16-year-old boy between 1995 and 1997 while assigned to a parish in Arvada.
- Orthodox. Money, threats.
Commonweal,
John Garvey, ~ April 03, 2007
UNITED STATES -- We have grown used to people who have problems with "organized religion" and "the institutional church," who say that they are spiritual but not religious, and who pick and choose from things as light as aromatherapy and the less demanding forms of meditation to cobble together a personal devotional observance. This sort of thing can seem fluffy and irritating. But some people who have moved away from churches and synagogues are more serious in their search, and their disenchantments are real and grounded. We should pay attention to them.
The scandals in the Catholic Church had to do with more than the sexual abuse of children and young men (and, less frequently, young women). They had to do primarily with bishops who seemed more concerned about the way this might reflect on the institution (if the truth were known) than about those whose lives had been blighted. One can see how someone might look at these cowardly people who are said to be successors of the apostles and decide that any truth worth living for might have to be sought, and found, elsewhere.
My own Orthodox Church has its share of scandals. One in my own jurisdiction has to do with the gross misuse of money, much of it collected for charitable purposes, by chancery officials. It has involved stonewalling on the part of responsible parties and infighting among bishops, as well as the attempt to silence and threaten priests who protested - threats that didn't work. A great many priests and a couple of bishops have demanded an honest accounting, and some healing may come of it. A beginning has been made toward remedying a situation that has made many priests and laypeople distrust the church's administration, but whether it will end in a satisfactory way is unclear.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 sex-partners.
The Herald,
~ April 03, 2007
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND -- A CATHOLIC priest told a hushed court today of his shame because he had sex with a Polish student whose body was found in his church.
Father Gerard Nugent, 63, also told the High Court in Edinburgh that he was an alcoholic.
The priest, known as Father Gerry, told the murder trial yesterday of his admiration for devout Catholic Angelika Kluk, her vitality and her love of life.
He told how they first met in the summer of 2005 - when Angelika was only 22. She turned up at St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow, asking for a place to stay and he offered her a room in the chapel house attached to the church.
- Repressed memories.
The News Journal,
By BETH MILLER, Posted Tuesday, April 3, 2007
DELAWARE -- The debate over how humans remember, repress and recover memories may soon reach state courtrooms, as two men who say they were sexually abused by Catholic priests in Delaware pursue civil suits.
If not for the recovery of long-lost memories, the lawsuits -- both alleging abuses that occurred more than 20 years ago -- would be prohibited by Delaware's civil statute of limitations, a law that sets a two-year deadline for filing such claims. Both plaintiffs, Eric Eden and Douglas J. McClure, say they buried the memories of the abuses for years, making them "inherently unknowable," a claim that can prevail over the legal time limit.
To win, the men must persuade a jury that it is possible for such memories to be inaccessible and that, once recovered, their memories are valid.
Memory is always part of courtroom debate. What a witness remembers and forgets, and the differences between witnesses' memories, often are the focus of scrutiny and cross-examination.
[2000s Brock*] - Baptist. Teenage boy.
WXii12,
~ April 03, 2007
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A Piedmont pastor who faces sex offense charges appeared in court Monday.
Todd Turner Brock, 42, of High Point, was assigned an attorney. He has served as the pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in High Point for 17 years.
Brock has been charged with first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, promoting prostitution of a minor, disseminating obscenity and solicitation of another to commit a felony, according to a statement from Kernersville police.
The Kernersville Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducted the week-long probe.
- Southern Baptists.
Baptist Press,
by Frank Page, Posted on Apr 2, 2007
TAYLORS, S.C. (BP)--Several days ago, I was interviewed by ABC's "20/20" news for an upcoming program tentatively titled, "Preacher Predators." At the request of several, I agreed to this invitation so as to provide some kind of balance to a program which may well be overwhelmingly negative.
There has been a great deal of attention given to this subject in recent days. As I said to the reporter, we are willing and able to discuss this issue because even one instance of sexual abuse by a minister is too much. While I do not believe the problem is systemic and large-scale, there have been several reported cases of abuse by trusted members of staff in our churches. Let me help set a few matters clear for you.
Some persons have accused Southern Baptists of ignoring the issue and hiding behind our polity. Let me clearly state that we believe in the autonomy of the local church as a biblical mandate. We are not hiding behind anything, except the Bible. In fact, the local church is where accountability must be enforced. I call upon every local church to develop written policy guidelines for the care of children and youth. I call upon every church to have a system or policy in place to deal with any accusations made. We must protect children and youth, and the integrity of staff members.
- RCC.
WMAQ,
~ April 03, 2007
CHICAGO (IL): The Chicago archdiocese is trying to stop a measure designed to help victims of childhood sexual abuse.
The bill allows abuse victims to sue those who harmed them -- even decades after the fact.
[Brock]
WFMY,
~ April 03, 2007
WINSTON-SALEM (NC) -- Investigators are still learning the full scope of an abuse case involving a former pastor.
Todd Brock made his first court appearance today on charges of promoting prostitution and sexual explotation of a minor.
Brock entered a plea of not guilty.
Meanwhile Police think there may be more victims. Three other teenage boys claim Brock initiated inappropriate sexual relationships with them also. No charges have been filed yet.
- RCC. Accused of omitting ~ 30 names.
NBC Sandiego,
~ April 03, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Officials from the Catholic Diocese of San Diego say they have named the priests accused of sexually molesting minors in San Diego, but critics are saying that the church's list is missing almost as many priests as it named.
The diocese's list names 38 clergymen, the churches and schools they worked at and their current status. Some of those named have died or been reduced to laymen, but others have married, retired or resigned.
An attorney representing some of the victims of the sexual abuse told NBC 7/39 that the list should have been much longer.
"The list is missing approximately 30 perpetrators, and when you're naming 38, not including 30 is a sharp discrepancy from the truth," said attorney Andrea Leavitt. "It's almost 50 percent from what should have been included back on there, not included on there."
- RCC.
NBC Sandiego,
~ April 03, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A former priest is asking the Catholic Diocese of San Diego to reveal the names of all those accused of sexual abuse within the Church, NBC 7/39 reported.
Last Friday, the names and parishes of 38 priests accused of molestation were released by the Diocese. But former priest Richard Sipe said local Catholics deserve full disclosure of the alleged crimes.
Sipe has counseled other priests accused of abuse. He's also done ground-breaking research on the scandal and now works as a witness for lawyers suing the church, according to NBC 7/39.
Sipe said the list is incomplete and claims it omits dozens of names of former priests against whom there is strong evidence of abuse. He has challenged the Diocese to release thousands of pages of documents he said shows a history of lies and cover-ups.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 03, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• The Scum Always Rises
[1997+ Cleveland Diocese] - RCC. US$17.5m mislaid.
The Scum Always Rises
An embezzlement scandal closes in on top diocese officials.
The Cleveland Scene,
www.clevescene. com/2007-04-04/ news/the-scum- always-rises ,
By
Bill Frogameni, Published: April 4, 2007
Former Bishop Pilla's secret account allegedly topped $500,000.
CLEVELAND (Ohio): While a $17.5 million embezzlement scandal plays out in court, the fighting has reached the highest ranks of the diocese -- and appears to be closing in on former Bishop Anthony Pilla and the diocese's former chief accountant, Father John Wright.
It began in 1997, when ex-CFO Joseph Smith and Anton Zgoznik are alleged to have begun a massive kickback scheme. The U.S. Justice Department claims the two men steered $17.5 million in diocese funds to Zgoznik's companies, which in turn kicked $784,000 back to Smith for "consulting."
Since 2004, when the scandal forced Smith from his job, Pilla and Wright, the longtime head of the diocesan Financial Office, have generally invoked a "we trusted unscrupulous individuals" brand of defense. But lawyers for Smith and Zgoznik say their clients were merely following orders from the two priests.
Now the gloves are coming off.
Defense attorneys want to subpoena financial records from the diocese and other institutions connected to the case. At issue is whether it was common practice for church leaders to use off-the-book accounts to reward valued employees. It's an argument at least partially supported by the feds.
Smith's indictment refers to a special fund -- created in 1996 by "the then diocesan financial and legal secretary" -- which paid Smith $270,000 in unreported income in addition to his regular salary. Wright was not only the financial and legal secretary at that time, but his name was on the account, according to the feds.
Philip Kushner, Smith's lawyer, also asserts the diocese used creative bookkeeping to pay Wright, his friends, and relatives over $700,000, and that Pilla had his own secret account in excess of $500,000 that "has never appeared on the [diocese's] books and records." The "Anthony M. Pilla charitable account," as it was called, was used for large cash withdrawals by the bishop, according to Kushner.
In a church press release, Pilla calls the accusations "scurrilous." Smith and Zgoznik "have resorted to false statements, half truths, and innuendo against [Pilla and Wright]," says the statement.
The U.S. Attorney's office has filed motions to halt the release of diocese financial data. Church lawyers are also trying to suppress the request.
But for a church widely stung by the secrecy -- and subsequent payouts -- of its massive pedophile scandal, attempts to once again bar a public viewing of the diocese's inner workings have a familiar ring.
"I would think that when you're a large, nonprofit religious organization, that you'd want all your parishioners . . . to know precisely every detail of the financial transactions you've ever made," says Robert Rotatori, Zgoznik's lawyer.
In the meantime, the revelations just keep getting worse for Father Wright. On March 15, Rotatori filed a motion that singles out Marilyn Ruane, an employee of the Catholic Cemeteries Association. (Church officials refuse to say what Ruane's job entails.) Wright, who now heads the CCA, described Ruane as a "friend" in a 2005 interview with prosecutors. He also admitted that he helped the woman get a job at Resultant Corporation, a company that did unexplained business with the diocese.
Rotatori asserts that Wright arranged for Resultant to be paid over $290,000 through Zgoznik's companies between 1997 and 1999, "in large part for [Wright's] personal purposes." The motion seeks Resultant's financial records to establish how much of that money went to Marilyn Ruane.
According to a Justice Department interview with Zrino Jukic, an associate of Zgoznik, "Ruane . . . was on the payroll at Resultant Corporation, but didn't work there."
More to the point: "Ruane was Father Wright's girlfriend."
That may explain why, according to Rotatori, Ruane made $31,500 when she started at Catholic Cemeteries in 1997, but had catapulted to $81,000 by 2004. If the raises seem a bit outsized for a religious entity funded by the dollar donations of little old ladies, Ruane isn't talking. "I really don't want to comment about that," she said sweetly when contacted by
Scene, "but thanks so much for calling."
Wright's lawyer, Kevin Spellacy, calls the girlfriend claim "a cheap shot," saying it's unfounded. But when asked expressly if the claim is false, he declined comment and refused to put the direct question to Wright.
In the meantime, Catholics are left to wonder if the same men who ran the pedophile cover-up were draining the collection basket in their spare time. #
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm#thescum
[Apr 4, 07]
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Whittaker -NEW*] - Baptist. Suicide alleged. Girl.
Al.com ,
www.al.com/ newsflash/ regional/in dex.ssf?/base/ news-28/11756 9695610250. xml&storylist= alabamanews ;
The Associated Press, 9:24 a.m. CDT, Apr/4/2007,
RANGE, Ala. (AP) - A part-time preacher awaiting trial on a charge of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl apparently shot and killed himself Tuesday at his father's rural home, Conecuh County Sheriff Edwin Booker said.
Stephen Lyle "Steve" Whittaker, 40, of Brewton had served as pastor of the 33-member Beaver Creek Southern Baptist Church in Baker, Fla., until he was charged March 12 with felony sexual abuse of the girl. He was released on $5,000 bond.
Investigators said Whittaker died Tuesday morning at a residence near Interstate 65 and Alabama 41, north of Brewton.
Whittaker had been working for a trucking company in Evergreen for a few days and had been living in a travel trailer parked in the yard of his father's residence for about a week, Booker told the Press-Register for a story Wednesday.
The sheriff said Whittaker left a note giving funeral plans. He is survived by a wife and one child.
The sexual abuse allegation was investigated by Brewton police.
[-2007 Dawson -NEW*] - RCC. Money.
Queen Anne News,
~ April 04, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Fr. Robert Ivan Dawson was removed from Lower Queen Anne's Sacred Heart Catholic church on March 23 after an audit revealed he had allegedly misspent parish funds, according to Archdiocese spokesman Greg Magnoni.
"Funds were redirected from their intended use to parish remodeling," he said. That included work on the sanctuary and on a new altar in the basement, said a parishioner who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"It's just outrageous," the parishioner said. "We had a fine altar; we didn't need to do that."
"Where the issue was with Fr. Dawson, he diverted funds from ordinary operations to a capital program," explained Magnoni. He compared the problem to Gov. Christine Gregoire dipping into general funds to build more highways.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2007
5:24 PM]
[~ 2007 Terrell -NEW*] - Christian. Young male.
AccessNorthGA ,
from staff reports, ~ April 04, 2007
GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA - A 35-year-old Gainesville youth pastor has been arrested in Forsyth County and there are warrants for his arrest in Hall County on charges of child molestation.
Forsyth Sheriff's Captain Frank Huggins says Phillip Glenn Terrell, of 5122 Timberline Trail in Flowery Branch, was arrested Friday and faces two counts of Aggravated Child Molestation, two counts of Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes and one count of Cruelty to Children.
According to Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Investigator Jonathan Neville, the case developed when a juvenile male victim disclosed to his parents last week that he had been molested by Terrell. A forensic interview was conducted with the juvenile and this led to the arrest of Terrell.
[? -2007 Rankins -NEW*] - "Restoration Full Gospel Baptist". Teenage boy.
Pensacola News Journal,
April 4, 2007
PENSACOLA (FL) -- A Pensacola minister was arrested Tuesday after an investigation determined he had sex with a teenage boy.
Leon Rankins III, 35, of 3013 Tujaques Place, Pensacola, and 472 Heatherdown Way, Riverdale, Ga., was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a child after he turned himself in at the Pensacola Police Department about noon Tuesday, city police said in a news release. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Rankins is the pastor of Restoration Full Gospel Baptist Church, 900 W. Cervantes St. He also is a registered sex offender, said Detective Tarlanda Gooden.
Gooden said the latest investigation began on March 20 after the victim's mother contacted police and said her 16-year-old son had been molested by his pastor.
[~ 2000s McQueen -NEW*] - "Solid Rock" Church. Money.
WTVY,
~ April 04, 2007
GENEVA, Ala. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted a former Geneva pastor on theft charges.
Geneva County District Attorney Kirke Adams said Steve McQueen faces three counts of first-degree theft for allegedly stealing church funds.
He said the investigation started about a year ago after members of the Solid Rock Worship Center suspected improprieties.
[1977 Deacon Epling] - Independent Baptist. 6-y-o girl.
Columbia Tribune,
Published Wednesday, April 4, 2007
PINEVILLE (MO), (AP) - A July jury trial was scheduled yesterday for a McDonald County church deacon charged with rape, one of five leaders of two southwest Missouri church communes accused of abusing young girls from their Baptist congregations as far back as the late 1970s.
Paul Epling, 54, is the third defendant to have a trial date set.
Circuit Judge Timothy Perigo scheduled a jury trial for July 24 for Epling, who faces one felony count of rape. Epling has pleaded not guilty to the allegation he attacked a 6-year-old girl in the late 1970s.
The case is one of several that have arisen since last summer, when at least two young women contacted authorities to allege that they had been sexually abused by church elders over a period of years. They claimed the abuse happened at two related commune-style churches in McDonald and Newton counties.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2007
7:40 PM]
[Lyons] - Baptist. Millions missing.
ABC 7,
7:03 pm, Wednesday April 04, 2007
MIAMI (FL) -- The former head of a national organization of black Baptist churches spent four years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from the group.
Now he wants one of his old jobs back: leader of the organization's Florida chapter.
The Rev. Henry Lyons, 65, was wildly popular before his conviction and is still highly regarded by many church members.
He was vying with two other ministers Wednesday to lead the Florida General Baptist Convention, a chapter of the National Baptist Convention USA, which claims to represent some 7.5 million members of black churches nationwide.
[1970s Pansza*] - RCC. Girl.
Times Record,
April 4, 2007
WICHITA FALLS (TX) -- Bishop Kevin Vann of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth will name a new pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on Easter Sunday, the diocese announced today.
Vann will say the three Easter Sunday Masses at the church, located at 421 Marconi in Wichita Falls, the 8 a.m. Spanish Mass, the 9:30 a.m. English Mass and the 11 a.m. Spanish mass.
No announcement about the appointment will be made prior to the Sunday Masses, the release stated. And Vann would not be available for interviews or media questions.
Our Lady of Guadalupe has been without a fulltime priest since Father Gilbert Pansza resigned three months ago amid sexual abuse circumstances.
The Boston Globe,
April 4, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Representatives of the Catholic Church voiced concern Wednesday about a bill that would extend the time frame for people sexually abused as children to seek a criminal prosecution or sue in civil court.
The legislation, being considered by the Judiciary Committee, would increase the statute of limitations from 30 to 40 years from the date the accuser turned 18 years old. State legislators set the 30-year limit in 2002.
"The bill before you threatens to deplete the resources -- human and financial -- that support the charitable works of the church," said Nancy Matthews, chancellor of the Diocese of Bridgeport. "The current law, passed in 2002, has already resulted in the additional payment of millions of dollars not just to victims but to the attorneys who represent them."
The dioceses of Bridgeport, Hartford and Norwich have settled with victims of various priest sex abuse cases in recent years.
Juneau Empire,
By KEN LEWIS, ~ April 04, 2007
ALASKA -- A bill that would create a one-year window for lawsuits against perpetrators of decades-old childhood sex crimes passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, despite concerns voiced by an attorney representing Alaska Jesuits.
Senators gave greater weight to the victims' accounts of their suffering than to the assertion from Anchorage attorney Jim Gorski that the proposal is "a matter best left to the law as it currently exists in the state."
"The goal of this bill is to get access to the truth for the victims," said Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, would temporarily remove the statute of limitations for lawsuits that are currently barred by time constraints. It would affect incidents that happened before 2001, when lawmakers ended the statute of limitations for criminal charges and lawsuits stemming from child sex crimes.
- RCC.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By MELISSA VARGAS, ~ April 04, 2007
FORT WORTH (TX) -- Four men who claim to have been sexually abused by Thomas Teczar, and one of them also by James Hanlon, filed two separate lawsuits Tuesday in Eastland against the former priests and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Diocese officials had heard that a lawsuit was looming but had not been officially served late Tuesday, spokesman Pat Svacina said.
"The bishop will have to take it to counsel to see what's in there and look at it and decide a course of action," he said.
Three of the men say they were raped or molested at the rectory and one in the bathroom of St. Rita Catholic Church in Ranger by Teczar between 1989 and 1990. The suit claims Teczar gave most of them alcohol beforehand.
One of the men also claims he was raped by Hanlon from August 1988 to February 1989 and believes Hanlon told Teczar about his vulnerability.
- RCC.
Houston Chronicle,
~ April 04, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - Four men filed two separate lawsuits against two former priests and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, claiming they were sexually abused nearly 20 years ago.
Three of the men say they were raped or molested at the rectory and one in the bathroom of St. Rita Catholic Church in Ranger, about 80 miles west of Fort Worth, by the Rev. Thomas Teczar in 1989 and 1990. The suit claims Teczar gave most of them alcohol beforehand.
One of the men also claims he was raped by the Rev. James Hanlon in 1988 and 1989 and believes Hanlon told Teczar about his vulnerability.
The plaintiffs, not named in the suit filed Tuesday in Eastland, were ages 12 to 18 at the time, the lawsuit says.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Evening Times,
by Chris Musson, ~ April 04, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A GLASGOW priest who had sex with Angelika Kluk today admitted having another affair - with a church musician.
Details of the sexual relationship between Father Gerry Nugent and Sarah Howie were revealed by the priest this afternoon at the High Court in Edinburgh.
It came a day after he admitted having sex with 23-year-old Angelika, whose body was later found under the floor at his church, St Patrick's in Anderston, Glasgow.
Peter Tobin, 60, a handyman at the church, is on trial accused of raping and murdering Angelika last September and hiding her body.
- Hobbs (Benedictine), RCC, not guilty.
Ealing Times,
~ April 04, 2007
UNITED KINGDOM -- THE "kindly" Benedictine priest accused of sexually molesting a choirboy during a confession has been cleared.
Father Gerald Stanislaus Hobbs, a priest at Ealing Abbey for nearly 60 years and a teacher at St Benedict's public school was accused of indecently assaulting the boy in his office more than 20 years ago.
The 76-year-old priest, who ran hiking and cycling clubs for the boys, joined his hands and mouthed thanks to the jury after they found him not guilty on the charge yesterday.
The court had heard glowing testimonials from Ealing Abbey's abbot, Father Martin, and a former alter boy who travelled from Geneva to give evidence.
[Jeffs]
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Article Launched 01:14:56 AM MDT, Apr/04/2007
UTAH -- A 5th District judge issued a sealed order Tuesday in polygamist Warren S. Jeffs case, eight days after the sect leader's frail, emaciated and detached appearance shocked observers and raised questions about his physical and mental health.
Court records do not specify who petitioned the court earlier Tuesday. Medical and psychological filings are among records that court rules allow to be sealed; so are challenges seeking to block use of evidence.
Last week, Jeffs, 51, displayed none of the bravado that marked his previous court appearances. As the hearing ended, Jeffs stood with a handwritten note and asked "to take care of one matter," but the judge stopped his attempt to speak.
The message Jeffs penned has not been publicly disclosed, though it is the subject of much speculation. Law enforcement sources say it referred to his leadership of the FLDS church.
- RCC.
The Post-Standard
By Renée K. Gadoua, Wednesday, April 04, 2007
UNITED STATES --The news media may be more effective than religious leaders in shaping the attitudes of Roman Catholics, suggests a Le Moyne College/Zogby International poll being released today.
"Clearly, it looks as if Catholics are looking to the national news for their cues. They aren't going out of their way to see what the bishops are saying," said Matthew Loveland, a sociologist of religion who works with the Le Moyne/Zogby poll.
Seventy-six percent of respondents in the national poll said they pay "a good deal" or "a lot" of attention to national news. But 52 percent of respondents said they pay "a little" or "no attention" to news about the pope.
Seventy-five percent said they pay "a little" or "no attention" to news about the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. ...
In response to a question about the status of the church five years after the clergy sex abuse scandal, 23 percent of respondents say the church is stronger, 41 percent say the church is weaker and 31 percent saw no change.
[- 2006 Armstrong] - Episcopalian. Money allegations.
Rocky Mountain News
By Jean Torkelson, April 4, 2007
COLORADO -- Leaders of a conservative Episcopal organization co-founded by the Rev. Don Armstrong said Tuesday that they agree with the diocese that the embattled rector should face a church trial on allegations of financial wrongdoing.
"We do not believe that charges have been trumped up and methods embraced to silence an outspoken critic of the diocese," said a statement released Monday by The Communion Laity and Clergy (CLC), an association founded about three years ago by Armstrong and other conservative priests and clergy in Colorado.
The statement also says they are ready to acknowledge any evidence that clears "our colleague."
In December, Episcopal Bishop Rob O'Neill banned Armstrong from his role as rector of 20 years at Grace Church and St. Stephen's parish in Colorado Springs while the diocese investigated charges of "misapplied funds." Armstrong insists he's being persecuted for his orthodox beliefs.
- RCC. Lawyer says names missing.
California Catholic Daily,
~ April 04, 2007
It's Palm Sunday, San Diego Catholics. Open up your bulletins, and see --- molesters.
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- The San Diego diocese on March 30 released the names of 38 priests against whom, according to the diocese, "credible allegations" of sexual abuse have been made. The diocese said it and the San Bernardino diocese inserted in bulletins for Palm Sunday notices of the list and where to find it on the diocesan web site. San Bernardino was formerly part of the San Diego diocese.
Alleged victims' attorney, Irwin Zalkin, however, said he has a list of 31 names not found in the diocese's "credible allegations" list. "This is a list of 'priests with credible claims'? Credible according to whom?" Zalkin said to the San Diego Tribune. "Are [diocese officials] to be the sole judge and jury here? It's misleading when they say these are the credible claims; it insults the victims whose perpetrators are not listed."
The diocese provided two lists, one with San Diego and San Bernardino diocesan priests and another with religious priests or priests from other dioceses who served in San Diego or the Inland Empire. The lists merely tell when and where they served and say nothing about the allegations against them.
- Episcopalian.
Episcopal Life,
By Katharine Jefferts Schori, April 03, 2007
UNITED STATES -- I had a remarkable encounter recently with a young woman who still bears the scars from abuse she experienced as a child. She has a deep and abiding faith in God, but not much use for religion. She asked me a hard question: "How can your church help to prevent the same thing from happening to other children?"
It's a haunting question, but it is one that many, many Episcopalians and their congregations are engaged in addressing. How do we answer her question, and the same question that is asked on behalf of those who have not yet found their voices?
Our baptismal vocation includes helping those voiceless ones find the ability to speak, and it includes speaking on behalf of those who have no helper. As a church, we have learned a great deal in recent years about protecting children in our congregations from sexual abuse. We have perhaps learned less about the often greater need to respond to all kinds of abuse in our communities.
[1800s-1970s - 4 Churches, Provinces] - Native children.
The Chronicle,
By Michelle Thompson, News Leader Pictorial, Apr 03, 2007
CANADA -- Residential school survivors must decide whether to accept court settlement money or opt out from a multi-million dollar agreement.
Last Friday, a residential schools settlement went into place that will provide money for former residential school students across Canada. The federal government and churches will give at least $1.9 billion to former students and their families.
Those who don't want a payment, or think they could get more money suing the government and churches independently, have until Aug. 20 to remove themselves from the settlement.
"Some people feel the settlement is inadequate and they don't want to be a part of the agreement," said Joey Caro, communications manager with the Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group. "They don't feel it's a fair settlement. They don't feel it's really adequate."
[~ 2000s Whittaker] - Baptist. Suicide alleged. Girl.
Press-Register,
By CONNIE BAGGETT, Wednesday, April 04, 2007
RANGE (AL) -- A part-time preacher charged last month with sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl apparently shot and killed himself Tuesday at his father's house in Conecuh County, authorities said.
Shortly after 11 a.m., investigators were called to a residence near Interstate 65 and Alabama 41, north of Brewton, where they found Stephen Lyle "Steve" Whittaker dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Conecuh County Sheriff Edwin Booker and District Attorney Tommy Chapman.
Whittaker, 40, had been working for a trucking company in Evergreen for a few days and had been living in a travel trailer parked in the yard of his father's residence for about a week, according to Booker.
- RCC.
The Advocate,
By Brian Lockhart, Published April 4 2007
CONNECTICUT -- Although her confirmation hearing tomorrow is expected to last several hours, Judge Chase Rogers of New Canaan appears set to become the next chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. ...
She ruled in several high-profile cases there. Her decisions included ordering Cardinal Edward Egan, of the Archdiocese of New York, to answer questions under oath in a sexual abuse case involving a former Stamford priest; confining Stephen Ferenz, a mentally ill Greenwich man who stabbed his mother to death on New Year's Eve in 2003, to 40 years in a maximum-security mental health facility; dismissing lawsuits opposing construction of the Target department store in downtown Stamford; and allowing Norwalk to seize the Maritime Motors Chevrolet dealership along lower West Avenue for the Reed Putnam redevelopment.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Sue Lindsay, April 4, 2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- Former priest Timothy Evans went to the devout Catholic family's home for dinners, blessed the home, prayed with the family - and sexually assaulted their son during counseling sessions, a Jefferson County jury was told Tuesday.
Evans, 43, convicted last week in Fort Collins on a similar charge, is on trial in Jefferson County District Court this week on a charge of fondling a 17-year-old boy who was sent to the priest by his parents for counseling in 1996 after they found a witchcraft book in his backpack.
The parents said they were concerned about their son's interest in a movie about devil worship and witchcraft, prompting them to set up the counseling sessions.
But after the first session, the boy told his parents that Evans made him uncomfortable. When the boy told the priest he was self-conscious about his body, he said Evans complimented his "big barrel chest" and rubbed it.
[LOOK BACK: His conviction was reported on March 26, 2007]
[~ 2007 Terrell*] - Christian. Young male.
Cumming Home,
Published Apr 3, 2007
GEORGIA -- A 35 year-old youth pastor has been arrested by Forsyth County Sheriff's Office investigators and charged with child molestation, Sheriff Ted Paxton said today.
Phillip Glenn Terrell, of 5122 Timberline Trail in Flower Branch was arrested Friday and faces two counts of Aggravated Child Molestation, two counts of Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes and one count of Cruelty to Children, the sheriff said.
According to Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Investigator Jonathan Neville, the case developed when a juvenile male victim disclosed to his parents last week that he had been molested by Terrell. A forensic interview was conducted with the juvenile and this led to the arrest of Terrell on the charges listed above.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
Denver Post,
By Ann Schrader, Article Last Updated 07:02:00 PM MDT, Apr/03/2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- Prosecutors said Tuesday that a Catholic priest betrayed a devout family's trust by groping their teenage son a decade ago during counseling.
Timothy Evans, 44, of Loveland, is accused of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. He was indicted on the charges last August.
Evans' attorney, Joseph Gavaldon, responded that the case was about "this terrible allegation" that didn't happen.
The assault allegedly occurred between May 1995 and May 1997, when the son was about 16 years old and Evans was an assistant pastor at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community in Arvada.
The teenager's family sent him to Evans, who said he could help the boy who had begun questioning religious beliefs.
[2006-07 Drozd*] - RCC. > $10,000.
The Beacon,
By Linda Seida, Apr/04/2007
LAMBERTVILLE (NJ) - A Lambertville priest who stole more than $10,000 from the collection plate and used some of the cash to buy vestments and pay for a church's upkeep will be able to clear the theft charge from his record if he completes a 12-month program for first-time offenders and "stays out of mischief," according to his attorney.
"If you can set an example for doing something stupid but doing it the right way, he's done it," attorney Steven A. Caputo said of his client, the Rev. Marian Drozd.
The priest "rapidly accepted personal responsibility" and is "certainly remorseful," he said.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Daily Record,
By Gordan Mcilwraith, ~ April 04, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A PRIEST yesterday told a murder trial that he had sex with Polish student Angelika Kluk.
Self-confessed alcoholic Father Gerry Nugent, 63, admitted: "Yes. Sexual intimacy happened three or four times."
He told the jury he felt "guilty, ashamed and disgusted" at his own behaviour.
The priest also revealed that although his income was just £1800 a year, he showered gifts on Angelika - including a £1500 laptop computer.
But he said he wasn't in love with the 23-year-old, whose body was found under the floorboards inside his church.
[Ms Orlando] - RCC. US$800,000.
Independent,
BY KAREN E. BOWES, April 04, 2007
FREEHOLD (NJ) - A woman who admitted stealing over $800,000 from St. Benedict's Roman Catholic Church, Holmdel, was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday. As part of her sentence, she must also pay back the money.
Joan Orlando, 61, Toms River, pleaded guilty on Jan. 22 to theft by deception, a second-degree crime, and failure to pay New Jersey state income taxes, a third-degree crime.
Orlando's husband, Richard Orlando, 61, was also indicted in connection with the theft. He is pending trial, scheduled for May 21.
Orlando was employed as the bookkeeper and finance administrator of St. Benedict's beginning in 1998. In her position, she had sole responsibility for, among other things, parish payroll.
According to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Orlando admitted that between 2001 and June of 2005, she submitted inflated salary figures for herself to the payroll processing company. As part of the scheme, Orlando received over $800,000 in excess salary. To conceal the theft, she altered tax records.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Irish Independent,
~ April 04, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A CATHOLIC priest told a hushed courtroom yesterday that he was ashamed and disgusted with himself after he had sex with a young Polish student who was found dead in his church.
Fr Gerard Nugent (63) also admitted that he was an alcoholic. He said that Angelika Kluk (23) admired his church services and they often talked and had "intellectual discussions".
The court heard earlier that he first met her in 2005, and that he gave her free accommodation in a room at the chapel house of St Patrick's Church in Glasgow.
Fr Nugent was giving evidence in the High Court in Edinburgh at the trial of Peter Tobin (60), the church handyman, who denies raping and killing Ms Kluk and hiding her body under the floor of the church last September.
Asked by Dorothy Bain, prosecuting, if he had a sexual relationship with the student, he replied in a whisper: "Yes." He said the "sexual intimacy" between them happened about three or four times in August or September 2005.
He added: "I felt guilty and I felt ashamed and disgusted with myself. I knew I was wrong and I wanted to make it right."
Love
He said that he was not in love with Ms Kluk, but agreed that because she was living under his roof he had betrayed a position of trust.
- "Evil" film etc.
University of Delaware,
2:58 p.m., April 3, 2007
NEWARK (DE) -- UD will observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April with lectures, films and more. The programs aim to educate the campus community about sexual assault crimes around the country and discuss ways to prevent them from happening here. Resource booths will be set up from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. every Monday in April, in the Trabant University Center.
The month's film series kicks off with Deliver Us From Evil, an Academy Award-nominated documentary about the human cost of rape and abuse, sponsored by SCPAB, with special guest facilitator the Rev. Thomas Doyle, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, in the Trabant University Center Theatre.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 4, 2007
2:47 AM]
[1977 Deacon Epling] - Independent Baptist. 6-y-o girl.
Columbia Tribune
Published Wednesday, April 4, 2007
PINEVILLE (MO), (AP) -- A July jury trial was scheduled yesterday for a McDonald County church deacon charged with rape, one of five leaders of two southwest Missouri church communes accused of abusing young girls from their Baptist congregations as far back as the late 1970s.
Paul Epling, 54, is the third defendant to have a trial date set.
Circuit Judge Timothy Perigo scheduled a jury trial for July 24 for Epling, who faces one felony count of rape. Epling has pleaded not guilty to the allegation he attacked a 6-year-old girl in the late 1970s.
The case is one of several that have arisen since last summer, when at least two young women contacted authorities to allege that they had been sexually abused by church elders over a period of years. They claimed the abuse happened at two related commune-style churches in McDonald and Newton counties.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:40 PM]
[~ 2000s McQueen*] - "Solid Rock" Church. Money.
WTVY,
AP, ~ April 04, 2007
GENEVA, Ala. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted a former Geneva pastor on theft charges.
Geneva County District Attorney Kirke Adams said Steve McQueen faces three counts of first-degree theft for allegedly stealing church funds.
He said the investigation started about a year ago after members of the Solid Rock Worship Center suspected improprieties.
• Convicted Pastor Seeks Leadership Post
[Lyons] - Baptist. Millions missing.
ABC 7 News,
www.wjla.com/ news/stories/ 0407/411512. html ,
Wednesday April 04, 2007 7:03 pm
MIAMI (FL) -- The former head of a national organization of black Baptist churches spent four years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from the group. Now he wants one of his old jobs back: leader of the organization's Florida chapter.
The Rev. Henry Lyons, 65, was wildly popular before his conviction and is still highly regarded by many church members.
He was vying with two other ministers Wednesday to lead the Florida General Baptist Convention, a chapter of the National Baptist Convention USA, which claims to represent some 7.5 million members of black churches nationwide.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed April 04, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1980s Becker -NEW*] - Christian. Girl.
Sentinel,
http://ebs. gmnews.com/ news/2007/ 0405/Front_ Page/008.html ,
BY JESSICA SMITH, April 05, 2007
NEW JERSEY -- The president of the Jamesburg Historical Association has been jailed on charges he sexually assaulted a female family member when she was between the ages of 3 and 7.
Ronald Becker, a former priest, was arrested March 28 at his Raintree Court home in Helmetta following a monthlong investigation that began after the alleged victim reported to police that she had been fondled by Becker on numerous occasions starting 20 years ago, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
Most of the incidents reportedly took place at a family residence in Jamesburg. Now 26 years old, the victim resides in Florida.
[~ 2000s Paull*] - Methodist. > 17yrs prison. Child pornography.
The Plain Dealer,
Posted by Mike Tobin, 17:16PM, April 05, 2007
OHIO -- A former pastor will was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison Thursday after admitting he had nearly 4,000 images child pornography, including small children engaged in sadomasochistic sex.
Jerry Paull, 64, pleaded for mercy from U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent, but Nugent told Paull to instead focus on the lifetime of pain he's caused the children in the images.
"These people have life sentences and they're innocent," Nugent said. "You're guilty. You should be disgusted."
Paull was arrested in 2004 after investigators seized two computers from his home in Amherst. Paull downloaded several videos and computer images showing prepubescent minors involved in pornography, including children engaged in sadistic behavior, according to his plea agreement.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 5, 2007
8:28 PM]
[Lyons] - Baptist. Millions missing.
Associated Baptist Press,
By Hannah Elliott, Published April 5, 2007
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (ABP) -- Henry Lyons, the disgraced pastor and convicted felon who campaigned to become president of the Florida General Baptist Convention, was rejected April 4 by delegates at the state convention's annual meeting.
Attendees at the meeting instead elected James Sampson of Jacksonville, Fla., to lead Florida's oldest predominantly African-American religious group, which is associated with the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. The national convention claims about 7.5 million members.
Lyons, 65, gained notoriety in 1999 when a Florida jury convicted him of state grand theft and racketeering charges. They also found that, while president of the National Baptist Convention, he stole millions of dollars from convention partners like the Anti-Defamation League. He ended up serving more than four years in state prison and will remain on federal probation until 2008.
[COMMENT: The Anti-Defamation League has a chequered background, according to some people.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[2005-06 Sacks*] - Calvary Chapel. Woman.
News-Times,
By Gunnar Olson, The Forest Grove News-Times, Apr 5, 2007
OREGON -- Rick Sacks, former chaplain of the Forest Grove police and fire departments and former pastor of Calvary Christian Fellowship, pleaded guilty April 4 to two counts of sexual harassment.
Appearing in Washington County Circuit Court in Hillsboro, Sacks apologized for what the police have described as the "offensive physical touching" of a 23-year-old "vulnerable" woman who was a member of his congregation.
Sacks, 54, of Forest Grove, also apologized for the "disrepute" he brought on the police and fire departments whose members he once counseled as chaplain.
"I deeply, deeply regret my actions," he said with a somber demeanor. "I'm sorry to all the people, the young lady and her family, my wife and our family."
[2005-06 Sacks*] - Calvary Chapel. Woman.
The Oregonian,
Posted 15:35PM, April 05, 2007
HILLSBORO (OR) -- Richard E. Sacks, chaplain for the Forest Grove police and fire departments and pastor of Calvary Chapel Forest Grove, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of sexual harassment for allegedly having inappropriate contact with a woman from his congregation.
Sacks, 54, was charged in March with the two misdemeanor counts.
Megan Johnson, Washington County deputy district attorney, said Sacks kissed the woman in 2005 when she was 21 and told the woman's mother when she confronted him that he would not do it again.
But in December, Johnson said, after regaining the family's trust, an acquaintance found Sacks in his apartment with his arms around the woman and his hands down her pants.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The Guardian,
by Kirsty Scott, for Friday April 6, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A Roman Catholic priest told a murder trial yesterday that weakness and "lustfulness" had led him into an affair with a young Polish student.
Father Gerard Nugent, 63, gave details at the high court in Edinburgh of how he and Angelika Kluk, 23, started a sexual relationship after she moved into the chapel house of St Patrick's church in Anderston in Glasgow.
The priest was giving evidence for a fourth day at the trial of Peter Tobin, 60, who is accused of raping and murdering Ms Kluk and hiding her body under the floor of the church in September last year. Mr Tobin denies the charges.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 5, 2007
8:07 PM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu April 05, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[- ~ 2000s Dawson (Redemptorist) - NEW*] - RCC. Money.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
http://seattle pi.nwsource. com/local/ 310567_ priest06. html ,
By JOHN IWASAKI, ~ April 6, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The priest at Sacred Heart of Jesus, the only Roman Catholic church in Washington served by a worldwide religious order known as the Redemptorists, has been removed for misappropriating parish funds.
The Rev. Ivan Dawson, 43, diverted money intended for parish operations to a church-remodeling project. Church officials declined to say how much money was involved and said an audit is continuing.
But the matter has fueled unfounded rumors in the 700- family Seattle parish about Dawson's departure March 23, Sacred Heart administrator Larry Pomada said, even after officials read a brief statement at services that explained Dawson was removed for diverting funds.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Evening Times,
~ April 6, 2007
SCOTLAND -- ANGELIKA KLUK claimed a priest thought of her as "a nice teddy bear", a murder trial heard today.
But Father Gerry Nugent was "incandescent with rage" when he discovered her affair with a married man - and Angelika became afraid of his mood swings.
The apparent change in attitude by Father Gerry - priest at St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow, where Angelika's body was found - was revealed in court today.
Church odd-job man Peter Tobin, 60, denies raping and murdering the 23-year-old Polish student and hiding her body under the floor at the church last September.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2007
6:30 PM]
[1997+ Cleveland Diocese] - RCC. US$17.5m mislaid.
Cleveland Scene,
www.clevescene.com/2007-04-04/news/the-scum-always-rises ,
By Bill Frogameni, April 4, 2007
CLEVELAND (OH) -- For Cleveland Catholics, it's getting harder to take the words of top priests on faith.
While a $17.5 million embezzlement scandal plays out in court, the fighting has reached the highest ranks of the diocese -- and appears to be closing in on former Bishop Anthony Pilla and the diocese's former chief accountant, Father John Wright.
It began in 1997, when ex-CFO Joseph Smith and Anton Zgoznik are alleged to have begun a massive kickback scheme. The U.S. Justice Department claims the two men steered $17.5 million in diocese funds to Zgoznik's companies, which in turn kicked $784,000 back to Smith for "consulting."
Since 2004, when the scandal forced Smith from his job, Pilla and Wright, the longtime head of the diocesan Financial Office, have generally invoked a "we trusted unscrupulous individuals" brand of defense. But lawyers for Smith and Zgoznik say their clients were merely following orders from the two priests.
Now the gloves are coming off. [...]
[AND SEE a longer version above.]
[Decades - RCC]
Media Monitors Network,
by Nicholas Vakkur, (Tuesday, March 27, 2007)
UNITED STATES -- "In order to begin restoring public trust in the Catholic Church, all members of the clergy who contributed to the scandal, including Bishops and even Cardinals, must be removed from authority, and as required by law, prosecuted."
Sarbanes-Oxley is a U.S. federal law enacted in response to the rising incidence of corporate and accounting fraud at prominent corporations, as exemplified by Enron, whose annual revenues in 2001 decreased from over $100 billion to nearly zero in a matter of months.
Enron's market capitalization prior to its collapse was over $60 billion, while its ten year annual growth rate exceeded 50%.
Enron collapsed primarily because its business-model was inextricably linked to the amount of trust customers placed in its financial integrity.
Once this confidence withered, Enron"s clients became unwilling to trade long-term natural gas contracts due to a concern they may never be fulfilled.
The underlying market dynamics are similar to those of a bank run, where panic-driven depositors race to withdraw their funds as quickly as possible.
A mounting lack of trust quickly envelops into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
[~ 2000s Paull*] - Methodist. 17.5yrs prison. Child pornography.
The Columbus Dispatch,
8:12 AM, Friday, April 6, 2007
CLEVELAND (OH), (AP) - A former pastor who subscribed to numerous Internet sites that provide photos and videos of minors engaged in sex acts was sentenced to serve 17.5 years in prison after he tearfully told a judge he never sexually assaulted anyone.
Jerry Paull of Amherst pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cleveland in January to receipt of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
"When you feel sorry for yourself, you should think of those children," Judge Donald Nugent said during the Thursday's sentencing hearing. "You should be disgusted."
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The Scotsman,
By JOHN ROBERTSON, LAW CORRESPONDENT, ~ April 6, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A PRIEST said he did not "give a damn" about the Polish student Angelika Kluk, hours after she was reported missing, a court heard yesterday.
Father Gerry Nugent, 63, made the comment at a time when friends and relatives of Ms Kluk, 23, were worried sick by her disappearance, and he explained it to a jury as something said in drink.
He denied the reason was that he had known by then that Ms Kluk was dead, and so there was no-one to give a damn about.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Daily Record,
By Gordon Mcilwraith, ~ April 6, 2007
SCOTLAND -- FATHER Gerry Nugent knew where Angelika Kluk's body was hidden before the details were revealed, it was claimed yesterday.
Police told the priest to leave his house, saying only that there had been a "significant development". But later that night, he told friends the body of the 23-year-old Polish student was in the church confession box.
Church handyman Peter Tobin denies raping and murdering Angelika in September last year.
She vanished from St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow, on September 24 and was reported missing the following evening.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Evening Times,
~ April 6, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A GLASGOW priest admitted his "lustfulness" led him to have sex with Angelika Kluk.
Father Gerry Nugent told the High Court in Edinburgh he took full responsibility for his affair with the 23-year-old Polish student.
He said: "It was my weakness, my lustfulness."
[~ 2006-07 Ms Thompson, Ms Morgan] - Methodist. Money.
Pine Bluff Commercial,
5:43 AM CDT, Friday, April 6, 2007
EL DORADO, Ark. - A mother and her daughter are out on bond after their arrests on felony theft charges following a months-long investigation of the finances of the church the pair attended and worked for.
Carol Ann Thompson, 61, a former financial secretary with First United Methodist Church, and her daughter Wendy Thompson Morgan, 37, are accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the church where Morgan had once worked in the daycare center.
Police Capt. David Smith said Thompson agreed to surrender to authorities Thursday after a warrant for her arrest was issued. She arrived along with her lawyer, Eugene Bramlett of Camden, to face a charge of theft of property greater than $2,500.
- Lutherans agonise.
Spokesman-Review,
by Virginia De Leon, Published April 5, 2007
WASHINGTON -- He didn't want to lie to his pastor.
So the man told him everything: The terms of his probation. The years in prison. The fact that he had molested a child.
He wanted to come to church, the sex offender told the Rev. Steve Nickodemus. He wanted to repent for his sins and seek the grace of God.
Nickodemus, pastor of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sandpoint, didn't quite know what to do at first. His church - home of the Little Lamb Preschool and Kindergarten - was full of vulnerable children. Some families also would certainly object to worshipping with a sex offender.
[DOCTRINE: Remove the wicked from among yourselves. (Bible,1st Corinthians
5:9-13)
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as suits saints. ... Also, do not be getting drunk with wine. ... That he [Christ] might present it [God's community] to himself a gorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; ... but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:3, 18, 27)
Do your utmost that you may be found finally by him [God] spotless and unblemished and in peace.
(2 Peter 3:14)
ENDS.]
[Bishop McCleve*] - Mormon. ~ 2005 three girls, ? 1980s previous girl.
KUTV,
~ April 6, 2007
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Another potential victim has come forward in the case of a former LDS bishop accused of sexually abusing three girls.
The newest accuser of Timothy McCleve is now 21-years-old. She says the abuse happened years ago.
And today the parents of the three original accusers talked to 2 News. They say trust and friendship were the cornerstones of their relationship with Timothy McCleve, and the kids seemed to like McCleve's many visits to their home.
[Years - Jeffs] - Fundamentalist LDS. Minor.
KTAR,
Associated Press, 9:17pm, April 5th, 2007
SALT LAKE CITY (UT) -- Six young men who claim they were ousted from a polygamist church have reached a settlement agreement with a state-appointed accountant managing the church's assets, lawyers said Thursday.
A seventh man who filed a separate lawsuit accusing church leader Warren Jeffs of abuse is part of the settlement. ...
In August 2004, six of the men - who became known as the Lost Boys - collectively filed a lawsuit claiming they were tossed from the community, their families and their church by Jeffs.
Two months later, the seventh man, a nephew of Jeffs, filed a separate action, claiming he had been sexually assaulted by Jeffs. The Associated Press does not typically identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
[Jessop]
The Daily News,
By JIM SECKLER, Thursday, April 5, 2007
KINGMAN (UT) -- A Superior Court judge will soon sentence one of three remaining Colorado City polygamists charged with having sex with underage girls.
Vergel Bryce Jessop, 47, will be sentenced April 20. He pleaded no contest Dec. 18 to an undesignated charge of child abuse. He had been charged with sexual conduct with a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. His sentencing has been postponed several times.
Under the plea agreement, Judge Steven Conn will sentence Jessop to three years supervised probation and no additional jail time. Conn will also decide whether Jessop must register as a sex offender.
The trial for Dale Evans Barlow, 49, will now begin Wednesday after a one-day delay. He is charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor.
[2006-07 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. US$1.5m gifts.
Union-Tribune,
By Jeff McDonald, April 6, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- In the months leading up to its historic bankruptcy filing in late February, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego moved at least $1.5 million from its own accounts to various schools and parishes, according to bankruptcy court records.
Listed as gifts, the transactions state the diocese has no relationship with the school or parish that collected the money - a declaration that seeks to remove the assets from those being considered by the federal bankruptcy judge.
The cash transfers were noted in a voluminous record filed March 29 by diocese attorneys. Lawyers representing alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests uncovered the transactions over the past several days.
"Almost daily I have been discovering what appear to be wrongful transfers of assets," said attorney Andrea Leavitt, who represents several of about 150 plaintiffs suing the Catholic diocese.
[30yrs Mr Huck] - RCC. 40 children.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
By Todd C. Frankel, Apr/06/2007
STE. GENEVIEVE (MO) -- His stomach churned thinking about the children. All those children.
Preparing for church services last weekend, the Rev. Jim Hanson considered talking about the children and what Billy Huck is said to have done to them - how Huck allegedly confessed to molesting 40 children over 30 years at the in-home day-care center run by his wife.
But the priest, like many people here, did not know quite what to say. Everyone knew the Hucks. Hundreds of parents had trusted them to baby-sit over the years. It seemed too much for this rural community of 4,400 to bear.
So the priest at St. Joseph Catholic Church decided to say nothing.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Sue Lindsay, April 6, 2007
COLORADO -- A former Catholic priest took the stand in his own defense in Jefferson County Thursday, flatly denying that he ever fondled a 17-year-old boy.
Timothy Evans, 43, on trial for sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, said he met with the boy only once, in June 1996, and that his close relationship with the boy's devout family continued after that.
"Nobody ever raised an issue with me" regarding the boy, he said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 6, 2007
7:56 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri April 06, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
- Episcopalians. Money missing. Secession.
Rocky Mountain News,
www.rocky mountainnews. com/drmn/ local/article/ 0,1299,DRMN_ 15_5469987, 00.html ,
By Betsy Lehndorff, April 7, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS (CO) -- The Rev. Donald Armstrong on Friday filed a claim for Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish, escalating the battle with Episcopal Bishop Rob O'Neill over control of the Colorado Springs church. Attorney J. Gregory Walta, representing Armstrong's leadership, filed a complaint in El Paso County District Court, asking a judge to declare that parish property at 601 N. Tejon St. belongs to the local church and not the Episcopal diocese.
The church property is insured for $17 million, said Armstrong spokesman Alan Crippen.
In December, Armstrong was banned by O'Neill from the parish while the diocese investigated allegations of what the bishop called "financial wrongdoing" by Armstrong.
Last month, Armstrong and a majority of the parish's governing board voted to secede from the Episcopal Church. A day later, on March 27, O'Neill wrote to parishioners, outlining some of the allegations against Armstrong. The letter cited an investigation by a church attorney that alleged theft and misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars of parish funds during a 10-year period.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2007
9:17 AM]
[Sylvestre] - RCC. 59 girls.
Canada.com ,
by Monica Wolfson, CanWest News Service; Windsor Star, Published Saturday, April 07, 2007
WINDSOR, Ont., Canada -- Four women who were sexually abused by a priest when they were children will receive an undisclosed sum of money in a settlement reached with the diocese of London in southwestern Ontario.
The four are among 59 women who have sued the diocese over the abuse committed by Charles Sylvestre, a convicted sex offender and priest. Sylvestre died in prison in January at the age of 84, only a few months into serving a three-year sentence.
"We are not disclosing the amounts because the women don't want them known and it complicates future settlements," said Robert Talach, who is representing 24 of the women.
[~ 2000s Paull*] - Methodist. > 17yrs prison. Child pornography.
Beacon Journal,
By Carl Chancellor, April 07, 2007
AKRON (OH) -- A former West Akron Methodist minister is facing years in federal prison after being sentenced on child pornography charges Thursday.
Jerry Paull, 64, of Amherst, who had served as the minister at Christ United Methodist Church in Akron, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court to charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. He admitted to having more than 3,700 pornographic images, many depicting children engaged in sexual acts.
Paull, his family and friends had hoped that more than two dozen letters of support and documentation of Paull's ill health, including heart and diabetic problems, would persuade U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent to be lenient.
Several of those letters noted that since being charged Paull has been deeply involved with Sex Addicts Anonymous and other treatment programs. In addition, it was noted that Paull never sexually assaulted anyone.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. 1 guilty verdict. 2 boys.
My Fox,
Friday, Apr 06, 2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- A Jefferson County jury has gone home for the weekend without reaching a decision in the case of a former Roman Catholic priest charged with sexually assaulting a teenager.
It's the second trial for 44-year-old Timothy Joseph Evans in two separate cases.
Evans is accused of fondling a 16-year-old boy between 1995 and 1997 while he was assigned to a parish in Arvada. Evans is charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
- RCC. Memorial cards, but police called.
Toledo Blade,
By DAVID YONKE, BLADE RELIGION EDITOR, April 07, 2007
TOLEDO (OH) -- A member of a North Toledo parish is demanding an apology from his pastor and the bishop after police were called to stop him from handing out cards honoring slain Sister Margaret Ann Pahl.
"I feel I was being harassed, and the diocese owes me an apology," Mike Drabik, a parishioner since 1993, said yesterday. "I wasn't doing anything evil."
Mr. Drabik said he began handing out the cards "peacefully" in front of St. Hedwig's Catholic Church on Lagrange Street about 15 minutes before the start of the 7 p.m. Mass on Maundy Thursday, the 27th anniversary of Sister Margaret Ann's death.
The pastor, the Rev. Marek Ciesla, came out and asked him to stop.
[Sylvestre] - RCC. 59 girls.
The Windsor Star,
by Monica Wolfson, Saturday, April 07, 2007
CANADA -- Windsor native Vivian Dobbs flew home to British Columbia Friday a "whole new person" after she accepted a settlement from the diocese of London for the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a priest, said her lawyer.
Dobbs had triumphed over her childhood oppressor and felt free, said Robert Talach, a lawyer representing 24 of 59 women who have sued the diocese over the sexual abuse committed by convicted sex offender and pedophile priest Charles Sylvestre, who died in January.
Dobbs, 65, is one of four women who will receive an undisclosed sum of money in a settlement reached Thursday with the diocese.
- Fundamentalist LDS. Teenage boys.
The Salt Lake Tribune,
By Brooke Adams, Article Last Updated 08:15:48 AM MDT, Apr/06/2007
UTAH -- Seven young men have partially settled lawsuits that led to the state's takeover of a property trust once overseen by polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs.
The agreement resolves claims against the United Effort Plan Trust, which has been under court oversight since May 2005, in a deal that includes land, an assistance fund and attorney fees.
The settlements, which still need court approval, give each plaintiff title to a 3-acre, undeveloped lot near a community park in Maxwell Canyon. The canyon is located in Hildale, which along with Colorado City, Ariz., is home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The six men who sued alleged they were "systematically" driven out of the community by the church and Jeffs; the seventh alleged he was sexually abused by Jeffs about 20 years ago.
[2007 - Students at RC university]
Associated Content,
By Lila, Published April 06, 2007
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- The Catholic Church in the Philadelphia area is up in arms about a local Catholic University. As an April Fool's Day joke, editors of the St. Joseph's University student newspaper, The Hawk, put out a special annual edition of the paper called The Squawk. In it the students published an article in which the local Philadelphia Cardinal, Justin Regali, admitted he was gay.
The article, meant as satire, sent heads through the roof. Catholic officials and University administrators were so upset about the article, that the editor of the paper, David Spain, and three others were pressured into issuing an apology to the cardinal and the community. ...
The editor's apology was posted on the online version of The Hawk. Under the apology, in the area where readers may post comments on the article, one reader , John Petsinger, wrote, "How dare you call Cardinal Rigali gay? It's an insult to gay people everywhere." Another reader lamented that the Church, with its history of sexual abuse, did not deserve an apology for anything.
[≤ 2005 Yarrosh] - RCC. US$23,000, child porn.
The Morning Call,
April 06, 2007
PENNSYLVANIA -- A Schuylkill County Catholic priest who is serving a four- to 10-year state prison sentence for having massive amounts of child pornography has appealed his sentence to the state Superior Court and wants to stop the county from destroying the material.
The Rev. Ronald Yarrosh, 59, former assistant pastor at St. Ambrose Church in Schuylkill Haven, has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday on whether he can stop the destruction of the magazines, pictures, books and videotapes he kept in a rented storage bin in Hazleton and in a vacant home in Jim Thorpe.
District Attorney James P. Goodman said Yarrosh wants to stop the material from being destroyed at least until his appeal is resolved.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 7, 2007
7:27 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat April 07, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Ms Zakqan -NEW*] - Presbyterian. US$123,256 missing.
The Murfreesboro Post,
www.murfrees boropost.com/ news.php? viewStory= 3534 ,
By LISA MARCHESONI, Senior Writer, ~ April 08, 2007
MURFREESBORO (TN) -- A former church secretary was ordered to repay $73,256 she stole from First Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Former secretary Zoya Zakqan, 37, of Fieldstone Drive pleaded guilty Feb. 12 to theft over $1,000. She was sentenced to two years in the Tennessee Department of Correction, but the sentence was suspended. She was ordered to pay restitution.
Circuit Court Judge Don Ash ordered Zakqan to repay the church after a hearing.
Church treasurer Richard Baines testified he reviewed the financial documents. He testified Zakqan alone had access to some credit cards and accounts. He found $123,256 missing from the church.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 8, 2007
12:45 PM]
[Years - Shapiro - NEW*]- Judaist (Orthodox). Many boys.
Unorthodox-Jew,
by Phil Jacobs, Executive Editor, Baltimore Jewish Times, ~ April 08, 2007
(Part of a continuing series on child molestation within the Jewish community)
BALTIMORE (MD) -- Photographer Murray Levin has looked through his camera lenses countless times, capturing Jewish weddings, bar mitzvahs and other joyous events.
The one "picture," he however can't stop focusing on isn't in his camera, but in his 64-year-old memory.
It's an image of a bar mitzvah lesson at the old Agudas Achim Synagogue. It's the shame that came along with his teacher the now deceased Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, placing his hand down the 12-year-old Murray Levin's pants and fondling him.
With at least half a dozen maftir lessons, came the rabbi's touch.
But it wasn't just Murray Levin.
The former Talmudical Academy teacher, by one influential Baltimore rabbi's estimates, molested hundreds of this area's sons, grandsons and brothers.
Bob Glickstein, 65, another survivor of Rabbi Shapiro's, figures it could be thousands.
[1977-78 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Girl.
Irish Independent,
~ April 08, 2007
IRELAND -- AN 83-year-old priest was sent for trial yesterday on charges of indecently assaulting a young girl 30 years ago.
The Tipperary-based cleric, who cannot be named, is charged with three indecent assaults on the girl when she was aged 11 and 12 at a house in north Dublin in 1977and 1978.
Juneau Empire,
April 08, 2007
ALASKA -- It dims memories, erases evidence and brings the deaths of witnesses. It also used to trigger the statute of limitations, so that victims could no longer file criminal charges or civil suits against those who raped or abused them.
The Alaska Legislature, however, is trying to weaken that alliance between time and perpetrators. It is considering opening a one-year window to allow child victims of sex crimes before 2001 to sue their abusers. Lawmakers have already dropped the statute of limitations on charges and lawsuits for child sex crimes since 2001.
The Roman Catholic Church has put up the strongest fight against this legislation. An attorney for the Alaska Jesuits testified against the bill this week, arguing that judging a case fairly becomes more difficult over time
[2003-04 Simpson*] - Baptist. Baby. 2 girls.
Fayetteville Observer,
By Venita Jenkins, ~ April 08, 2007
LUMBERTON (NC) -- While teenagers were in one room learning Bible verses at Vacation Bible School, the Rev. Ronald Lee Simpson was in his office making sexual advances toward one of his youth members.
The 14-year-old girl was called to Simpson's office at St. Matthews Missionary Baptist Church for arguing with her cousin during Bible class. The boy apologized, then Simpson sent him out of the office. He told the girl to stay. He later asked for a hug.
"I didn't think anything of it. I thought he was a pastor, and he just wanted a hug from one of his members," said the girl, who is now 18. "When I hugged him, he grabbed my butt. I thought, 'What is this man doing?' "
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$104m. 386 claimants.
KGW,
Associated Press, Apr/07/2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- Hearings scheduled to begin Tuesday on the Archdiocese of Portland's bankruptcy reorganization plan could finally spell out just how much the archdiocese will have to pay to settle the 386 clergy sexual abuse claims that have been filed since 1986.
At least 169 of those claims have been resolved since the archdiocese became the first Roman Catholic diocese in the nation to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but those claims won't be paid unless the reorganization plan is approved, according to court records.
No participant in the litigation is allowed to discuss the case publicly because of a gag order imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan and Lane County Circuit Judge Lyle Velure, who mediated scores of settlements and helped craft the proposed bankruptcy reorganization plan late last year.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$104m. 386 claimants.
The Register-Guard,
By Bill Bishop, Saturday, April 7, 2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- The Archdiocese of Portland will end up paying more than $104 million to settle 386 clergy sexual abuse claims filed since 1984 if its bankruptcy reorganization plan is approved after hearings that begin Tuesday in Portland.
The total includes at least 169 claims that have been resolved since the bankruptcy was filed in 2004, but won't be paid unless the reorganization plan is approved, according to court records.
No participant in the litigation is allowed to discuss the case publicly because of a gag order imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan and Lane County Circuit Judge Lyle Velure, who mediated scores of settlements and helped craft the proposed bankruptcy reorganization plan late last year.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The Independent,
By Karin Goodwin, April 08, 2007
SCOTLAND -- The small church of St Simon's in Glasgow is always packed on a Sunday. Today, it will be overflowing as Catholics celebrate the holiest day of the year.
Glasgow's growing Polish immigrant population favours St Simon's because mass is said in their own language. It is also where the congregation of nearby St Patrick's must now worship. That church has been closed since September last year, when the body of a Polish student was discovered under the floor near the confession booth. Angelika Kluk, 23, was bound and gagged and she had been beaten.
It was a shocking discovery, but now Scotland is agog at the the extraordinary revelations of illicit sex and alcoholism that have been made during the trial of her alleged killer, Peter Tobin, a handyman at the church. All the more so, since the man who admits sleeping with her and to having a drink problem is Fr Gerard Nugent, the priest at St Patrick's.
- "Sin" write-up.
The Post-Standard,
By Joan E. Vadeboncoeur, Entertainment columnist, ~ April 08, 2007
SYRACUSE (NY) -- The local theater scene heats up this weekend with the arrival of three works, including a Central New York premiere and an old favorite.
For the first time in several years, the BeVard Studio at the Civic Center plays host to a theatrical venture. Simply New Theatre introduces "Kiss of the Spider Woman" Friday at 8 p.m. to Central New York audiences. ...
The other new work is "Sin: A Cardinal Deposed," an off-Broadway hit by Michael Murphy that deals with the real-life story of Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, who was accused of covering up child abuse. Told through the clergyman's testimony in response to victims' lawsuits, it cast Tom Minion as Law. Also prominent are Robert Fullenham as the prosecuting attorney and Keith Arlington as the defense attorney. Rounding out the cast are Brian Hensley, Andy Godwin and Judy Schmid.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 8, 2007
5:14 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun April 08, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[A priest in Florence -NEW*] - RCC. Girls.
The Independent,
http://news. independent. co.uk/europe/ article2434 945.ece ,
By Peter Popham in Rome, April 9, 2007
ITALY -- "How much suffering there is in the world!" Pope Benedict XVI lamented in his Easter sermon yesterday, naming Darfur, Iraq, Somalia, the Congo, Lebanon and other trouble spots around the globe.
But there was no space in his list for the abused women of the parish of Regina della Pace ("Queen of Peace") on the outskirts of Florence. For more than three years, these women have been trying to persuade the Church to take vigorous action against a parish priest whom they say persuaded them to have sex with him when they were minors, and continued to do so regularly for years.
Confronted by their testimony, the church authorities first transferred the priest to another parish, and then out of the diocese. But he remains a priest, and has received only token punishment. In the United States, failure to take firm action against abusive priests left the Church in Boston with a legacy of bitter mistrust and legal bills totalling more than $150m (£76m). In Italy, however, it would appear that the lessons have not been learnt.
Fr Lelio Cantini, now in his eighties, became the parish priest of Regina della Pace in the mid-Seventies. A self-styled "charismatic", he was accompanied by a clairvoyant woman who had visions of Jesus and drew up lists of those parishioners whom she said were the "elect of God".
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 9, 2007
8:13 AM]
[~2000s Mr Heide -NEW*] - Calvary Chapel. US$1.2m gone.
Florida Today,
BY KEYONNA SUMMERS, April 09, 2007
VIERA (FL) -- The lawyer for a former Calvary Chapel treasurer, accused of spending $1.2 million of parishioners' money on lavish cross-country and overseas trips, hopes to work out a plea agreement today that would avoid a jury trial.
Rudolph Heide, 76, of Cocoa faces 30 years in prison if convicted of one count of first-degree felony grand theft. Brevard County Sheriff's investigators said he admitted he used tithes and offerings from the Merritt Island church to fund trips to Hawaii, Las Vegas and Europe.
Court records show Heide surrendered his passport to authorities before his release on $115,000 bond in January.
[~ 2000s Rev Wooldridge*, Mr Wood*] - Episcopalian. Boy.
NBC 6,
Updated 6:44pm, Apr 9, 2007
LAMPASAS (TX) -- A Lampasas grand jury indicted an Episcopal priest on two counts of sexual assault of a child.
Police arrested Reverend Jim Wooldridge back in January.
Police began investigating Wooldridge last December after a 16-year old and one of his parents came forward with the abuse allegations.
Wooldridge had been the longtime director of St. Mary's Episcopal Church before being placed on administrative leave with pay by the diocese before his arrest.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 9, 2007
9:16 PM]
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
9News,
posted by Dan Boniface , Web Producer,
written by Erika Matich , Producer, created 1:38:46 PM, Apr/9/2007
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO - A former Catholic priest has been convicted of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
The conviction is the second for Timothy Evans in the last month.
A jury in Jefferson County convicted Evans Monday for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy brought to Evans for counseling by his parents in 1996.
The jury heard evidence of three similar incidents with other young men: two teens and a youth pastor at the parish in Arvada where Evans was assigned.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
Scripps News,
By SUE LINDSAY, Monday, April 09, 2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- A Jefferson County, Colo., jury found former Catholic priest Timothy Evans guilty today of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
During the trial, Evans, 43, denied he ever fondled a 17-year-old boy he was counseling while a priest at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community in Arvada.
He claimed to have only met the boy once, in June 1996, and that his close relationship with the boy's family continued after that.
[~ 1970s Wiebler+] - RCC. Bishop failed to act. Boy.
Quad-City Times
By Barb Ickes | Sunday, April 08, 2007
DAVENPORT (IA) -- Mark Powell is patiently limbering up to jump through the latest set of hoops laid out by his alma mater, St. Ambrose University.
As a teenager in Davenport, Powell was the victim of sexual abuse by priests, including Father Bill Wiebler, who served at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bettendorf and was defrocked by the church before his death last year. A former seminary student at St. Ambrose, Powell now is a Protestant minister who has faced his demons.
One especially painful part of his past is an understanding that has come with adulthood: It wasn't just the priests who failed him. Powell, 47, mustered the courage all those years ago to report what was happening to him.
He went to Bishop Gerald O'Keefe of the Davenport Diocese and told. The bishop's message was clear: Keep it to yourself.
[2007 RCC] - Disregard privacy, publicise graphic replies, evasion.
City of Angels,
http://city ofangels3. blogspot.com ,
~ April 09, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Graphic words about plaintiffs' sex lives are now available online for anyone to read, thanks to defense exhibits filed by church attorneys in March. Showing flagrant disregard for privacy, church attorneys Hennigan Bennett & Dorman lifted graphic answers by plaintiffs and filed them as exhibits in a motion to strike against those very plaintiffs' cases.
Attorneys for both sides meet in judge's chambers twice this week, for status conferences on the civil cases as they "fast-track" to jury trials this summer.
Plaintiffs also request a Discovery Referee, and apparently one is badly needed. Here is what it's like to try to get answers out of the church, from an attempt to depose Msgr. Arthur J. Lirette of Glendale CA a few months back:
TONY DEMARCO: Monsignor, in your experience in the archdiocese would it have been suspicious for improper sexual relations with a minor, among other things -- if a priest were to allow a minor to stay overnight with them in their living quarters in a rectory?
CHURCH ATTORNEY HABEL: I'm going to object.... calls for speculation lacks foundation incomplete hypothetical.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
Denver Post,
By Ann Schrader, Article Launched Apr/09/2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- A Jefferson County jury has found former priest Timothy Evans guilty of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
After deliberating since late Thursday, the jury reached the verdict this morning. Evans bowed his hand as he was handcuffed, smiling and nodding at his family and friends as he was taken to the Jefferson County Jail.
He will be sentenced May 31.
"This is an important one," said prosecutor Zak Phillips. "People are a lot of safer."
- RCC. "Sin" review.
The Patriot Ledger,
By JIM DORMAN, ~ April 09, 2007
PROVIDENCE (RI) -- Time does not heal all wounds, but it does add perspective. "Sin: A Cardinal Deposed," Michael Murphy's play based upon the depositions of Cardinal Bernard F. Law's testimony during civil litigation in 2002 and 2003, was first produced in Chicago in 2004. Arlington's Regent Theater presented it later that same year, while the subject was still painfully fresh in the minds of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Now, nearly five years since the story became well known, the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theater in Pawtucket, R.I., decided the time was right to put the show on stage again.
And he added something: In this run, the audience stays afterward and talks with actors, crew, advocates for the abused, and, most poignantly, the abused themselves.
"This is something in our back yard, something that a lot of people are still dealing with, if not directly, then one or two degrees removed," Tony Estrella, the theater's artistic director, said.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The New Zealand Herald,
By Karin Goodwin, Monday April 09, 2007
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND -- The small church of St Simon's in Glasgow is always packed on a Sunday. Yesterday it was overflowing as the faithful celebrated the holiest day of the Catholic year.
Glasgow's growing Polish immigrant population favours St Simon's because Mass is said in their own language.
It is also where the congregation of nearby St Patrick's must now worship. That church has been closed since last September, when the body of a Polish student was discovered under the floor near the confessional.
Angelika Kluk, 23, was bound and gagged and she had been beaten.
It was a shocking discovery, but now Scotland is agog at the extraordinary revelations of illicit sex and alcoholism that have been made during the trial of her alleged killer, Peter Tobin, a handyman at the church. All the more so, since the man who admits sleeping with Kluk and to having a drink problem is Father Gerard Nugent, the priest at St Patrick's.
- RCC.
PR Web,
April 9, 2007
WINONA, MN (PRWEB) -- The Diocese of Winona ( www.dow.org ) in partnership with Professional Learning Board ( www. professional learningboard. com ) launched an interactive online learning community teaching members of the Catholic diocese about recognizing and reporting child abuse.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People mandates that every U.S. Catholic diocese provide "A 'safe environment' program (that) requires training of parents, ministers, educators, church personnel, volunteers and others regularly involved with minors as to the issue of abuse of children, to include sexual abuse."
PJ Thompson, Chancellor of the Diocese of Winona, led the effort to create the online safe environment education program. "We are committed through our faith and the USCCB Charter to protect all God's children. An online learning community is the best way we have found to reach virtually all of the people in our diocese that work with children in a religious, education or volunteer capacity."
The diocese tried reaching its rural audience of over 10,000 through traditional classroom seminars. Thompson added, "It was difficult to fulfill our mission to God and His children. Classroom seminars were inconvenient for our parishioners and comparatively (to online training) very expensive. We needed a better way."
- RCC. "Doubt" review.
Providence Journal,
BY CHANNING GRAY, Journal Arts Writer, ~ April 09, 2007
PROVIDENCE (RI) -- There was a time, said playwright John Patrick Shanley, when doubt was considered a sign of wisdom. Today it is perceived as weakness.
We live in partisan times, said Shanley, speaking from his home in New York. Television commentators spend their time shouting one another down, and pundits are not willing to admit they don't know all the answers.
"If you go on Chris Matthews and express doubt," said Shanley, "you're going to come out like hamburger."
Shanley is talking about his award-winning play Doubt, which this week comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center. The show was the toast of Broadway in 2005, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and several Tonys.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon April 09, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 2000s Mons. Woolsey -NEW*] - RCC. < US$½m.
Staten Island Advance,
www.silive. com/newsflash/ metro/index. ssf?/base/ news-25/11762 4749866320. xml&story list= simetro ;
The Associated Press, ~ April 10, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) - The Archdiocese of New York has been removed as a defendant from a lawsuit that accuses a Roman Catholic priest of bilking a parishioner in her 80s out of nearly $500,000.
The state Supreme Court's Appellate Division on Tuesday rejected the argument that church officials were negligent in supervising Monsignor John Woolsey, confessed thief and former pastor of the St. John the Martyr Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Woolsey, 69, is in prison after pleading guilty in September 2006 to grand larceny in exchange for a sentence of one to four years. He could have gotten up to 15 years in prison if he had been convicted at trial.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2007
11:18 PM]
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
BBC News,
~ April 10, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A church handyman accused of murdering Polish student Angelika Kluk was aware of the floor hatch under which her body was found, a court has heard.
Marie Devine, 64, a helper at St Patrick's Church, in Anderston, Glasgow, said a man she had known as Pat McLaughlin saw the trapdoor in use. Mrs Devine said Peter Tobin, 60, was the man she knew as Pat McLaughlin.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Mr Tobin denies attacking Angelika between 24 September and 29 September, 2006.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2007
8:17 AM]
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Evening Times,
~ April 10, 2007
SCOTLAND -- THE man accused of murdering Polish student Angelika Kluk knew about the church floor hatch where her body was found, a court heard today.
Marie Devine, 64, told the High Court in Edinburgh she was one of a group of women who helped priest Father Gerry Nugent in St Patrick's Church, Anderston, Glasgow.
She described how she cleaned the church and prepared snacks for the congregation after mass.
Mrs Devine, a lollipop lady of St Vincent Terrace, Anderston, told how a tea urn had been stolen last July from a room off the main church, spilling water on a carpet.
[≤ 2005 Yarrosh] - RCC. US$23,000, child porn.
NEPA News,
The Associated Press, Apr/10/2007
PENNSYLVANIA -- A Roman Catholic priest serving four to 10 years in state prison for violating parole in a child pornography case is seeking a reduced sentence.
The Rev. Ronald J. Yarrosh, 59, was sentenced in August 2005 to three to 23 months in Schuylkill County Prison for taking more than $23,000 from St. Ambrose Church in Schuylkill Haven, where he was an assistant pastor. The Diocese of Allentown relieved Yarrosh of his duties when he was charged in the embezzlement.
Yarrosh was sentenced to 10 years of probation because police investigating the embezzlement found hundreds of images of child pornography. Officials said he then bought child pornography, took a stripper's 7-year-old daughter to lunch, and drank alcohol, violating his probation.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Los Angeles Times,
By Tony Perry, April 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A federal bankruptcy judge on Monday ordered three lawyers and two priests from the local Catholic diocese to explain why they should not be held in contempt for allegedly moving to transfer money as well as other actions that were prohibited while the diocese's bankruptcy case is pending.
Judge Louise DeCarl Adler ordered the lawyers and priests to appear in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday to explain their actions. The Diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy protection in late February in the face of lawsuits by more than 150 individuals who allege that they were sexually abused by priests.
In a bluntly worded five-page order, Adler wrote that the lawyers appear to have lied to the court and that the priests have apparently lied to the parishes about the Bankruptcy Court's orders.
Diocese and parish lawyers could not be reached for comment. The diocese office is closed for Easter.
- Church of Christ agonises.
The New York Times,
By NEELA BANERJEE, April 10, 2007
CARLSBAD, Calif. - On a marquee outside and on a banner inside, Pilgrim United Church of Christ proclaims, "All are welcome." Sustained by the belief that embracing all comers is a living example of Christ's love, Pilgrim now faces a profound test of faith.
In late January, Mark Pliska, 53, told the congregation here that he had been in prison for molesting children but that he sought a place to worship and liked the atmosphere at Pilgrim.
Mr. Pliska's request has plunged the close-knit congregation into a painful discussion about applying faith in a difficult real-world situation. Congregants now wonder, are all truly welcome? If they are, how do you ensure the safety of children and the healing of adult survivors of sexual abuse? Can an offender who accepts Christ truly change?
[DOCTRINE: There is a text to remove the wicked from among yourselves (1 Corinthians 5:9-13), but many other texts calling sinners to complete reversal of their habits.
ENDS.]
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
The Coloradoan,
By Coloradoan staff and news services, ~ April 10, 2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- Tim Evans, a former Fort Collins Catholic priest convicted in Fort Collins last month of sexually assaulting a young parishioner, was convicted Monday in a similar case stemming from incidents at another parish.
Evans, 44, was convicted in Jefferson County District Court of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. Prosecutors alleged he fondled a 16-year-old boy between 1995 and 1997 while assigned to the Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada.
On March 26, Evans was convicted in Larimer County District Court in Fort Collins of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse. A man testified that as a teen, he was molested twice by Evans in 1999 in the rectory of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church in Fort Collins, where Evans was a priest from 1998 to 2002.
[50yrs and 2007 Portland Archdiocese (OR)] - RCC. Court exposures stymied. US$104m. 386 claimants.
KGW,
Associated Press, Apr/10/2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- On the eve of what could be the final hearing for approving a bankruptcy reorganization plan for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland, a victims' rights group protested a gag order by two judges who presided over the settlement leading to the plan.
"My main concern is that after these past three years we didn't get the transparency we wanted," said Bill Crane, Oregon director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.
Victims, attorneys and church officials have been prevented from talking about the proposed $75 million settlement contained in the reorganization plan that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris will consider approving on Tuesday.
"We need to end the secrecy around these cases that keeps people trapped in guilt, shame and blame," said Mary Grant of Long Beach, Calif., the SNAP Western regional director.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
Denver Post,
By Ann Schrader, Apr/10/2007
GOLDEN (CO) -- For the second time in two weeks, Catholic priest Timothy Evans has been found guilty of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
Evans is the first priest in Colorado to be charged with sexual assault since the clergy-abuse crisis hit the U.S. Catholic Church in 2002.
After deliberating Friday, a Jefferson County jury reached its guilty verdict Monday morning.
Evans, 44, of Loveland, bowed his head as he was handcuffed. He smiled and nodded at his family and friends as he was taken to the Jefferson County Jail.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Sue Lindsay, April 10, 2007
COLORADO -- For the second time in three weeks, a Catholic priest was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage boy who came to him for counseling.
Timothy Evans, 44, was found guilty Monday of fondling a 17- year-old boy who entered counseling in 1996 after his Catholic parents found witchcraft books in his backpack.
At the time, Evans was a priest at Spirit of Christ Community Church in Arvada.
Evans was convicted March 26 in a similar case in Fort Collins while serving at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese and parishes] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Union-Tribune,
By Mark Sauer and Sandi Dolbee, April 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- In a highly unusual move, a federal judge yesterday ordered attorneys and pastors involved in the Diocese of San Diego's bankruptcy to explain why they should not be sanctioned for attempting to shift funds without authorization.
Judge Louise DeCarl Adler's sternly worded order states that Susan Boswell of Tucson, Ariz., lead bankruptcy attorney for the Roman Catholic diocese, and church officials appear to have "conspired with parishes" to illegally create new bank accounts separate from the diocese.
Adler also noted that the diocese's newly formed Organization of Parishes misrepresented in a memo that she had authorized the 98 San Diego and Imperial county parishes to move their funds to new accounts.
The judge ordered Boswell, the Rev. Bruce Orsborn, the Rev. Michael Gallagher and attorneys representing the Organization of Parishes to appear before her tomorrow to "show cause why you should not be cited for contempt of court."
- RCC. Exposer Kunz was murdered.
Renew America,
by Matt C. Abbott, April 10, 2007
SPRINGFIELD (IL) -- The earliest stage of the cause for beatification and canonization of the late Father John Hardon, S.J., is underway. (The lengthy process is described here.)
I have written about Hardon in recent times; he was a great priest, theologian, writer, and fighter of priestly corruption. ...
In the November 12, 2006 issue of the Catholic Times [newspaper of the Springfield, Ill., diocese], as well as on a local Catholic radio station, Bishop George Lucas suggested that Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc., has no right to operate as a Catholic group without his permission. Using Lucas' reasoning, RCF would have never been allowed to expose Bishop Daniel Ryan's corruption and sexual abuse of teenage boys without Ryan's permission. Lucas seems to believe he is above reproach. How convenient for him, and all bishops, were that true.
Lucas has also said that 'no competent authority or pastor supervises' RCF's work. In fact, RCF worked under the direction of Father John Hardon, S.J., until his death [in 2000]. Hardon answered directly to the Vatican. Hardon helped RCF with the Ryan case and went to Rome in 1997 on our behalf. It was Hardon who directed RCF to use the services of Father Alfred Kunz, who was murdered in 1998. The murder is still unsolved.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2007
7:18 AM]
[~ 1999 Doherty] - RCC. Boy/s.
CBS 4,
~ April 10, 2007
(CBS4) MIAMI (FL) -- A former South Florida priest gave CBS4 News a less than warm welcome after we confronted him regarding accusations of unholy acts against children.
This is not the first time that Father Neil Doherty is accused. He is currently on house arrest awaiting trial for allegedly abusing a young boy, but new victims have come forward this week and they plan on suing the Archdiocese of Miami for failing to protect them.
As CBS4's Tiffani Helberg asked him through a door that was cracked open if the allegations were [? word missing] , Doherty gave her a curt "not at all", before slamming the door and shutters shut.
- RCC. US$866m gone in 2yrs.
USA Today,
The Associated Press, April 10, 2007
NEW YORK, United States - The nation's Roman Catholic bishops and religious orders received 714 clergy sex-abuse claims in 2006, the second consecutive year that the number of allegations has dropped, according to a new report on the church's child-protection efforts.
Costs related to abuse cases also decreased - by about 15% over the last year - mainly because of a decline in what dioceses paid to settle molestation cases.
Dioceses and religious orders paid nearly $399 million in 2006 for settlements with victims, attorney fees and support for accusers and offenders. For 2005, that figure was $467 million, considered the highest for a single year.
The findings, set for release today, are part of an annual review that the bishops first commissioned in 2002 as they implemented changes to better safeguard children at the height of the clergy sex-abuse crisis.
[2006-07 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. US$1.5m gifts.
North County Times,
By North County Times Opinion staff, ~ April 10, 2007
Our view: Diocese of San Diego's bankruptcy bid angers judge and raises questions
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Several years have passed since the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal came to light, but the men who run the organization founded by one of history's greatest communicators have yet to master public relations. That is the most charitable explanation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego's latest missteps in its bankruptcy trial.
On Tuesday, Judge Louise DeCarl Adler ordered church officials and their lawyers to appear before her to explain why they shouldn't be cited for contempt over an apparent misunderstanding that led to an attempt by the diocese to create new bank accounts for its 98 parishes.
Except Judge Adler didn't characterize it as a misunderstanding. Her word was "conspired."
[Kansas City Diocese - 2 priests] - RCC. US$60,000. Sex abuse.
TheKansasCityChannel.com ,
~ April 10, 2007
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph will pay $60,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by two of its priests -- one of whom has since been defrocked.
The settlement was reached in February after both sides agreed to mediation, the diocese said in a statement issued Tuesday. The settlement does not admit wrongdoing.
"It was a situation where my client really wanted to get on with his life," said Sam Wendt, the plaintiff's attorney. "I think that's probably the case with the diocese as well."
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$104m. 386 claimants.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
~ April 10, 2007
Statement by Mary Grant of Long Beach CA,
SNAP Western Regional Director, (626) 419 2930
OREGON -- Tomorrow, Catholic church officials will likely crow at moving one step forward in their bankruptcy protection scam. But tonight, sex abuse victims are mourning.
We are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org). We applaud the dozens of Oregon men and women who have found the strength and courage to come forward and report horrific serial sex crimes and deceitful cover ups of those crimes.
But we mourn the fact that these brave individuals will never have the chance to expose corruption like some abuse victims have. We mourn the fact that church officials who deceived the police, public, press and parishioners about clergy sex crimes are essentially getting off 'scott free.' We mourn the fact that the same church officials who have operated and still operate above the law are basically getting by with it again.
[RECAPITULATION: We mourn the fact that church officials who deceived the police, public, press and parishioners about clergy sex crimes are essentially getting off 'scott free.'
ENDS.]
[Katinas] - Greek Orthodox implied critics were blameworthy. Minors.
Dallas News Religion,
~ April 10, 2007
DALLAS (TX) -- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has sent along along a press release and letter. It deals with the response by a Greek Orthodox church official to sex abuse accusations against Father Nicholas Katinas, former longtime pastor at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas.
Here's what SNAP sent:
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is calling upon a Greek Orthodox church official to apologize for his insensitive remarks and to reach out to others who may have been hurt by an accused abusive priest.
In February, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver sent a letter to parishioners of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church. The letter was prompted by child sex abuse accusations against Fr. Nicholas Katinas, who was permanently suspended from active ministry in July. In the letter, the bishop claimed that "Satan never sleeps " and implied that those who spoke up about the alleged abuse were somehow to blame.
- RCC.
KCCI,
~ April 10, 2007
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Bishop Joseph Charron announced Tuesday that he is retiring due to health reasons.
He has been bishop of the Des Moines Catholic Diocese for 13 years.
Charron faced some difficult issues during his tenure, include dealing with one of the biggest controversies in the Catholic Church of priests accused of sexual abuse.
- RCC.
Quad-City Times,
By Deirdre Cox Baker | Tuesday, April 10, 2007
DAVENPORT (IA) -- A message of great hope for Roman Catholics worried about the future of their church will be delivered this week in the heart of the Davenport Diocese.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the ballroom of the Rogalski Center, located at the corner of Ripley and Lombard streets on the St. Ambrose University campus in Davenport. Admission is free.
"Cast Out to the Deep: The Call for Confidence and Holiness in Today's Church," is a message Dolan delivers to Catholics across the United States, especially in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse scandal, said Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for the archbishop.
[COMMENT: Why wasn't this the policy 50 years ago?
COMMENT ENDS.]
- RCC.
TheBostonChannel.com ,
~ April 10, 2007
BOSTON (MA) -- An independent audit has determined that the Boston Archdiocese has met the child protection safety standards adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the archdiocese announced Tuesday.
An audit by the Gavin Group found the archdiocese had complied with all 13 of the audited standards after addressing shortcomings in "safe environment training" for children.
Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley said the archdiocese has made major progress in its efforts to protect children.
"While much has been achieved, I recognize that work must continue to be done in order to maintain safe environments in both our churches and schools," O'Malley said in a statement.
- RCC diocese moved money away.
California Progress Report,
By Bill Cavala (A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento), ~ April 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- 150 individuals are suing the Catholic Church in San Diego County alleging sexual abuse by its ordained priests.
The Church's response was to declare bankruptcy--arguing, in effect, that it didn't have the money to recompense victims even if held responsible by the courts.
Plaintiff attorney's questioned this action arguing the Church did indeed have the resources needed to pay off.
Church attorneys, a crafty group, wrote to each parish in the diocese to instruct the priest to move the Church's money to a new account. Such a move was not "hiding funds", it was approved by the bankruptcy judge. Or so said the Church's lawyers.
When the Judge found out about this effort, she hit the roof.
- RCC.
Catholic World News,
special to CWNews.com , Apr. 10, 2007
UNITED STATES (CWNews.com) -- The sex-abuse crisis within the Catholic Church was brought on in large part by a collapse in the traditions of ascetical discipline, especially among the clergy. That is the argument of an important book about the crisis, and after years of research on the topic, I find that argument persuasive.
Just over one year ago, the Linacre Institute released After Ascetism: Sex, Prayer, and Deviant Priests. Regrettably, the book has received little public attention -- certainly nowhere near the attention it deserves.
Perhaps this is understandable. The secular media, which have done so much to expose the failings of the Catholic clergy, have little interest in promoting traditional Catholic spirituality. So we couldn't expect the media to recognize the value of After Asceticism.
[2006-07 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. US$1.5m gifts.
NBC Sandiego,
~ April 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A federal judge threatened to cite attorneys and church officials for contempt for allegedly trying to shelter money from the Dioceses of San Diego's bankruptcy, according to a published report.
Judge Louise DeCarl Adler ordered Susan Boswell, the lead bankruptcy lawyer for the diocese, and diocese officials to appear in court Wednesday. She ordered them to explain why they should not be sanctioned for allegedly conspiring to illegally create new bank accounts separate from the diocese, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Adler said church officials sent a memo to 98 parishes in San Diego and Imperial counties, which falsely stated that she authorized them to move their funds to the new accounts, the paper reported.
[1966-67 Mons. Smith*] - RCC. 2 girls.
The View,
by Bryna Zumer, April 10, 2007
MARYLAND -- Robert Donadio wasn't surprised to see an Archdiocese of Baltimore official as the celebrant when he went to Mass March 25. His parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was used to prominent visitors.
"I just didn't think anything of it," Donadio said.
But at the close of the service, the officials announced a special meeting at 2 p.m. that day. When congregants gathered in the old parish center, they received the news that their pastor of 11 years, Monsignor Richard Smith, had been removed from ministry.
Smith was removed following reports of alleged abuse from two women when they were teenagers and Smith's admission to some of the allegations, archdiocese spokesman Sean Caine said.
[1967 Reardon, O'Brien] - RCC. Boy.
Kansas City Star,
~ April 10, 2007
NORTHLAND (MO) -- A Northland man has settled a lawsuit with the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and two former priests who allegedly abused him sexually.
The man, now in his 50s, contends the two priests molested him in 1967 when he was 14 years old. The former priests, Thomas Reardon and Thomas O'Brien, are also named in other pending lawsuits involving allegations of sexual abuse.
[Kathy Shaw on April 10, 2007
4:01 PM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 10, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Boy resisted paedophile kidnappers
Boy resisted paedophile kidnappers
The West Australian,
www.thewest.com.au ,
www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=372422 ,
14:30 WST, April 11, 2007
PERTH: A teenage boy repeatedly sexually assaulted while held captive for three weeks has told how he looked for a way to escape and was gagged after trying to scream for help at the start of his ordeal.
Robbie Sebastian Wheeler, 43, and Victor Leslie Urquhart, 46, are standing trial in the West Australian District Court accused of conspiring to wilfully murder the boy.
Wheeler and Urquhart have pleaded guilty to a total of 27 charges between them, including deprivation of liberty, and indecently dealing with and sexually assaulting the then 14-year-old boy, in the Perth suburb of Kelmscott between August 30 and September 19, 2005.
But they have pleaded not guilty to one charge of conspiring to kill the boy, for which they are standing trial.
In a taped interview shown to the jury, the victim, who cannot be named, described how the accused tied and handcuffed him to a bed and then gagged him with a handkerchief and gaffer tape.
"I was gagged until I agreed not to scream or yell out for help," he said.
The boy said he watched as Wheeler and Urquhart watched gay pornography videos and masturbated on either side of him.
"I was just sitting there watching, scared," he said.
"I was just looking around the room, looking if there was a way out or not."
The trial continues. #
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm#boy
[14:30 WST, April 11, 2007]
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2006 Ejares -NEW*] - RCC. Confession. School children.
Sun.Star ,
www.sunstar. com.ph/static/ ceb/2007/04/12/ news/nbi. files.raps. against.priest. html , By Karlon N. Rama, for April 12, 2007
PHILIPPINES -- THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 has finally resolved to charge the priest earlier accused of lascivious conduct while hearing confession at a public high school in Cebu City.
Lawyer Medardo de Lemos, NBI regional chief, filed the complaint against Fr. Benedicto Zozobrado Ejares before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor yesterday afternoon.
Special Investigator Jed Hife said it took her about four months to close the investigation because she opted to wait as long as she could for the priest to answer the subpoena she had sent last Feb. 23.
Ejares never showed up.
[1984-94 Mons. Fushek] - RCC. Life Teen founder. 7 young males.
The Arizona Republic,
by Jim Walsh, Apr. 11, 2007
ARIZONA -- After an eight-month standstill, the case against a former Mesa priest headed to the Arizona Court of Appeals on Wednesday as attorneys debated whether registering as a sex offender is an "embarrassment" or a "life altering effect."
Prosecutors are appealing an August ruling by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge that suspended Monsignor Dale Fushek is entitled to a jury trial on a series of misdemeanor sex charges where he could be forced to register as a sex offender.
Judge Douglas Rayes ruled at that time that registering as a sex offender is "a modern day scarlet letter," but Deputy County Attorney Diane Gunnels Rowley said his ruling did not follow the law and set a bad precedent.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 11, 2007
11:17 PM]
[Years - 2007 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. 770 accounts unaccounted for.
San Luis Obispo Tribune,
By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press, ~ April 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A federal bankruptcy judge Wednesday ordered an external audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, chastising church lawyers for a lack of transparency in court filings.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler grilled attorneys representing both the diocese and a parish organization, as well as two pastors who had sent letters the judge said misrepresented comments made from the bench during an earlier hearing.
Adler criticized church attorneys for failing to include 770 parish accounts in bankruptcy documents.
"This is the most Byzantine accounting system I've ever seen," Adler said. "I am mystified."
In a sternly worded order issued Monday, Adler said attorneys Susan Boswell, Jeffry Davis and Victor Vilaplana, as well as two priests, appeared to have "conspired with parishes" to create new bank accounts separate from the diocese. The judge wrote that the attorneys appeared to have misrepresented facts and may have violated court orders and bankruptcy laws.
[RCC in USA] - 714 claimants in 2006.
New York Post,
By DAREH GREGORIAN, Post Wires, April 11, 2007
UNITED STATES -- The country's Roman Catholic bishops received 714 clergy sex-abuse claims in 2006 - the second consecutive year the number of allegations has dropped, according to a new report.
Costs related to abuse cases also decreased - by 15 percent over the last year - due to a decline in what dioceses paid to settle molestation cases.
The findings are part of an annual review that the bishops first commissioned in 2002 as they implemented reforms to better safeguard children at the height of the clergy sex-abuse scandal.
[2006-07 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. US$1.5m gifts.
The New York Times,
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER and LAURIE GOODSTEIN, Published April 12, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA), April 11 -- In a move filled with admonishments and anger, a federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings of the Roman Catholic Diocese here on Wednesday ordered an outside accounting expert to sort through what she called "the most Byzantine accounting system I have ever seen," and to report directly to her.
The order was issued in a contempt hearing in which diocese lawyers and priests were ordered to explain why they should not be sanctioned for trying to move church money without court authorization.
The judge, Louise DeCarl Adler of Federal Bankruptcy Court, also said that she had not "foreclosed" on the idea of appointing a trustee in the case, an extraordinary move if executed. Judge Adler said that the diocese would have to resubmit documents describing its assets, and have them signed by Bishop Robert H. Brom under penalty of perjury.
- RCC.
PR-Inside,
PRNewswire-USNewswire / 15:54:13, Apr 11, 2007
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Virtually all U.S. dioceses are compliant with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, according to a report on the 2006 audits conducted by the Gavin Group, a Boston-based company that monitors diocesan adherence to the U.S. bishops' plan to address clergy sexual abuse of children.
The Gavin Group also reported that based on information provided auditors, "98 percent of the volunteers for whom training is required have been trained."
The audits examine compliance to the 17-point Charter drafted by the U.S. bishops in 2002 to confront sexual abuse of children by clergy.
The Gavin Group undertook 11 full audits, most requested by the diocese or eparchy that was audited, and 18 focused audits based on unresolved required actions noted in a prior audit.
[Portland Archdiocese] - RCC. US$104m. 175 victims.
The Register-Guard,
By Bill Bishop, Wednesday, April 11, 2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- Bankruptcy reorganization may be finalized on Monday for the Archdiocese of Portland, a federal bankruptcy judge indicated Tuesday after a 3 1/2 -hour hearing on the plan.
If approved, the plan will allow the church to pay 175 victims of sexual abuse by priests, while continuing to operate normally and without having to sell schools or properties of its 124 parishes.
Court records indicate that the church will end up paying $104 million to people who were sexually abused by priests of the archdiocese since 1984. Of that amount, $77 million will be paid under the reorganization plan to settle 175 claims that have been on hold since 2004, when the archdiocese became the first in the nation to declare bankruptcy on the eve of trials in multimillion dollar lawsuits over clergy sexual abuse.
[Vermont, Cincinnati, Dioceses + 4] - RCC.
WCAX,
~ April 11, 2007
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Vermont's Catholic Diocese has met most of the standards set by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to prevent sexual abuse by priests, but came up short in training volunteers, an audit has found.
Vermont and the Cincinnati diocese were the only two in the country where the training shortfall was reported. Four dioceses refused to participate in the audit by the Gavin Group, based in Winthrop, Mass., said its president, William Gavin, Wednesday.
It was the second year in a row the Vermont diocese was found not to have met the standard by training all volunteers who work with children to guard against abuse. Diocesan officials said in March of 2006 they would have the work done by June 30.
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Confession. 7 children.
The Freeman,
By Fred P. Languido and Wenna A. Berondo, Apr/12/2007
PHILIPPINES -- A priest earlier accused of sexually harassing several students from Abellana National School was formally charged with seven counts of acts of lasciviousness in relation to child abuse before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office.
The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday filed seven counts for violation of Article 339 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Article 6, Section 10 (a) of the Republic Act 7610 otherwise known as the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Expoitation and Discrimination and Republic Act 7877 or the Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 against Fr. Benedicto Ejares.
The NBI found out that Fr. Ejares should be indicted of the above cases after seven of the more than 20 student participants of the Life in the Spirit Seminar at the Abellana National School in November last year accused him of inappropriately touching their private parts.
[~ 2000s Rev Wooldridge*, Mr Wood*] -Episcopalian. Boy.
Killeen Daily Herald,
By Kristine Favreau, ~ April 11, 2007
LAMPASAS (TX) -- A preliminary trial date of May 11 has been set for a Lampasas rector charged with sexually assaulting a child.
According to Lampasas District Clerk Terri Cox, the Rev. Jim Carlton Wooldridge, 61, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and a charge of indecency with a child who was 15 years old at the time of the alleged event. Wooldridge was indicted on March 14.
Cox said arraignment for Wooldridge has been waived. The rector was released on an $8,500 bond after his arrest on Jan. 11.
Also arrested in connection with the allegations was John Christian "J.C." Wood, 20, who was charged with sexual assault, indecency with a child and unlawful possession of a firearm. Wood's total bond was set at $13,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned on April 20.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Evening Times,
~ April 11, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A PARISH priest was drunk and upset the night the body of Polish student Angelika Kluk was found in his church, a murder trial heard.
But parishioner Rita Bonner, 65, of Knightswood, Glasgow, denied to the court that Father Gerry Nugent was scared.
The 63-year-old priest, who earlier told the trial that he had sex with Angelika in the summer of 2005 when she was only 22, had been ordered by police to leave his home in the chapel house at St Patrick's, Anderston, Glasgow.
They had been searching for Angelika since she was reported missing four days earlier.
[42 yrs Skehan, Guinan] - RCC. Took $US 8.6m.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel,
By Missy Diaz, Posted April 11 2007
FLORIDA -- In her journal entries, Colleen Head, a former employee of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, details how the Rev. John Skehan's drinking and antics ruined her trip to Ireland in 1999.
Head, now 29, began working at the Delray Beach church at age 15. She was born and raised in St. Vincent's and married there in 2001. Her mother, Terese Roehm Duffey, also worked at the church.
Sworn testimony of both women has been taken as part of the criminal investigation into grand theft charges against former pastors Skehan and Francis Guinan. Mother and daughter have been granted use immunity by the state and are not being prosecuted, according to their attorney, Michael Salnick.
The priests are accused of misappropriating as much as $8.6 million from the church.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$104m. 386 claimants.
KGW,
Associated Press, Apr/11/2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- The judge overseeing the first bankruptcy in the nation filed by a Roman Catholic diocese said Tuesday she expects to decide whether to approve the plan by the end of the week.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris heard only one objection to the reorganization plan for the Archdiocese of Portland during final arguments over a proposed $75 million settlement for alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests.
Paul and Deborah DuFresne claim their son, Nathan, suffered emotional distress after being labeled a bully and expelled from St. Thomas More school in Portland.
But Thomas Stilley, an attorney for the archdiocese, noted the case does not involve sexual abuse. He also argued there is more than enough money set aside - at least $3.8 million - for unsettled lawsuits, and the DuFresne case is the only one left.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
North County Times,
By SCOTT MARSHALL, April 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Two Catholic priests and three attorneys have been ordered to appear in bankruptcy court this afternoon to explain to a judge why they should not be held in contempt of court.
The order from bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler is based on allegations that the priests and attorneys have tried improperly to transfer money between accounts while the bankruptcy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is pending.
The diocese filed for bankruptcy Feb. 28, bringing a halt to sexual abuse litigation on the eve of the first trial of an abuse case in San Diego. The diocese has offered to pay $95 million to settle the more than 140 sexual abuse claims filed against it, but attorneys for those who have sued in connection with alleged abuse by priests have said a fair settlement would be closer to $200 million.
- RCC.
The Boston Globe,
By David Abel, Globe Staff | April 11, 2007
BOSTON (MA) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has complied with national child protection safety standards, according to a report released yesterday.
The report, commissioned by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, found the archdiocese met all 13 conference standards, such as effective responses to allegations of sexual abuse; promoting healing and reconciliation with survivors of clergy sexual abuse; running criminal checks on priests, deacons, and other personnel; and training children to recognize inappropriate touching.
"While much has been achieved, I recognize that work must continue to be done in order to maintain safe environments in both our churches and schools," Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley said in a statement. "Protecting our children and preventing sexual abuse remains paramount."
[1967 Reardon, O'Brien] - RCC. US$60,000. Boy.
The Kansas City Star,
By JOE LAMBE, ~ April 11, 2007
KANSAS CITY (MO) -- A Northland man has settled a lawsuit with the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and two former priests for alleged sexual abuse in 1967.
The man, now in his 50s, contends that two priests molested him when he was 14 years old and that the diocese covered up sexual behavior by the priests for years.
The $60,000 settlement reached earlier this year after mediation with the Platte County man is among the first by the diocese in a local priest sex case.
The former priests, Thomas Reardon and Thomas O'Brien, are also named in several other pending sex abuse lawsuits for alleged acts decades ago. In all, about six former or active priests in the Kansas City area have been sued by more than two dozen plaintiffs in the last few years.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Arizona Daily Star,
By Stephanie Innes, Apr.11.2007
TUCSON (AZ) -- A Tucson attorney was scheduled to appear in federal court in San Diego today to defend herself against claims that her client, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, attempted to shift funds to parishes without court approval.
Susan G. Boswell is expected to appear before bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler at 2 p.m., along with lawyers for the San Diego Diocese's parishes and its newly formed Organization of Parishes, according to a court order.
Boswell also represented the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson during its bankruptcy proceedings.
Adler said Boswell must appear to "show cause why you should not be cited for contempt of court."
- RCC.
Des Moines Register,
BY TONY LEYS AND SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, April 11, 2007
DES MOINES (IA) -- Des Moines Bishop Joseph Charron retired Tuesday, after a 13-year tenure in which he led the Roman Catholic diocese to stronger financial footing, acted decisively against priests accused of child sexual abuse, addressed the needs of a growing Latino population, emphasized adult faith formation, and encouraged laity to participate in planning.
The diocese covers the Des Moines area and southwest Iowa. It includes 82 parishes and almost 100,000 Catholics, making it the smallest of Iowa's four dioceses.
Charron, 67, said he loves his job, but could not continue because of the pain and fatigue from a chronic form of an inflammatory disease. The stress of overseeing the diocese made his condition worse, he said, so he asked for the pope's permission to retire early.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Union-Tribune
By Mark Sauer and Sandi Dolbee, April 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- An apparent attempt to transfer church funds without a federal judge's permission was called a misunderstanding in declarations filed in bankruptcy court yesterday by attorneys representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego.
The lawyers were responding to federal Judge Louise DeCarl Adler's "order to show cause" why they and certain pastors should not be held in contempt and face sanctions.
The diocese sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Feb. 27 in the face of numerous lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by priests in the diocese dating back decades.
At issue is what the judge said was an apparent conspiracy by church officials and their attorneys to create new bank accounts, separate from diocese accounts, without her permission.
- RCC. 2 failed, and 4 failures weren't audited.
Catholic Online,
By Jerry Filteau, Catholic News Service ( www.catholicnews.com ), Apr/11/2007
WASHINGTON (DC), (CNS) - Twenty-seven of 29 Catholic dioceses and eparchies audited in 2006 complied with the church's national standards for child protection programs and the prevention of and response to sexual abuse, says a report released April 11.
However, four dioceses that were not found in compliance in 2005 refused to participate in the 2006 audit.
"The overall results of the 2006 audit are encouraging," said Patricia O'Donnell Ewers, chairwoman of the bishops' all-lay National Review Board. But she described the refusal of four dioceses to participate as "discouraging news."
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
The Press-Enterprise,
By ALLISON HOFFMAN, The Associated Press, ~ April 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Six weeks after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, lawyers for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego are accused of moving to improperly transfer funds to parishes in an attempt to shield assets from any potential settlements with victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Judge Louise DeCarl Adler ordered the lead attorney in the case to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Wednesday to explain why she and her colleagues should not be sanctioned for their alleged actions.
In a sternly worded order issued Monday, Adler said attorneys Susan Boswell, Jeffry Davis and Victor Vilaplana, as well as two priests, appear to have "conspired with parishes" to create new bank accounts separate from the diocese. The judge wrote that the attorneys appeared to have misrepresented facts and may have violated court orders and bankruptcy laws.
[Mons. McGinn] - RCC. Allegation only.
The Desert Sun,
by Mandy Zatynski, April 11, 2007
PALM SPRINGS (CA) -- A Palm Springs pastor who may have a high school chapel named in his honor is one of three Coachella Valley priests the Diocese of San Diego says has been accused of sexual abuse.
The Rev. Malachy McGinn, who died in 1997 after serving at St. Theresa Church in Palm Springs since 1985, was one of 38 priests with "credible" allegations included on a list published on the diocese's Web site March 30.
Still, officials at Xavier College Preparatory High School in Palm Desert said they may stick with plans to name their soon-to-be chapel on the school's new campus, which opened at its permanent location last month.
"The placement of Monsignor McGinn's name on the Web site is the result of an allegation," said DoeDee Rover, president of the Xavier board. "At this point, it would be unfair or unjust to make any determination or alteration concerning the naming of the Xavier chapel."
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved, lied to court. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
CBS 2,
AP, ~ April 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO, Calif., (AP) -- An attorney for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is due in court this afternoon to respond to a judge's threat to revoke her permit to practice.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler accuses the diocese and its attorney, Susan Boswell, of misrepresenting the court's order with regard to parish assets. She is demanding that Boswell show financial transfers to parishes were not attempts to shield assets from any potential settlement with victims of sexual abuse by priests.
Adler cited a March 29th letter sent by a diocese parish organization to pastors urging them to open new bank accounts and transfer any funds held in accounts under the diocese's taxpayer ID number.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 11, 2007
8:23 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed April 11, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Court sees footage of sex slave's rescue.
Court sees footage of sex slave’s rescue
The West Australian,
www.thewest. com.au/aap story.aspx? StoryName= 372766 ,
15:13 WST, April 12, 2007
PERTH: A Perth court has been shown dramatic video footage of the moment police rescued a teenage boy held captive as a sex slave by two paedophiles for three weeks.
As police enter the house where the then 14-year-old boy was being held, they find him sitting on a bed with one of the men.
In the footage, an officer tells the boy: "You're safe now, that's the main thing."
A police witness said he asked the boy, who cannot be named, if he wanted to be there and the boy replied: "No, these guys are paedophiles."
Robbie Sebastian Wheeler, 43, and Victor Leslie Urquhart, 46, are on trial in the West Australian District Court, accused of plotting to wilfully murder the boy.
Wheeler and Urquhart have already pleaded guilty to kidnapping, indecently dealing with and sexually assaulting the boy between August 30 and September 19, 2005, but have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to kill him.
In the video, Wheeler answers the door and police walk into a rear bedroom where they find the boy with Urquhart.
"They said they were police and I thought 'thank God'," the boy said in a pre-recorded interview.
Urquhart tells police in the footage he does not know the boy or know that he has been missing for three weeks, and denies indecently dealing with the boy.
Earlier, real estate agent Sheron Julie Bednarek told the jury she saw two men approach the boy in the street the day he was kidnapped.
"The little boy didn't talk to him though, he was playing a game," Ms Bednarek said.
When the men walked off, the boy followed, she said.
"I was concerned, so I'd written it down."
Ms Bednarek said she reported what she'd seen to police the next day and was contacted three weeks later when she picked Wheeler out from a police photo identification board, leading police to his home.
The boy said Wheeler and Urquhart told him they would free him on a set date and even let him cross off the days on a calendar, but then kept changing the date.
"They said ... they were going to pack up, chain me to the bed and skip the state," the boy said.
"Once they were there they were going to call police and let them know where I was."
The boy said Wheeler told him they were going to Sydney but he did not believe his captor.
Wheeler's lawyer has said his client may have had a "sick fantasy" to kill the boy but there was no conspiracy to actually do so.
The trial continues.
AAP #
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm#courtsees
[15:13 WST, April 12, 2007]
• Witness: 'I saw boy with men'.
- No religion link.
Witness: ‘I saw boy with men’
Perth Now powered by
The Sunday Times Online (Perth, W. Australia),
www.news.com. au/perthnow/ story/0,21598, 21533502-2761, 00.html ,
by Nicoloas Perpitch, April 12, 2007
PERTH: A WOMAN has told a court she was so concerned at seeing a young boy walk off with two men who approached him in the street that she wrote down the details.
The female witness was giving evidence in the trial of two pedophiles accused of plotting to murder a teenage boy they kidnapped and held for three weeks.
Robbie Sebastian Wheeler, 43, and Victor Leslie Urquhart, 46, are on trial in the West Australian District Court accused of conspiring to wilfully murder the then 14-year-old boy.
Real estate agent Sheron Julie Bednarek told the jury today that on the afternoon of August 30, 2005 she saw one of two men approach the boy.
"There were two men going across the road . . . and a little boy came along behind and one of the men came back . . . and started talking to the little boy," Ms Bednarek said.
"The little boy didn't talk to him though, he was playing a game."
The man then went back to the other man before returning to the boy, Ms Bednarek said.
"Then they walked off . . . and the boy followed.
"I was concerned, so I'd written it down."
The next day, when Ms Bednarek's receptionist told her a boy was missing, she reported what she'd seen to the police.
Three weeks later, Ms Bednarek picked Wheeler out from a police photo identification board and police raided the home where the boy was being held.
Wheeler and Urquhart have already pleaded guilty to kidnapping, indecently dealing with and sexually assaulting the boy, but have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to kill him. #
The trial continues. #
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm#witness
[Apr 12, 07]
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2000s Hoang*] - RCC. Child.
KOIN,
www.koin.com/ Global/story. asp?S=6361879 ,
~ April 12, 2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- An abuse-victim group is appealing to parents at a local Catholic school where an alleged child molester used to work.
SNAP, the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, passed out fliers after school Wednesday at St. Pius in northwest Portland. They warned parents about Father Joseph Hoang, who worked at the school from 2002 to 2004.
Hoang, accused of molesting a child in Portland, is on administrative leave from his church. The 39-year-old has been the pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tillamook since September 2004. The allegations do not involve a church member.
"There may be a family here that has no idea that this priest has been accused of abuse and has unwittingly welcome Hoang into their home and put their children at risk," SNAP member Mary Grant told KOIN News 6.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 12, 2007
4:53 PM]
- Christians help each other.
Lawfuel,
April 12, 2007
WASHINGTON (DC) - Lawsuit Newswire -- A priest and canon
lawyer who first warned of the Catholic sex scandal in the mid-1980s has
written to officials of the largest Protestant denomination urging them to act now to better protect kids.
Father Thomas Doyle of Vienna, Virginia is prodding Southern Baptist officials to consider that, to make children safer, they may need to find
"a new way" to institute accountability for Baptist clergy.
A self-help group for victims of clergy sex abuse has been urging Southern Baptists to do what Catholics and other faith groups have done by establishing a review board to hear molestation reports and instituting a 'zero-tolerance' policy.
The Chicago-based support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and other Clergy (SNAPnetwork.org), delivered those requests to Southern Baptist officials last September. They took no action on SNAP's requests, and said they have "no authority" over autonomous Baptist churches.
Doyle points out that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also claimed to have "no direct authority" over any diocese, "each of which is
civilly and canonically independent." Yet in 2002, after hundreds of
victims spoke up and the scandal reached national proportions, an oversight mechanism was nevertheless finally created.
- RCC. McGlone's thesis was on RC priest seducers.
Catholic Online,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MEDIA ADVISORY, Catholic PRWire, APRIL 12, 2007
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announces that Reverend Gerard J. McGlone, S.J., Ph.D., will serve as the Director of Clinical Services for Saint John Vianney Center, which is operated by Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Father McGlone begins the new position in early June 2007. "I am delighted, humbled and honored to be selected for this unique position," said Father McGlone. "Officials at the Saint John Vianney Center were seeking a psychologist who is a priest because they value the integration of psychological and spiritual issues. That kind of approach can have a very positive influence on the future direction of the Catholic Church."
Father McGlone, a native Philadelphian, is a priest of the Society of Jesus and is currently a member of the Saint Joseph's University Jesuit Community. His academic credentials include a doctoral degree in clinical psychology as well as four master's degrees in theology and psychology. His dissertation topic focused on Roman Catholic clerical sexual offenders and his past research at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has been on non-clerical sexual offenders.
- RCC.
Cincinnati Post,
Staff and wire reports, April 12, 2007
CINCINNATI (OH) -- The Archdiocese of Cincinnati was one of only two American dioceses not in compliance with the Roman Catholic Church's national standards for prevention of sexual abuse, a new report finds.
The report, issued Wednesday on behalf of the National Review Board, the lay group the bishops created to implement their standards, showed that in 2006, only the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont didn't fully comply with the standards.
Both dioceses needed to complete safe environment training for all volunteers who work with children, said William A. Gavin, president of the Massachusetts-based Gavin group, which did the audits.
Both dioceses had been very conscientious about working toward full compliance, Gavin said, and he expected they would reach that goal this year.
[1994-95 Banko] - RCC. Boy/s.
The Star-Ledger,
Posted 11:44AM, April 12, 2007
NEW JERSEY --A former Hunterdon County priest maintains his innocence in the latest child sexual abuse allegations brought against him and will not accept a plea deal from prosecutors, his attorney said today.
However, the attorney for the Rev. John M. Banko requested that prosecutors prepare a plea offer for the record as a formality. In a pretrial conference before Superior Court Judge Roger Mahon in Flemington, public defender Peter Abatemarco said the former priest is not guilty of the charges he was indicted on in September.
Banko, 60, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence stemming from his 2002 conviction for performing oral sex on a young boy in the sacristy of a Roman Catholic church's community center after two Sunday Masses in the 1990s. The latest charges allege he abused another young boy around the same time as the first. The September indictment claims the victim was younger than 16 when the abuse occurred, and that it took place while Banko was serving as a pastor at a Milford church on or around Sept. 1, 1994, and May 15, 1995.
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Confession. 7 children.
Sun.Star ,
for April 13, 2007
PHILIPPINES -- FR. BENEDICTO Ejares was urged to surface and answer all charges against him, if only to clear his name.
Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo believes the priest is still in the country anyway and will not be able to leave, after the Bureau of Immigration placed him in their watch list.
He also urged the Archdiocese of Cebu to have the priest come forward.
- RCC.
Boston Herald,
By Mark A. Perigard, Boston Herald TV Critic, Thursday, April 12, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Last month, Thomas Roberts made the most difficult decision of his life.
The CNN Headline News Anchor revealed to millions of viewers that he had been sexually abused by a Catholic priest when he was a teenager.
Roberts feared the fallout. He worried about losing his career.
Since his admission on "Anderson Cooper 360," Roberts says he's been flooded with viewer response - nearly all positive.
"Since the special aired, the response has been overwhelming supportive and kind and compassionate. There have been some detractors - they will come out of the woodwork - but overall, it has been amazing," he said.
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Confession. 7 children.
Philippine Star,
By Fred P. Languido, The Freeman, Apr/13/2007
PHILIPPINES -- The legal counsel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has urged the Archdiocese of Cebu to present Father Benedicto Ejares and let him answer the charges that the National Bureau of Investigation has filed over his alleged lascivious conduct towards several high school students who participated in a religious seminar five months ago.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo believes that the church officials are aware of the whereabouts of Ejares contrary to the claim of Msgr. Achilles Dakay that they do not know where the priest is.
"Dili ko motoo nga wa sila mahibawo kon hain ang pari, kahibawo gyud na sila sa whereabouts," Carillo said over radio station dyLA.
He added that instead of hiding the priest and let the controversy affect the church they should present him so he can answer the charges.
[Cardinal Mahony] - RCC.
Newspaper Tree,
by Jeff Berg, Posted on April 12, 2007
So why would Annunciation select as this year's recipient Los Angeles Archdiocese Cardinal Roger Mahony, who is deeply embroiled in the 550-plus cases of sexual abuse suffered by children at the hands of priests?
TEXAS -- Annunciation House opened its doors in 1978. Run by well-meaning volunteers, their mission is exclusively to give voices to the voiceless- the poor, the bewildered, the immigrant, and the oppressed. The reward for these volunteers, in part, apparently is to 'live the Good News of the Gospel'.
The need, being ever present and non-stop, has seen the expansion of their services to five houses, on both sides of the border, which provide temporary shelter, food, and services for those in want.
The volunteers who staff and live onsite at these refuges commit to a one-year assignment to assist anyone who comes to the doors.
And Annunciation is Gospel centered, as noted in their mission statement.
•
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
The Herald,
April 12, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A lawyer yesterday accused police of embarking on a "shambolic" search for the Polish student Angelika Kluk, as a jury heard how the man accused of her murder disappeared soon after officers arrived at the church where her body was eventually found.
Defence QC Donald Findlay listed a catalogue of mistakes he claimed had been made during what was, at the time in September last year, a missing person inquiry.
The body of Angelika, 23, was discovered four days later under the floor of St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow. Chauffeur Martin Macaskill, 40 - the student's married lover - reported Angelika missing after failing to get any reply to phone or text messages or find her in her room.
Constable Barry Hendren, 27, who had been on the beat for five months, told the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday how he and constable Caroline Wilson were sent to St Patrick's about 11.30pm on September 25. The officer told the court he and his colleague were met by Mr Macaskill and parish priest Father Gerry Nugent, 63, who earlier told the trial that he too had a sexual relationship with Angelika.
- RCC.
Voice from the Desert,
~ April 12, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Here is an April 10, 2007, press release from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) on an AP story that said clergy sexual abuse claims dropped last year. The AP story follows the SNAP press release. ...
Bishops will 'spin' these numbers to claim they've 'turned the corner,' ignoring the fact that the overwhelming majority of victims still haven't and probably won't ever speak up, but will instead continue to suffer in shame, secrecy and self-blame.
The sad truth is that this entire process is essentially a PR sham based on self-reported 'statistics' given by bishops themselves, the very same men who got us into this mess.
If the number of cases bishops hear is declining, it may be because more victims are now reporting child sex crimes to police officials, not church officials. But we fear it's because many victims refuse to speak up because they see bishops continuing to posture, stonewall and deceive. It's crucial that witnesses and victims keep speaking up. When victims and witnesses come forward, there's at least a chance for healing, prevention, justice and truth telling. When they stay silent, kids stay at risk and sex crimes stay hidden.
[Her uncle] - 5-y-o girl.
Ventura County Star,
By Timm Herdt, therdt@VenturaCountyStar.com , April 11, 2007
SACRAMENTO (CA) -- Lisa Kawai of Camarillo was 42 years old last year when she finally received a sense of justice for a crime that had tormented her since she was 5.
On Tuesday, she came to the state Capitol in an attempt to ensure that future generations in California will be able to find the same relief.
Kawai testified in support of a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for prosecuting sex crimes against a child. Because Florida has such a law, Kawai's uncle last year was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for molestations of family members that he committed decades ago.
[50yrs Spokane Diocese] - RCC. US$48m. 161 survivors.
Spokesman Review,
by John Stucke, April 12, 2007
SPOKANE (WA) -- Four prominent Spokane Catholics have asked Bishop William Skylstad to resign, saying the $48 million bankruptcy deal he struck to settle sex-abuse claims against the Spokane Catholic Diocese is a "complete disaster."
The four men, Donald Herak, Thomas Tilford, James Workland, and Ronald Caferro, met with and wrote letters to Skylstad and vowed, "we will not contribute one dime to this unfortunate, costly and mistaken mediated settlement."
The ultimatum to resign underscores fractures within the Catholic community about how best to handle the priest sex abuse crisis that persuaded the bishop to take the diocese into [? bankruptcy administration.]
"We detect a backlash in the parishes, which we believe will only become more active when the complete details of the settlement are disclosed to the parishioners," they wrote, calling themselves The Committee Seeking the Resignation of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane.
[2006 Lincoln Diocese] - RCC.
Lincoln Journal Star,
By BOB REEVES / 05:15:34 pm CDT, Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007
LINCOLN (NE) -- Once again, the Lincoln Roman Catholic Diocese has been singled out as the country's only diocese that refused to participate in an annual audit of sex abuse data.
More than 99 percent of dioceses and eparchies nationwide responded to the voluntary survey of sex abuse claims and compliance with bishops' guidelines on protection of children and young people, according to a release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Only the Lincoln Diocese and a small Melkite Catholic eparchy in Massachusetts refused to participate. "The Diocese of Lincoln is operating in full compliance with all civil and all laws of the Catholic Church concerning the abuse of minors," Lincoln Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz said in a prepared statement.
"The Catholic Church teaches that all homosexual acts and any sexual abuse of minors or others are mortal sins. Such sins and heinous crimes should be appropriately punished by the authorities of the church and the state."
[42 yrs Skehan, Guinan] - RCC. Took $US 8.6m.
Palm Beach Post,
By Larry Keller, Thursday, April 12, 2007
DELRAY BEACH (FL) -- Not only is the Rev. John Skehan charged with misappropriating millions of dollars from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach, but also he was a drunken, obsessed and jealous man, according to a former church employee.
Colleen Head, now 29, began working at the church in her teens and was married there in 2001. Her mother, Terese Duffey, also worked at the church.
Skehan, 79, paid for Head to visit him in his native Ireland in 1999, where he spent summers. In a diary she kept of the trip and turned over to prosecutors, Head described her love of Ireland and her revulsion for Skehan.
The priest was a drunken driver, obsessed with her and jealous of her relationship with his nephew, Sean Kennedy, Head wrote in the diary.
"Father Skehan has driven me crazy!" she wrote in one entry. "He is such an ass!"
[2002 Erickson] - RCC. 2 men shot dead.
Hudson Star-Observer,
By Judy Wiff, Thursday, April 12, 2007
WISCONSIN -- St. Croix County's Finance Committee agreed Thursday to allocate $3,000 for legal research for the judge who is presiding over the O'Connell family's civil lawsuit against Catholic bishops.
Last August the parents, sister and brothers of Daniel O'Connell filed a lawsuit against U.S. Catholic bishops asking for the names of an estimated 5,000 priests the American church has identified as sexual abusers and predators since the 1950s.
O'Connell and intern James Ellison were found shot to death at the O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson Feb. 5, 2002. The O'Connell family and their attorneys claim the murders occurred after Dan O'Connell confronted Father Ryan Erickson of St. Patrick's Church about alleged sexual abuse of boys.
The civil suit initially named 178 defendants. Nine have since been dismissed.
[Yarrosh] - Christian. Paying to keep porn evidence stored.
The Republican and Herald,
BY PETER BORTNER, pbortner@republicanherald.com , Apr/11/2007
PENNSYLVANIA --Tuesday's scheduled hearing on whether to destroy child pornography owned by a former associate pastor of a Schuylkill Haven church has been postponed until the cleric's appeal of his state prison sentence is resolved.
However, the Rev. Ronald J. Yarrosh, 59, of Orwigsburg, must open his wallet to keep the pornography while he appeals his sentence of four to 10 years behind bars, President Judge William E. Baldwin ruled in a one-page order made available Tuesday.
"Continued storage (of the pornography) must be at his expense since that material has not been admitted into evidence," Baldwin wrote.
Baldwin's latest decision vacated his earlier order allowing the destruction of the pornography, which Yarrosh had stored at a U-RENT-IT self-storage business in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, and a vacant house in Jim Thorpe. Yarrosh's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Christopher W. Hobbs, had objected to destruction of the material while he is appealing the sentence.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved. New Tax Nos. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Arizona Daily Star,
By Stephanie Innes | Apr.12.2007
TUCSON (AZ) -- A federal bankruptcy judge on Wednesday released Tucson attorney Susan G. Boswell from possible contempt of court, but ordered an external audit of the finances of her client, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego.
Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler also criticized diocese attorneys for what she described as a lack of transparency in presenting their finances to the court.
Boswell says a misunderstanding led to claims that she appeared to conspire with the diocese in an attempt to shift money to parishes without court approval.
In a response filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California, Boswell and officials with the Diocese of San Diego said they had no prior knowledge about a memo sent out by the newly formed Organization of Parishes that encouraged parishes to obtain new taxpayer-identification numbers.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved. New Tax Nos. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
The Desert Sun,
by Allison Hoffman, The Associated Press, April 12, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A federal bankruptcy judge Wednesday ordered an external audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego amid accusations church leaders are trying to hide assets to avoid payment to sex abuse victims.
Judge Louise DeCarl Adler had earlier threatened the diocese with contempt for misrepresenting facts and possibly violating bankruptcy laws. She criticized church attorneys for failing to include 770 parish accounts in bankruptcy documents.
"This is the most Byzantine accounting system I've ever seen," Adler said. "I am mystified."
The contempt threat Monday came six weeks after the diocese sought bankruptcy protection amid lawsuits by more than 140 people who accuse priests of sexual abuse.
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Confession. 7 children.
Philippine Star,
By Fred P. Languido and Wenna A. Berondo, The Freeman, Apr/12/2007
PHILIPPINES -- A priest earlier accused of sexually harassing several students from Abellana National School was formally charged with seven counts of acts of lasciviousness in relation to child abuse before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office.
The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday filed seven counts for violation of Article 339 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Article 6, Section 10 (a) of the Republic Act 7610 otherwise known as the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Expoitation and Discrimination and Republic Act 7877 or the Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 against Fr. Benedicto Ejares.
The NBI found out that Fr. Ejares should be indicted of the above cases after seven of the more than 20 student participants of the Life in the Spirit Seminar at the Abellana National School in November last year accused him of inappropriately touching their private parts.
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Confession. 7 children.
GMA News,
~ April 12, 2007
PHILIPPINES -- Almost five months after the incident, the National Bureau of Investigation finally charged a priest accused of sexually harassing high school students during a Life in the Spirit seminar in Cebu City.
Sun-Star Cebu reported Thursday that the NBI sought charges against Fr. Benedicto Ejares before the city prosecutor's office Wednesday afternoon.
The NBI recommended that Ejares be charged with seven counts of acts of lasciviousness in relation to the anti-child abuse law, and a separate complaint for sexual harassment.
In filing the complaint, NBI regional chief lawyer Medardo de Lemos finally revealed the identity of the priest, whom investigators said failed to answer repeated subpoenas.
East Oregonian,
The Associated Press, ~ April 12, 2007
PORTLAND (OR), (AP) - The judge overseeing the first bankruptcy in the nation filed by a Roman Catholic diocese said Tuesday she expects to decide whether to approve the plan by the end of the week.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris heard only one objection to the reorganization plan for the Archdiocese of Portland during final arguments over a proposed $75 million settlement for alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests.
Paul and Deborah DuFresne claim their son, Nathan, suffered emotional distress after being labeled a bully and expelled from St. Thomas More school in Portland.
But Thomas Stilley, an attorney for the archdiocese, noted the case does not involve sexual abuse. He also argued there is more than enough money set aside - at least $3.8 million - for unsettled lawsuits, and the DuFresne case is the only one left.
[Burlington Diocese] - RCC. Nearly there.
Times Argus,
By Kevin O'Connor, Rutland Herald, April 12, 2007
VERMONT -- Vermont's Catholic Church is one of only two dioceses in the nation that has not fully complied with a toughened policy to prevent sexual abuse by priests, an independent report said Wednesday.
Bishop Salvatore Matano said the statewide Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is one article away from meeting the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" adopted by U.S. bishops five years ago at the height of a priest misconduct scandal.
Both the Vermont diocese and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have yet to complete "safe environment training" of all volunteers who work with children, according to the Gavin Group, a private auditing firm hired by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
[Burlington Diocese] - RCC. Nearly there.
Burlington Free Press
By Sam Hemingway, Thursday, April 12, 2007
VERMONT -- The statewide Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington lags behind nearly every other diocese in the country in setting up training programs to protect children from sexual abuse, a new study for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has found.
"It's a message to Burlington that they've got to work harder," said Sister Marie Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the national bishops' organization in Washington, D.C. "Most people were able to meet the requirements."
The study, a follow-up of a 2005 audit of 18 church dioceses that had failed to establish sex-abuse prevention programs as mandated by the church, said only the dioceses in Burlington and Cincinnati had not complied with the so-called Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
[1980s Doherty] - RCC. 3 boys.
Sun-Sentinel,
By Madeline Baró Diaz, Miami Bureau, Posted April 12 2007
MIAMI (FL) -- Three men have accused a former Broward County priest awaiting trial on sexual molestation charges of paying them for sex when they were boys and turning them into prostitutes.
The allegations in three lawsuits filed Wednesday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against the Archdiocese of Miami are the latest naming the Rev. Neil Doherty, former pastor of St. Vincent's Catholic Church in Margate. Each suit seeks more than $25 million in damages.
The three men, now in their 30s, met Doherty in the 1980s when they were around 10 to 15 years old as part of church outreach programs in Miami, the lawsuits said. At the time, Doherty was serving as a priest in Miami-Dade County.
- RCC.
Portland Press Herald,
Associated Press, Thursday, April 12, 2007
PORTLAND (ME) -- The Diocese of Portland was one of 11 Roman Catholic dioceses across the country found to be in full compliance with protocols set in motion in 2002 to safeguard children as a clergy sex abuse crisis battered the church.
After falling short last year, the Portland diocese is 100 percent complaint in all 13 areas included in the Catholic Church's Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, known as the Dallas Charter, said Bishop Richard Malone.
According to the audit, which reviewed the period from mid-December 2005 to August, all 4,926 clergy, employees and volunteers in the diocese have undergone background checks.
- RCC/
South Bend Tribune,
By LYN STEGEMILLER, ~ April 12, 2007
SOUTH BEND (IN) -- The Most Rev. John M. D'Arcy, bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, finds he has something in common with Frank Sinatra.
Regrets? Yes, he's had a few but, then again, too few to mention.
A smiling D'Arcy cites the song lyrics as he talks about his five decades as a Roman Catholic priest. The diocese will mark the 50th anniversary of his ordination with a celebration in Fort Wayne on Sunday. ...
He arrived with the national priest sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church and was lauded for having sent warning letters to his superiors about priests' misconduct.
Locally, D'Arcy reported in 2003 that 16 priests had sexually abused 33 children in the diocese since 1950, with the last credible complaint of physical sexual abuse being in 1987.
It was not hard to know what to do, he says of handling the local situation, but it was "awful" listening to the stories of the victims and their parents.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 12, 2007
7:52 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Thu April 12, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Accused murder plot duo left notes.
Accused murder plot duo left notes
The Australian,
http://theaust ralian.news. com.au/story/ 0,20867,2154 8350-2702,00. html , by Alana Buckley-Carr, April 13, 2007
PERTH: A HANDWRITTEN murder blueprint outlined the chilling plans of two male lovers to stake out hostels and soup kitchens with the hope of finding a young boy to kidnap and live out their depraved sexual fantasy on, a court has heard.
Notepads and torn envelopes were presented to Perth District Court yesterday in the trial of Victor Lesley Urquhart, 46, and his lover, Robbie Sebastian Wheeler, 43.
The men are on trial for conspiring to murder a 14-year-old boy, whom they have already admitted kidnapping and sexually abusing over a three-week period.
In a day of dramatic evidence yesterday, video footage of the teenager's police rescue was played to the court. The video shows officers presenting Wheeler with a search warrant before the teenager and a topless Urquhart are found sitting on a bed in the back of the house.
Urquhart can be seen hurriedly putting on a shirt while the boy is asked by police how he has been treated.
Sergeant Adrian Reynolds told the court the boy told police the men were pedophiles.
"I was surprised to see (the boy) sitting there on the bed, probably not as surprised as he was to see us," Sergeant Reynolds said.
The police video reveals the extraordinary conditions the boy was held in, handcuffed to a bed in a small room, with the curtains drawn, television blaring and various sex aids scattered around.
Also seized from the house, on a busy Perth highway, were notepads with drawings depicting a bigger man having sex with a smaller person.
Some of the documents read "cover bed in plastic, cruise pref straight boy, dark roads, quiet streets, like to pick the younger the better, give him a drink of valium".
Other notes said the boy had been asking a lot of questions while another said it was time to get rid of him.
The jury was also told the men had repeatedly changed their minds about when the boy's captivity would end.
In recorded police interviews, the boy said: "They were discussing about how one day during the week they were going to pack up the stuff they wanted to take with them.
"They were going to chain me to the bed and skip the state and they were going to alert the police to where I was."
He told of being allowed to mark off a calendar, counting down the days to when he would be allowed to go home.
But the prosecution claims the boy was kidnapped with the men intending to kill him and then dump his body.
Also giving evidence, real estate agent Sheron Bednarek told of how she helped police find the missing teenager.
Ms Bednarek was having a cigarette break outside her office when she spotted two men talking to a much younger boy. She said the boy then followed the men further down a busy Perth highway.
Although she kept watching them until they were out of sight, she did not report the sighting until two days after the boy's disappearance.
"It was my birthday the next day so I hadn't seen the media," she said.
Ms Bednarek said she had noted what she had seen in her diary because she thought it was unusual.
But it was not until three weeks later that police contacted her to view a photoboard.
Four hours after she identified Wheeler as one of the men she had seen, police attended the house and found the boy sitting on the bed in the back of the house.
The trial continues. #
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm#accused
[Apr 13, 07]
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[≤ 1994 Ory -NEW* (Jesuit)] - RCC. Many allegations.
WJZ,
http://wjz.com/ local/local_story_
103123500.html , ~ April 13, 2007
BALTIMORE (MD), (AP) -- Loyola College removed a Jesuit clergy member from its Baltimore campus after learning he had been fired from a Jesuit high school in Dallas 13 years ago because of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and because he acknowledged to serving alcohol to minors.
Claude Ory, 69, was removed from his position managing the Jesuits' Ignatius House residence last month at the request of Loyola's president, Rev. Brian Linnane, school officials told The Baltimore Examiner.
Loyola spokesman Mark Kelly said he believed Linnane learned of the allegations involving Ory when he became president in 2005. "The college felt, and the Jesuit Province agreed, that it did not want someone with any of those kind of allegations near campus," Kelly said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 13, 2007
1:49 PM]
[2007 Cardinal McCarrick -NEW*] - RCC. Dodges blame.
New Zealand Herald,
www.nzherald. co.nz/category/ story.cfm?c_ id=301&objectid =10434224 ,
By Simon Collins, for Saturday April 14, 2007
NEW ZEALAND -- One of the United States' most senior cardinals says the Catholic Church has learned its lesson after paying out US$1.7 billion ($2.3 billion) in legal costs and settlements for sexual abuse by priests and other church officials.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who arrived in Auckland yesterday to speak at a eucharistic convention this weekend, said the Church in the US now had a policy of "zero tolerance" towards any priest found guilty of any sexual offence against a child.
"If there is one proven case of a priest or religious worker who has improperly dealt with a child, then that person is removed."
[COMMENT: For decades (? centuries) the RCC used to transfer such people, or make laughable attempts to cure them at monasteries or in modern times at holiday camps pretending to be psychological re-programming centres. After such "cures", they would be transferred to another parish, and seduce again. Some of them are in Rome or nearby to this day, and others are being winkled out in various countries.
Let us hope that the New Zealand people can see right through Cardinal McCarrick's story, helped perhaps by 2 sets of news: The alcoholic priest and the murdered 23-year-old Angelika in Scotland (reported ~ March 29, 2007 onwards), and the U.S. Jesuit named Claude Ory, whose sexploits led to him being removed from one posting in 1994, but he turns up in the Church's employ, now being dismissed again in 2007 (~ April 13, 2007 newsitems). Or read about centuries of seduction, written by Doyle, Sipe, and Wall: www.multiline. com.au/~johnm/ ethics/ carnalbooks. htm# sexpriests .
COMMENT ENDS.]
[1960s Cigrand -NEW*] - RCC. Altar boy.
KWQC,
~ April 13, 2007
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of a former altar boy who claimed he was abused by a priest during the 1960s at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Ryan.
The lawsuit, filed in 2004, claimed the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque was responsible because it employed the Reverend Nicholas Cigrand. He died in 1976.
The diocese filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming Cigrand was never an employee of the diocese, but was an employee of the church, which was a separate legal entity.
A district judge in Dubuque County dismissed the case after it was found that the man failed to provide evidence to support his claims.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 13, 2007
5:55 PM]
- Baptist.
Church Executive,
By Hannah Elliott, ~ April 13, 2007
NEW YORK -- With awareness of sexual abuse by clergy in Southern Baptist churches on the increase, a well-known television newsmagazine is taking notice.
In a show -- scheduled to air the evening of April 13 -- called "Preacher Predators," ABC's "20/20" will examine the problem of sexual predators in Baptist churches as well as those of other denominations. According to ABC producers, the show will also study the unique role that Baptist polity and autonomy can play in perpetuating or resolving the problem.
Producers said they decided to investigate sexual abuse because several Baptist ministers in states across the South have been prosecuted for sex crimes within the last year.
Frank Page, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, agreed to appear on the program. Page, in an open letter explaining why he chose to speak in a show he said may prove "overwhelmingly negative," said he spoke to ABC producers because "even one instance of sexual abuse is too much."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 13, 2007
6:02 PM]
- Protestants, too.
ABC News,
By JIM AVILA, BONNIE VAN GILDER, and MATT LOPEZ, April 13, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Sanctuaries are designed to make us feel safe. They provide us peace and a place to pray. Bells call the good to worship and warn the evil to stay away.
This is the kind of American church that a young Christa Brown was drawn to. As a teenager in the 1960s, Brown learned to love music and her God. She grew up in the church, sang in the choir and played the piano.
But as Brown would find out, churches don't always protect the innocent. Sometimes these sanctuaries shield the guilty and even lure predators to a place where young people gather.
The Catholic Church has been widely criticized for how it handled instances of priests sexually abusing young people. And a six-month investigation by "20/20" found Protestant ministers, supposed men of God from every denomination, sexually abusing the children who trusted them. The investigation uncovered "preacher predators" in every corner of the country.
Watch the story on "20/20" Friday at 10 p.m. EDT
- RCC shielding offenders.
Yakima Herald-Republic,
By JANE GARGAS, ~ April 13, 2007
YAKIMA (WA) -- A national organization that monitors clergy abuse strongly criticized the Catholic Diocese of Yakima, asking Bishop Carlos Sevilla in a Thursday letter to apologize publicly for his handling of two cases of alleged misconduct by clergy.
Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, faxed the letter to the bishop, calling for a diocesan investigation and for more outreach to find victims of abuse.
"We are writing to you, Bishop Sevilla, because there is compelling evidence that the Diocese of Yakima is continuing a long and disturbing pattern of protecting errant clergy and failing to protect children and youth," the letter stated.
This is the first time that the group, headquartered in Chicago, has initiated criticism of the Yakima Diocese.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$104m. 386 claimants.
Reuters,
April 13, 2007
PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland formally emerged from bankruptcy on Friday with a $75 million settlement plan after 2-1/2 years of court wrangling over how to pay victims of alleged sex abuse by priests.
The archdiocese, facing mounting potential financial claims from 175 people who accused clergy of sex abuse, filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2004, the first in the nation to do so.
Four other dioceses followed suit in the wake of the priest abuse scandal, which erupted in Boston in 2002 and has affected almost every Catholic diocese in the United States.
"All of the known child sexual abuse claims that precipitated the filing of the bankruptcy petition have either been disallowed or are settled and will be paid in full on the effective date of the plan," the opinion issued by Judge Elizabeth Perris of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Oregon said.
[50yrs Rockville Centre Diocese] - RCC.
International Herald Tribune,
The Associated Press, Published April 13, 2007
MINEOLA, New York State -- America's sixth-largest Roman Catholic diocese is headed to trial next week in a $150 million (€110.85 million) lawsuit related to a youth minister who raped and sodomized teenagers - part of a wave of lawsuits against U.S. churches since the sex abuse scandal broke five years ago.
But this case is unique, despite its familiar scenario of youths abused by religious leaders: It could be one of the few decided by a jury, rather than a quiet, out-of-court settlement.
The U.S. Conference of Bishops estimates abuse-related costs from lawsuits have exceeded $1.5 billion (€1.11 billion), the majority out-of-court settlements. Many of the alleged acts took place long before statutes of limitations expired. On Long Island, a grand jury found nearly two dozen cases of abuse going back decades in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, America's sixth largest with 1.3 million Catholics in 134 parishes.
"It is rare" for such cases to go to a jury, said Steve Rubino, a New Jersey lawyer who has handled hundreds of other church sex abuse cases. He cited a variety of factors favoring a settlement, including the desire to prevent details of the alleged abuse from going public.
[50yrs Spokane Diocese] - RCC. US$48m. 161 survivors.
KHQ,
~ April 13, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane Roman Catholic Bishop William Skylstad says today's church parishioners must atone for the actions of pedophile priests decades ago. In a letter in response to calls for his resignation over a proposed $48 million dollar settlement with victims of past clergy abuse, Skylstad says parishioners may not like it, "but that is the way it is."
The 82 parishes in the Eastern Washington diocese are on the hook for contributing $10 million dollars toward the settlement by the end of this year. The settlement could be approved later this month in U-S Bankruptcy Court in Spokane.
Four prominent Catholic businessmen wrote Skylstad saying they don't intend to contribute "a cent" to the settlement and urged him to step aside so another bishop could review the payouts. Skylstad replied that the settlement is necessary to bring the church out of the sex abuse crisis.
[Decades - USA RCC] - RCC. 635 more victims.
Spero News,
By William Donohue, ~ April 13, 2007
UNITED STATES -- On April 11, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released the 2006 report on clergy sex abuse. Catholic League president Bill Donohue said in response, "Rachel Zoll of Associated Press did her usual fine work, but because most of the news was good, her piece was either ignored or drastically reduced by most newspapers. Here are some of the key findings:
• Of the 635 credible accusations made in 2006, 71 percent of the alleged cases took place between 1960 and 1984. Only 2 percent occurred in 2006.
• Most-71 percent-of the accused are either dead or have been removed from ministry; some are missing.
• 80 percent of the alleged victims are male.
"In other words, the abuse flared during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and ended when AIDS was discovered in 1981.
[COMMENT: Sex abuse doesn't follow the same public exposure paths as theft or murder! The victims from the 1980s to the present day will still be coming forward in 30 to 50 or more years. New current cases are still being reported, so it is obvious that religious leaders (not only Christian) have NOT stopped being tempted, and falling into these sins, AND being hidden by their superiors, in spite of the publicity since 2002. No wonder someone has written a book called The God delusion! A big clean-up is needed if the good parts of religion are to be taught with confidence.
ENDS.]
- Southern Baptists and others.
Deep Thoughts,
~ April 13, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Child sex abuse by Catholic priests has been headline news in recent years, but is the same abuse happening within Protestant churches?
In a six-month investigation, ABC News' "20/20" found preacher predators in every corner of the country, including several affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) - the largest Protestant denomination. Jim Avila's exclusive report airs on "20/20," FRIDAY, APRIL 13 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
Avila's reporting finds that the SBC, an organization of 43,000 independent churches and 16.3 million members - has an overall structure that makes it difficult to police preacher predators. One example includes a profile of a SBC pastor who abused kids in Kentucky and then moved on to do the same to eight boys in Missouri before he was finally sent to prison. In an interview with Avila, the SBC president concedes that there is a problem with tracking predators.
- RCC.
[2006 Mr Tobin*] - Woman dead.
[- ~ 2006 Fr Nugent*] - 2 lovers.
Glasgow Evening Times,
www.evening times.co.uk/ news/display. var.1325177.0. priest_lied_to_ friend_over_the_ day_that_angelika_ died.php ; ~ April 13, 2007
SCOTLAND -- A PRIEST lied to one of his closest friends about where he was on the day Angelika Kluk is thought to have died, a murder trial heard.
Father Gerry Nugent, 63, who earlier told the court he had a sexual relationship with the 23-year-old Polish student, had been out for a meal with a church helper in Bishopbriggs.
Soon after he returned to his rooms at St Patrick's Church in Anderston, Glasgow, that Sunday, September 25, he was joined by civil servant Geraldine McGowan, 37.
Miss McGowan was revealed as the "mystery woman" in Father Nugent's sitting room when Angelika's sister and lover, and then police, searched the church for the girl the following evening.
[≤ 1994 Ory*] - RCC. Many allegations.
The Examiner,
by Ron Cassie, Apr 13, 2007
BALTIMORE (MD) -- Loyola College removed a Jesuit clergy member from campus last month who had been fired from a Dallas Jesuit high school 13 years ago because of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and admittedly serving alcohol to minors, the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus and school officials acknowledged this week.
In 2002, the Rev. Philip Postell, president of Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, admitted he fired maintenance supervisor Claude Ory, now 69, in 1994 after repeatedly hearing allegations of sexual impropriety, providing alcohol to minors and ultimately sexual assault, according to a story published in the Dallas Morning News.
[Barlow] - Fundamentalist LDS. Girls.
The Daily News,
By JIM SECKLER / 10:26 PM PDT, Thursday, April 12, 2007
KINGMAN (UT) -- The case of one of two remaining Colorado City polygamists charged with having sex with underage girls ended suddenly Wednesday with a last-minute plea agreement.
Dale Evans Barlow, 49, was charged with one count of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. He pleaded no contest in Superior Court to conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor with the sexual conduct charge being dismissed.
Judge Steven Conn will sentence Barlow June 15 to supervised probation for up to three years. Conn can also designate the charge as a misdemeanor, felony or leave it as undesignated at Barlow's sentencing. ...
Barlow and seven other codefendants belong to a controversial polygamist sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Colorado City.
[1973-2004 Thomas Smith] - RCC. Pricking, whipping, sex. Boys.
Washington Post,
By MARYCLAIRE DALE, The Associated Press, 9:28 AM, Friday, April 13, 2007
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- The Vatican has defrocked a former priest accused of sexually assaulting and whipping boys participating in Passion plays, the Philadelphia archdiocese said.
The Rev. Thomas J. Smith was accused of putting pins in his mouth and pricking the boys until they bled, according to a 2005 grand jury report. He also was accused of whipping boys participating in dramatic representations of the trial, suffering and death of Jesus Christ until they had welts.
The grand jury called Smith's behavior "depraved and sadistic."
Smith's alleged actions took place in various parishes from 1973 through December 2004, when the archdiocese removed him from clerical duties after an investigation of sexual misconduct involving one minor was found credible.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. ~ 2006-07 assets moved. New Tax Nos. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Union-Tribune,
By Mark Sauer and Sandi Dolbee, April 13, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A federal judge yesterday approved an interest-free, $14 million loan for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego to complete a Chula Vista high school. The ruling came in a contentious hearing that foreshadowed another battle in the diocese's bankruptcy.
The money at issue was the last part of $50 million provided by the nonprofit charity ALSAM Foundation of Utah, which represents the bulk of funding for the $61 million Mater Dei Catholic High School, scheduled to open in the fall.
Judge Louise DeCarl Adler left undecided the question of whether the $36 million in ALSAM funds already paid to contractors was originally a gift or a loan.
That was the key argument among attorneys representing more than 150 people suing the diocese over alleged sexual abuse by priests, and those representing the church and the ALSAM Foundation.
[50yrs Spokane Diocese] - RCC. US$48m. 161 survivors.
The Columbian,
By JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer, 5:18 PM EDT, Apr 12, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Spokane Bishop William Skylstad has rejected calls from prominent Catholics to resign over a proposed plan to pay victims of clergy sex abuse $48 million.
In an exchange of letters with four wealthy businessmen and church contributors who called for him to step aside, Skylstad also rejected demands to scrap the proposed settlement that is contained in a bankruptcy plan.
The correspondence, obtained by The Spokesman-Review and published Thursday, reveals deep divisions among some parishioners over who should pay to settle claims by abuse victims, and how much.
In a disclosure statement released in February, individual parishes are expected to contribute $10 million toward the settlement by the end of this year. A fundraising effort has begun.
- RCC.
The Pilot,
By Christine Williams, Posted Apr/13/2007
BRIGHTON, BOSTON (MA) -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced April 10 its full compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
The Gavin Group conducted a full, independent audit that found the archdiocese in compliance with 12 of the 13 articles of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) charter, according to an archdiocesan statement. The 2006 audit year ended on June 30, 2006. By Dec. 31, 2006, the archdiocese was brought into full compliance in all categories.
Beginning in 2006 the audit no longer covered the calendar year but rather the 12-month period that began in July. The 2007 audit will include data from July 2006 to June 2007.
During an interview with The Pilot on April 10, Father John Connolly, special assistant to Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, said, "We have made considerable progress over the course of the last year."
- RCC. 6 dioceses not complying.
The Tidings,
By Jerry Filteau, ~ April 13, 2007
UNITED STATES --Twenty-seven of 29 Catholic dioceses and eparchies audited in 2006 complied with the church's national standards for child protection programs and the prevention of and response to sexual abuse, says a report released April 11.
However, four dioceses that were not found in compliance in 2005 refused to participate in the 2006 audit.
"The overall results of the 2006 audit are encouraging," said Patricia O'Donnell Ewers, chairwoman of the bishops' all-lay National Review Board. But she described the refusal of four dioceses to participate as "discouraging news."
Two --- the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., and the Melkite Eparchy of Newton, Mass. --- had refused to participate in the 2005 audits as well and were supposed to undergo full audits. The Diocese of Baker, Ore., and the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark (N.J.) for Syriacs refused partial audits that would have focused on those areas where they did not meet compliance standards in 2005.
[Decades - Manchester Diocese] - RCC. 9 more complainants.
WMUR,
www.wmur. com/news/ 11772288/ detail.html , ~ April 13, 2007
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- A yearly audit of the Catholic Diocese of Manchester has revealed nine newly reported cases of sexual abuse by priests.
The reports came in 2006 but were from 1954 or earlier, thorough the year 1979.
Out of the nine cases, eight priests were named by accusers.
The diocese said that one priest was returned to the ministry after the allegations were deemed not probable. Seven of the accused are no longer priests.
- RCC.
[Decades - Thomas Smith] - Many boys.
[Decades - Philadelphia Archdiocese] - 63 clergy protected.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
FROM STAFF REPORTS, ~ April 13, 2007
PHILADELPHIA (PA) -- A Catholic priest accused by the District Attorney's Office of engaging in "depraved and sadistic behavior with many boys" has been defrocked, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced yesterday.
The Vatican approved the Rev. Thomas J. Smith's request to be removed from the clerical state. Smith voluntarily left the active ministry in December 2004, while the archdiocese was investigating an allegation against him of sexual misconduct involving a minor. The allegation was subsequently found credible, and he sought removal from the clerical state, the archdiocese said.
Smith, whose service with the archdiocese began in 1973 and covered many parishes, was cited in a damning 2005 Philadelphia grand jury report investigating allegations of sexual abuse by local clergy. The report, released by the District Attorney's Office, accused the archdiocese of covering up abuse by at least 63 priests over several decades. Smith was one of the case studies.
[1970s Paulin] - RCC. Another US$115,000. Boy.
Rutland Herald,
By KEVIN O'CONNOR, April 13, 2007
VERMONT -- Vermont's Catholic Church has agreed to settle the latest of more than two dozen lawsuits accusing its priests of child sexual abuse.
The statewide Diocese of Burlington will pay Neil Morrissette, 48, of St. Johnsbury, $115,000 in return for him dropping his civil court case against it.
Morrissette alleges he was 13 when the Rev. George Paulin, now 63, "sexually abused and sexually exploited" him while a parishioner at Newport's St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in the early 1970s.
Last April, the diocese paid a record $965,000 to settle a similar misconduct case against another priest. Morrissette's lawyer, Jerome O'Neill of Burlington, said Thursday's agreement wasn't as high because he couldn't prove the church had prior knowledge that Paulin, a former Ludlow pastor, had abused others and should have been stopped.
[1971-72 Paulin] - RCC. Another US$135,000. Boy.
Burlington Free Press,
By Sam Hemingway, Published: Friday, April 13, 2007
VERMONT -- The state's Roman Catholic Diocese has agreed to a $135,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by a St. Johnsbury man who said he was sexually molested as a boy by the Rev. George Paulin, lawyers connected with the case said Thursday.
Neil Morrissette, now 48, alleged that Paulin molested him in 1971 and 1972 at the Morrissette family's home in Newport and at the rectory of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Newport. Paulin was the parish priest at St. Mary at the time.
Under the settlement terms, Morrissette will receive $120,000. The remaining $15,000 will be paid to settle a related legal dispute between lawyers for Morrissette and the diocese that flared up during the case last year.
- RCC.
The Coloradoan,
By KELLI LACKETT, KelliLackett@coloradoan.com , April 13, 2007
FORT COLLINS (CO) -- Archbishop Charles Chaput spoke to parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish on Thursday to open a dialogue about a former parish priest convicted of child sexual abuse.
More than 200 people gathered in a meeting hall at the church to hear from representatives of the Archdiocese of Denver and voice their feelings and concerns.
Jeanette DeMelo, director of communications for the archdiocese, asked a reporter to leave the meeting shortly after it began, saying it was a closed meeting.
- RCC.
[RCC] - Stalling, still.
[Caffoe] - Many minors.
City of Angels,
~ April 13, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Hearings next week reveal the ongoing battle as church attorneys try to get cases thrown out of court and set up roadblocks to cases in progress. Meanwhile plaintiff attorneys have to file motions over and over again to get the church to turn over documents that have already been ordered produced by this court.
This morning Judge Haley Fromholz declared more than 70 cases ready to be put on calendar for jury trial before December this year. Liaison attorneys from both sides met in chambers Thursday in a status conference that resulted in these 70 to 80 cases, where discovery has progressed since November, now being set for trial. Expect a judge's order with details early next week.
Church attorneys are stalling in the "Pepito & Uranga" case which is set for jury trial August 6, 2007. In a hearing April 17 plaintiff attorney Katherine Freberg requests a court order "compelling the custodian of records of St. John's Seminary, Monsignor Helmut Hefner, to produce documents requested of him at a deposition which documents the deponent failed to produce."
Judge Fromholz ordered the entire St. Johns Seminary file turned over last year in cases regarding prolific pedophile priest Lynn Caffoe.
[1994-95 Banko] - RCC. Boy/s.
The Express-Times,
By SARA K. SATULLO, Friday, April 13, 2007
FLEMINGTON | PENNSYLVANIA | A former Milford priest's upcoming sex assault trial may not include testimony from other alleged victims who aren't directly involved in the case, as his first trial did.
Hunterdon County Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Solari said Thursday she doesn't plan to ask the court to admit testimony regarding "prior bad acts" at the Rev. John Banko's second molestation trial.
A jury convicted the 60-year-old priest of sexually abusing an altar boy in 2002. He is serving a 15-year sentence at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, N.J. and is awaiting trial in a second case.
Solari has been considering asking alleged victims to testify against Banko as they did in the 2002 trial. In that trial three men, besides the victim, testified that Banko plied them with fancy dinners and alcohol before trying to molest them. The same three men were not going to testify in the new case, Solari said
- RCC.
[Toledo Diocese] - Paid for abortions.
[1980 Robinson] - Files on abortions? Nun murdered.
Renew America,
by Matt C. Abbott, April 12, 2007
TOLEDO (OH) -- In a Dec. 2006 column, I printed an excerpt from Toledo Blade religion editor David Yonke's book Sin, Shame and Secrets which stated that "privileged" diocesan files "contained reports of abortions paid for by the [Toledo] diocese."
Yonke's book is about the Father Gerald Robinson case in Toledo, Ohio. Robinson was convicted on May 11, 2006 of murdering Sister Margaret Ann Pahl in a hospital chapel in 1980. He is serving a sentence of 15 years to life.
To date, the diocese has not commented on Yonke's report of the abortion files.
And Yonke stands firmly behind his reporting.
Claudia Vercellotti, of the Toledo chapter of SNAP, shed more light on the matter in a recent e-mail to me:
"Here's what I know: The Toledo Police asked the diocese for everything on Father Gerald Robinson and received only three pages. After obtaining and executing two no-knock search warrants, they uncovered 145 more pages that had never been turned over to the police.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 13, 2007
1:37 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Fri April 13, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1960s+ and 2006 Hanley] - RCC. Allegation: Waved baseball bat. 16 boys.
Daily Record,
www.daily record.com/ apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20070414/ COMMUNITIES/ 704140332/ 1203 ,
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF, Saturday, April 14, 2007
NEW JERSEY -- A former Morris County priest has been placed in protective custody at the Hudson County jail because of fears he would be harmed by other inmates who learned he's admitted to sexually molesting children, Hudson County authorities said Friday.
James T. Hanley, a former pastor at St. Joseph's Church in Mendham, has been in the jail since October on charges that he made terroristic threats and was in possession of a weapon after allegedly waving a baseball bat at workers last year during a dispute at a Secaucus hotel.
The former priest has been isolated from the rest of the jail population "for his own safety," said Kelvin Roberts, deputy director of the Hudson County Department of Corrections.
[LOOKBACK: See:
"Admitted molester confronts accusers",
The Star-Ledger, Jan 30, 2006
AND "Accused molester no longer a priest," Star-Ledger, www.nj.com/ search/index.ssf?/ base/news-3/ 1047626038190650. xml?starledger?nnj ; Mar 14, 2003.
ENDS.]
[Years - Ward] - Baptist. > 40 boys.
Orthodox Reform,
~ April 14, 2007
UNITED STATES -- On Friday, the ABC show "20/20" aired a report on sex abuse by Protestant clergy.
Abuse of power by clergy is not just an Orthodox or Catholic issue; it appears in any large system where sinful people have means to exploit their power to fulfill their deviant lusts.
One account tells of a Southern Baptist pastor who molested over 40 boys:
Ken Ward is a Southern Baptist pastor and teacher in East Texas, who has admitted to molesting more than 40 boys. He said that being a teacher and minister is the perfect job for a child molester, because it puts the molester in direct contact with young people. "I [was] attracted to a certain child, and in my case, it was primarily prepubescent boys," he said.
[2007 Cardinal McCarrick*] - RCC. Said RCC removed deviants.
TV 3,
~ April 14, 2007
NEW ZEALAND -- A visiting cardinal says the Catholic Church in the US is going to extreme measures to protect children from sexual abuse.
One of America's most senior cardinals, Theodore McCarrick, says the church's zero tolerance approach to sexual abuse has virtually eliminated the problem.
The policy includes educating children to be on the alert for untoward behaviour by adults and the Church taking immediate action once a complaint is made.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 14, 2007
5:22 AM]
[1966-69 Clergyman] - RCC. No evidence. Altar boy.
Des Moines Register,
ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 14, 2007
IOWA -- The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday rejected the appeal of a former altar boy who claimed he was abused by a priest during the 1960s.
The man filed the lawsuit against the Dubuque Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church claiming the now-deceased priest abused him on several occasions between 1966 and 1969 at the rectory and school at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Ryan.
His lawsuit was dismissed by a district judge in Dubuque County after it was found that the man failed to provide evidence to support his claims.
[50yrs - Portland Archdiocese] - RCC. > 175 accusers.
The Oregonian,
April 13, 2007
OREGON -- As expected, a judge has approved a $75 million plan to bring the Portland Archdiocese out of bankruptcy.
The plan includes more than $50 million for about 175 people who claimed they were molested by priests or other Catholic officials during the past 50 years.
The only objection to the plan came from a family who sued over their son's expulsion from St. Thomas More School. They claimed that the $3.8 million set aside for their case might not be enough should a jury award them punitive damages.
The plan had the support of the archdiocese, groups representing about 400,000 western Oregon Catholics, insurance companies and 175 people who claimed they were sexually abused.
Although U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth L. Perris released her opinion this morning, she will not sign an order confirming the plan until Tuesday. As a result, a gag order preventing the parties from discussing the bankruptcy remains in effect until then.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$75m. 175 claimants.
The Oregonian,
Posted by M. Walden 17:26PM, April 13, 2007
OREGON -- Here are key players and developments in the priest sex-abuse cases against the Archdiocese of Portland:
1. Joe Elliott's lawsuit in December 1999 started a flood of priest sex-abuse litigation against the Portland Archdiocese. [...]
- RCC.
Los Angeles Times,
By Jim Newton and Louis Sahagun, April 14, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- There was a time when Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, leader of the largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States, was a formidably influential political figure. A decade ago, he was a member of Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's inner circle and the spiritual leader of a growing community with exponentially expanding power.
Today, Mahony remains one of the region's most recognized leaders and a sought-after voice on certain issues. But time, scandal and the shifting demographics of Los Angeles politics have diminished Mahony's might to the point that his recent remonstrations - in which he took to task Fabian Nuñez, the speaker of the California Assembly, for endorsing an assisted suicide bill - have served more to emphasize Mahony's weakness than to deter Nuñez. ...
If changing politics have diminished Mahony's influence, so too have the dispiriting controversy regarding pedophile priests and charges that the molestation of children was covered up by church officials. Even admirers of the cardinal acknowledge that it is far more difficult for church leaders to issue moral proclamations in the face of the withering allegations against their own leadership.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$75m. 175 claimants.
The Oregonian,
By NANCY HAUGHT and AIMEE GREEN, Saturday, April 14, 2007
OREGON -- "Thank God, it is settled."
That sentiment -- expressed by Thomas Davis, a member of St. Augustine Parish in Lincoln City -- reflects the feelings of many western Oregon Catholics who learned Friday that the Portland Archdiocese's two-year-old bankruptcy is over.
"We were worried that we might lose our new parish hall," said Davis, who is organist and a cantor at St. Augustine. "Bad things happened, but the archdiocese survived."
Many parishioners said they were relieved that their churches, schools or other parish property won't have to be sold to pay clergy abuse claims, but many of them want healing and forgiveness to be the next steps in the process.
"Perhaps now feelings can de-escalate and some healing can begin," said Joan O'Neill, a member of St. Andrew Parish in Portland. For a time, she was active in Voice of the Faithful, a national activist group organized in response to the clergy abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.
- General.
Peoria Journal Star,
By MICHAEL MILLER, Saturday, April 14, 2007
ILLINOIS -- Advocates for sex-abuse victims who are now adults are still hoping to get a limited suspension of the Illinois statute of limitations on civil suits involving sexual assault.
An Illinois Senate bill introduced in February called for a two-year suspension of the statutes of limitation on sex-abuse lawsuits. That would mean allegations involving decades-old incidents could be brought in civil actions. Current law sets 10-year and five-year limits on such civil actions depending on when the abuse occurred or when memory of it is recovered.
The pending legislation has been reduced to a "shell bill" while sponsors look for a compromise between victims advocates and church representatives.
[1990s-2007 Armstrong*] - Episcopalian. < US$400,000. Secession.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Todd Hartman, April 14, 2007
COLORADO -- The Rev. Donald Armstrong today is scheduled to address accusations of theft and fraud outlined by the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado in a church version of an indictment.
The document, called a "presentment," outlines six counts against Armstrong, including allegations he used nearly $400,000 in church funds to cover family expenses, a grant to a friend, his own children's education and other, unknown, expenditures.
Armstrong, a rector of 20 years at the prominent Grace Church and St. Stephen's parish in Colorado Springs, has denied the charges, and plans to address the allegations this morning at what his spokesman called a "public forum" at the church.
[Katinas*] - Greek Orthodox. Minors.
Orthodox Reform,
~ April 14, 2007
DALLAS (TX) -- An article posted yesterday from the Dallas News Religion Blog takes Metropolitan Isaiah to task for his insensitive letter regarding the Fr. Nicholas Katinas sexual misconduct scandal.
Leading members of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) say the "bishop showed no mercy to the survivors and their families" and use strong language to condemn his letter, saying it "seemed designed to intimidate others into remaining silent."
This support group for clergy sex abuse victims "is calling upon a Greek Orthodox church official to apologize for his insensitive remarks and to reach out to others who may have been hurt by an accused abusive priest."
- RCC. Abuse reports lag by decades. 714 new accusers.
Orthodox Reform,
~ April 14, 2007
UNITED STATES -- USA Today reports several statistics from the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference latest annual report on sex-abuse claims. These findings are noteworthy for Orthodox Christians trying to understand the nature and magnitude of sex abuse issues within the Orthodox Church.
Only 17 of the 714 people who came forward with sexual misconduct complaints against the Roman Catholic church last year were under age 18. This means only 2% of reports came from minors, even though the majority of claims are for crimes against children. This showcases the fact that reports of pedophilia lag by decades, and children are afraid to report what has happened to them.
[Katinas*] - Greek Orthodox. Minors.
Orthodox Reform,
http://orthodox reform.org/news/ holy-trinity- parishioners- call-for-katinas- to-be-defrocked ,
~ April 14, 2007
DALLAS (TX) -- "We request that Nicholas Katinas be defrocked immediately."
Thus concludes this frank and compelling letter from Dean Siotos, Parish Council member, 2006-2007, of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas. Eleven other parishioners joined in signing this communication which went out recently to Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Demetrios, Metropolitan Isaiah and Father Kontogiorgis.
The letter addresses the very terrible situation of Holy Trinity - home parish of Fr. Nicholas Katinas - in the wake of revelations of Katinas' sexual abuse of minors, and the Greek Archdiocese refusal to defrock him.
Even more disturbing is this revelation from the letter:
Father Kontogiorgis informed the parish that the current suspension of Katinas is "permanent," while conceding privately the small but existent possibility that the suspension may be reversed, that Katinas could be pardoned, and he could even be reinstated in the future.
- RCC.
Arizona Daily Star,
By Rob O'Dell | Apr.14.2007
TUCSON (AZ) -- The minimum price to save part of Tucson's history and something unique to Southern Arizona: $1 million.
That's the cost estimate, in a "Final Historic Structure Report" done by the city, to stabilize the more than 90-year-old Marist College Downtown, at the northwest corner of the St. Augustine Cathedral square, and just to make it structurally sound. ...
The diocese is coming out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy after paying more than $22 million to settle claims of child sexual abuse by priests. Shaheen said the diocese's priorities are buildings and churches in use, like the 88-year-old Santa Cruz Church on South Sixth Avenue, which requires a new ceiling and supporting trusses.
"Coming out of bankruptcy, we don't have the funds to put to that building," Shaheen said. "We're working with the city to see if there is something we can do cooperatively," he said, adding that the diocese would turn the building over to the city if the right use can be found.
[Various dioceses] - RCC. Minors.
The Oregonian,
Posted 15:18PM, April 13, 2007
UNITED STATES -- The bankruptcy case involving the the Portland Archdiocese is one of several such cases. Here's what's going on with other diocesan bankruptcy proceedings throughout the United States:
Spokane
Bishop William Skylstad has rejected calls from prominent Catholics to resign over a proposed $48 million settlement with about 150 priest accusers.
The settlement includes insurance money and the sale of church properties. Parishes also are expected to contribute $10 million.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
9News,
written by Brian Willie, Photojournalist; created 3:52:28 PM, Apr/13/2007
FORT COLLINS (CO) -- Archbishop Charles Chaput spoke to parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish on Thursday to open a dialogue about a former priest convicted of sexual abuse on a child.
More than 200 people gathered in a meeting hall on Thursday to hear from representatives of the Archdiocese of Denver and voice their feelings and concerns.
Jeanette DeMelo, director of communications for the archdiocese, asked a reporter to leave the meeting shortly after it began, saying it was a closed meeting.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
Summit Daily News,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 13, 2007
FORT COLLINS (CO) -- Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput met privately with members of a parish whose former priest was convicted of sexually assaulting teenage boys.
About 200 people met with Chaput on Thursday night to discuss the case of Timothy Joseph Evans, a defrocked priest who was found guilty in separate trials of molesting teens while he was at churches in Fort Collins and Arvada.
Archdiocese spokeswoman Jeanette DeMelo said the meeting at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church in Fort Collins was intended to begin healing wounds the case has left and to help the archdiocese decide how to proceed.
A reporter for the Fort Collins Coloradoan was asked to leave the meeting.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$75m. 175 claimants.
Daily Bulletin,
The Associated Press, Article Launched Apr/14/2007
PORTLAND, Ore. - A judge overseeing the bankruptcy filing of the Archdiocese of Portland will confirm a proposed $75-million deal for current and future sex abuse claims against priests and other church officials, according to court documents filed Friday.
The decision from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris leaves intact the compensation proposed in a plan negotiated by the plaintiffs and the archdiocese, the first in the nation ever to declare bankruptcy.
The judge asked lawyers to make one change and draw up final documents for her approval.
About 175 people who claimed they were molested by priests or other church officials have agreed to settle their cases for about $52 million.
[Bishop McCleve*] - Mormon. ~ 2005 three girls, ? 1980s previous girl, 4th girl.
KSL,
Ashley Hayes Reporting, 12:04pm, April 13th, 2007
UTAH -- A former Harrisville LDS bishop was in court this afternoon in Ogden. In addition to a new charge, a judge raised Timothy McCleve's bail.
An additional felony charge of sexual abuse of a child has been filed in court for Timothy McCleve. A fourth victim has come forward outside of the original family.
As a result, the judge raised McCleve's bail from $60,000 to $100,000. He's accused of abusing three sisters between the ages of six and 12. The girls came forward after seeing media reports of sexual abuse involving school teacher Frank Lane Hall.
- Baptists.
Church Executive,
By Hannah Elliott, ~ April 14, 2007
ARLINGTON, TX -- With increasing national attention on Baptist churches' problems with clergy sex abuse, two prominent pastors have said they intend to push for more comprehensive ways to address the problem in the 16-million member Southern Baptist Convention.
Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson and Texas pastor Benjamin Cole intend to present a motion and resolution regarding the abuse problem at the annual SBC meeting, set for June 12 and 13 in San Antonio, Texas. The two have gained convention-wide attention in the past year for their blog-driven efforts to reform the denomination.
Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., will bring a motion calling for a study on the possibility of developing a database of Southern Baptist ministers convicted of sexual harassment and abuse. The motion will ask the SBC Executive Committee to report results from the study at the 2008 annual meeting, scheduled for Indianapolis.
Cole, who leads Parkview Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, will introduce a resolution titled "On Clergy Sexual Abuse."
[50yrs - Peoria Diocese] - RCC. 3 more accused.
Peoria Journal Star,
~ April 14, 2007
PEORIA (IL) -- Five people sued the Catholic Diocese of Peoria on Thursday, accusing three priests of sexually abusing them when they were minors.
One of the lawsuits also names OSF Saint Francis Medical Center for an alleged incident there in 1957.
St. Francis spokesman Chris Lofgren declined to comment. Diocesan spokeswoman Elizabeth Smarjesse said on Friday that the diocese had not been notified of the lawsuits.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 14, 2007
5:04 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sat April 14, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Primate attacked on abuse deal
[1940s-70s North Coast Children's Home -NEW*] - Anglican. 41 complainants.
The Australian,
www.theaust ralian.news. com.au/story/ 0,20867,2156 2996-2702,00.html ,
by Kevin Meade, for April 16, 2007
AUSTRALIA -- THE leader of the Anglican Church in Australia has been accused of "doing a Pontius Pilate" and ignoring the needs of 41 people who say they were abused as children in a northern NSW orphanage.
Lawyers for former residents of the home, who claim they were sexually and physically abused by clergy and staff at the North Coast Children's Home in Lismore from the 1940s to the 1970s, have accused Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of failing to help them secure a fair compensation deal.
"He's doing a Pontius Pilate," one former resident, Richard Campion, 59, said yesterday. "He's washed his hands of us."
- Baptists.
Christian Post,
By Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter, ~ April 15, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Clergy sex scandals have widely been exposed in the Catholic Church, but recent media attention has gone toward Protestant churches, mainly the Southern Baptist Convention, which some fear may be developing a similar pattern to the Catholic Church.
A six-month investigation was unfolded Friday night on ABC's 20/20 which found "preacher predators" all over the country and shielding themselves in churches. While the investigation uncovered pastors and ministers convicted of some account of sexual abuse from every denomination, the focus was placed on several cases within the largest Protestant denomination in the United States - the Southern Baptists.
"I predict this program will be a shocker for many around the nation," stated Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., in a Thursday blog post.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 2:45 PM]
- RCC.
KDBC,
~ April 15, 2007
EL PASO (TX) -- Cardinal Roger Mahony, head of the Archdiocese in Los Angeles, is known for his stance on immigration.
On Saturday he came to El Paso to take part in a mass and accept an award from immigrants rights group Annunciation House.
But in the midst of the mass...protesters standing quietly in the corner.
They represent victims abused by members of the Catholic Church.
[COMMENT: There does seem to be some congruity between strong pro-immigration action by clergy and other leaders in the English-speaking world, and having non-traditional sex beliefs. Scholars ought to gather facts to see whether this is just an impression of the Faith Purification Programme director, and see if there is a causative link, or not. In an era of Political Correctness, a pro-swamping policy would be good "protective cover."
COMMENT ENDS.]
[Pope John Paul II] - RCC. Secrecy on Bank and sex scandals.
Sunday Herald,
From Philip Willan in Rome, ~ April 15, 2007
ROME -- THE DEATH of Pope John Paul II two years ago brought an unprecedented public outpouring of grief, with the millions of pilgrims who thronged St Peter's Square for his funeral calling for him to be recognised immediately as a saint.
"Santo subito" - "make him a saint straight away" - was the message on the placards waved above the crowd.
His successor, Benedict XVI, appears to be sympathetic. He has waived a church rule that requires a five-year pause after an individual's death before the canonisation process can begin. In the exceptional case of Pope John Paul II, that period was just three months. ...
Other critics cite the pope's imposition of secrecy on some of the gravest scandals of his reign: the Vatican bank's involvement in the financial shenanigans that led to the bankruptcy of the Banco Ambrosiano in 1982 and the scandal of sexual abuse by priests.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:01 AM]
[1970s-80s Klever] - Presbyterian. Several youths.
Delco Times,
By CINDY SCHARR, cscharr@delcotimes.com , Apr/15/2007
PENNSYLVANIA -- More than 23 years after leaving his post at the Springfield Presbyterian Church, a former associate pastor was brought back to town to face charges he raped several members of the church's youth group in the 1970s and 80s.
Trembling and complaining about the cold, Gerald Leroy Klever, 75, stood before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Scanlon Saturday as the charges against him were read: Three counts each of rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, both charges felonies; corruption of minors; indecent assault and indecent exposure.
Klever, wearing jeans, Nike sneakers and a natty navy blue shirt, told the judge the charges against him "were perfectly clear."
Scanlon set bail at $250,000 cash.
- RCC.
The Patriot-News,
BY JUDITH PATTON, Sunday, April 15, 2007
HARRISBURG (PA) -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg said it received no credible allegations of sexual abuse by clerics against minors last year,
It was the second straight year no such allegations were reported, the diocese said.
However, the diocese paid $6,865 in 2006 to cover the cost of therapy for victims, spokesman Joseph Aponick said in a news release Friday.
- RCC losing Latinos.
Herald-Tribune,
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, April 15, 2007
RICHMOND, Va. – On Sunday afternoons, when the local Roman Catholic church holds Mass for Spanish-speaking Catholics, Edgar Chilín is playing soccer in a league with hundreds of Hispanic players.
As a child in Guatemala, Mr. Chilín attended Mass every Sunday. But after immigrating to the United States 25 years ago, he and his family lost the churchgoing habit. "We pray to God when we feel the need to," he said, "but when we come here to America we don't feel the need."
A wave of research shows that increasing percentages of Hispanics are abandoning church, suggesting to researchers that along with assimilation comes a measure of secularization. ...
She said that some of her women friends had stopped going because they became disillusioned with the Catholic Church after the priest sexual abuse scandals.
- RCC.
KFOX,
POSTED 8:11 pm MDT, April 14, 2007
TEXAS -- Los Angeles Cardinal Archbishop Roger Mahoney received the Voice of the Voiceless Award in El Paso Saturday, but the event did not come without controversy.
"We feel it is totally inappropriate for a complicit bishop who has aided and abetted thousands of child sex crimes and continues to do so today," Mary Grant with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said.
- RCC.
El Paso Times,
By Darren Meritz / ~ April 15, 2007
EL PASO (TX) -- A small group of protesters at Cardinal Roger Mahony's Mass on Saturday afternoon voiced their contempt of the Catholic Church for its handling of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy.
An estimated 25 members of the El Paso Chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests protested at the Mass.
Dr. Jose Baca, president of the organization, said Saturday that the church's response -- in particular Mahony's -- to widespread sexual abuse by clergy damages the church's credibility on other issues.
[≤ 2005 Fr McGrath*, Mr Adams*] - RCC. 17 charges. Girl (12).
Belfast Telegraph,
By Stephen Gordon, Sunday, April 15, 2007
NORTHERN IRELAND -- A Fermanagh priest and a second Northern Ireland man are to go on trial in Liverpool next month facing a catalogue of horrific child sex charges.
Billy Adams, originally from Newtownabbey, is accused of 13 rapes and a string of other offences against a 12-year-old girl.
Fr Jeremiah McGrath, from Rosslea, will go on trial alongside Adams at Liverpool Crown Court to face four related charges.
The pair were arrested and charged back in December 2005 and the trial is set to be heard on May 8.
- RCC. Bishop D'Arcy spoke out.
The Journal Sentinel
By Rosa Salter Rodriguez, ~ April 15, 2007
FORT WAYNE (IN) -- Bishop John M. D'Arcy is sitting at a conference table, thumbing the pages of his well-worn black planner. ...
Garvey says it was D'Arcy's outspokenness that led him to Fort Wayne. For years, he says, rumors have existed that D'Arcy was transferred from the Diocese of Boston, headed by then-Archbishop Bernard Law, because he had pointed out sexual abuse by priests.
"He called attention to the sexual abuse of minors while still in Boston," says Scott Appleby, professor of church history at Notre Dame. "That was long before it was a national issue."
D'Arcy for many years declined interviews on the issue, but as it has unfolded, the scope of his involvement has become more clear.
- RCC. Compensation shrank to US$40,000
Hartford Courant,
By ANN MARIE SOMMA, April 15, 2007
CONNECTICUT -- Bryant Wiseman died in 1999 while being restrained by guards at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, and his mother is suing the state, hoping to receive a significant sum to compensate her for her loss.
But if a Hartford jury, scheduled to convene next month, awards Elaine Wiseman any money, she'll have to settle a bill with the state: It wants $87,000 from her dead son's estate for the cost of housing and feeding him for two years in the prison.
The state Department of Administrative Services has collected incarceration costs from current and former inmates who come into what the state considers a "windfall" - money received through an inheritance, the lottery or a legal judgment - since 2001. ...
A man out of jail without money is going to eventually end up on state assistance, or worse, back in the system," Brignole said.
In 2001, Brignole represented former inmate Mark Strickland, who won a $250,000 settlement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport over a sexual abuse claim against a priest in the 1970s. That shrank to $40,000 after the state seized $120,000 for his time at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville, and after his attorney's fees were paid.
The state also collected $12,660 from Strickland that the agency paid for public assistance given to his daughter.
Today Strickland, who served time for sexual assault and a string of burglaries, lives on the fringe of society in Florida, battling the pain of his abuse, his attorney said.
[Decades - Peoria Diocese] - RCC. 3 clergy. 5 complainants.
WQAD,
~ April 15, 2007
PEORIA, Ill. -- Five more people have sued the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria, accusing three priests of sexually abusing them when they were minors.
One of the lawsuits filed last week in Peoria County Circuit Court also names O-S-F Saint Francis Medical Center for an alleged sexual abuse incident there in 1957.
St. Francis spokesman Chris Lofgren declined to comment on the lawsuit, and diocesan spokeswoman Elizabeth Smarjesse said yesterday the diocese had not been notified of the lawsuits.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 9:09 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sun April 15, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Former youth group leader accused of molestation
[1990s and ? 2006 Mr Jacquez -NEW*] - Presbyterian. Inserted object. Girl.
San Luis Obispo Tribune,
www.sanluis obispo.com/ 183/story/ 17592.html ,
By Leslie Parrilla, ~ April 16, 2007
Read the court documents (Warning: Graphic or Sexually explicit information)
LOS OSOS (CA) -- A former church youth-group volunteer in Los Osos is facing criminal charges for allegedly molesting a 15-year-old girl, and he was investigated a decade ago for a similar incident.
Ysidro "Sid" Arthur Jacquez, 35, of Morro Bay pleaded not guilty last week to committing a lewd act on a child and sexual penetration by a foreign object with a person under 16 years of age, according to court records. The felony crimes could carry a state prison sentence, if he is convicted.
Jacquez was arrested March 23 and released the next day on $50,000 bail, County Jail officials said. ...
In the alleged incident, the two met while he was working as a youth group leader at Coastal Presbyterian Church, according to a sheriff's crime report and the victim. The Tribune is not identifying the woman because she is the alleged victim of a sex crime.
- Baptists.
Baptist Press,
by Staff | Posted on Apr 16, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Much is being done and more can be done to protect children from sexual predators within Southern Baptist churches, but an ABC News "20/20" segment on the issue April 13 amounted to "yellow journalism," SBC President Frank Page says.
The segment focused on child sexual predators within Protestant churches, focusing on 10-20 occurrences within Southern Baptists' 40,000 churches. In introducing the 16-minute segment, 20/20's Elizabeth Vargas said, "What surprised us ... is how little is being done to stop it." ABC's Jim Avila used the term "preacher predators." The segment spotlighted a youth pastor who sexually abused minors at a church in Kentucky, and then moved on to a Missouri church and did the same.
Avila interviewed Page for roughly two hours recently, but in the end used just a few seconds of the interview, and Page said, left out what the denomination is doing to address the problem.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 10:55 PM]
[COMMENT: But, you see, in the New Testament we read that "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit," and that the Holy Spirit came down upon the new converts. We also read "Go now, and sin no more," and "Be you perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect," and also about being presented to the Father "without spot or wrinkle."
Why would there be any problem of unholiness, then, if the Baptist Church (and the others) were closely following the Christian Greek Scriptures?
COMMENT ENDS.]
- RCC.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
[Denver Archdiocese]
Voice from the Desert,
Monday, April 16, 2007
COLORADO --Here are April 16, 2007, press releases by John Doe 10, by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and Jeb Barrett, Denver SNAP Leader
* * *
Statement of John Doe 10 - April 16, 2007
I take this action today not because I want to but because I have to in order to make sure that other children don't have to go through what I did.
I was sexually molested by Father Tim Evans when I was a child. Father Tim came into my life because of my family's faith in the Church. At first Father Tim was great to me. He talked to me and listened to my concerns. He tried to get me to do the right things. I looked up to and respected Father Tim a great deal. My parents were happy that I had such a great role model like a priest.
[50yrs Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 400 cases. AND, credibility loss.
Whispers in the Loggia,
~ April 16, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Anyone who's kept a close eye on things Catholic here in the States in recent years would be hard-pressed to deny that the most perilous cost of the sexual abuse scandal hasn't come in the form of the massive settlements with victim-survivors, the diminished Mass attendance in many places, or even the increased shuttering of parishes and schools (as difficult as each of these has been), but the loss of credibility in the church's leadership, a sea change not so much wrought by the abuse itself, but by its cover-up, or even the perception thereof.
While a recent Zogby poll found that "support for Catholic religious leaders reached the 70 percent threshold" for the second year in a row, at the same time "results suggested that Catholic support for the bishops was directly related to whether those polled were aware of a publicly accused priest in their diocese." By several standards, among the toughest-hit US dioceses has been its largest, the 4.3 million-member archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Due to a 2002 California law which suspended the statute of limitations for one year in the wake of the clergy-abuse revelations, LA still faces in excess of 400 unsettled civil lawsuits, having already paid out over $60 million in settlements.
- Judaism (Orthodox).
Arutz Sheva,
~ April 16, 2007
ISRAEL (IsraelNN.com) -- The Rabbinical Council of Greater Baltimore, an organization of Baltimore's Orthodox Rabbis, issued a letter to their community warning about the dangers of sexual abuse, encouraging parents to talk to their children about recognizing abuse, and instructing the community that the local authorities can be contacted in such an event.
[1990s 5 monks] - Independent Orthodox. Minors.
Orthodox Reform,
~ April 16, 2007
BLANCO (TX) -- Hugh Fallon, one of five monks awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing minors at a Blanco, TX monastery in the 1990s, has issued a disturbing report on the activities at the Christ of the Hills Monastery.
Fallon claims "its monks bilked worshipers, had sex with each other and used illegal drugs."
It should be noted that this group was long ago given the boot from ROCOR, the Orthodox jurisdiction with which they had been affiliated (and most Orthodox jurisdictions in turn, are not in communion with ROCOR).
[Dudzinski] - RCC. ? Wrong identity ?
Commonweal,
by Mark A. Sargent, ~ April 16, 2007
UNITED STATES -- In November of last year, the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, released the names of twenty former priests about whom the diocese found "credible or substantial complaints of sexual abuse of minors." Most of the twenty are dead. Edward M. Dudzinski, however, was still living - although he had not served as a priest since the 1980s - and resided in Herndon, Virginia.
When local members of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) discovered Dudzinski's location, they went door-to-door in his neighborhood distributing a file of documents with the title "Community Notification: Protect your children from a credibly accused serial sex offender," which they believed established Dudzinski's identity as a sex offender. Dudzinski, however, has never been convicted of, or even charged with, a sexual-abuse crime.
[1990s-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
WNBC,
~ April 16, 2007
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- The leadership of a Long Island Catholic church was negligent in failing to uncover a youth minister's sexual attacks on teenagers in his care, an attorney for two of the victims argued Monday during opening statements in a rare lawsuit resulting from the nationwide sex abuse scandal to actually go to trial.
"The question here is not so much about Matthew Maiello -- the sex predator, the beast," attorney Michael Dowd told jurors. "The question here is who let the beast loose? Who let him loose to run free through the flock of Rev. Thomas Haggerty, picking his victims at will?"
Dowd represents a man and a woman who claimed that as teenagers they were repeatedly abused by Maiello, and that church officials failed to act when confronted by reports that the youth minister was acting inappropriately.
Maiello pleaded guilty to rape and sodomy in 2003 and served more than two years in prison. Although named as a defendant, Maiello's attorney, Lawrence Carra, said last week that his client would not contest the allegations in the lawsuit and would abide by any verdict.
[1959-1960s Condon +2 others] - RCC. 5 minors.
Lincoln Courier,
BY MICHAEL MILLER, GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE, Published Monday, April 16, 2007
PEORIA (IL) -- Former Lincoln monsignor Norman Goodman's name surfaced in court papers again last week when five people sued the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, accusing three priests of sexually abusing them when they were minors.
Another former Lincoln priest, the Rev. Louis Condon, 84, of Moline, is named in the new allegations.
Kenneth Logan, 62, claims Condon molested him in 1959 and 1960 when Logan was 14 to 16 years old while Condon was at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lincoln.
Alan Dorsey, 54, alleges Condon sexually abused him during the 1960s while the priest was stationed at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Delavan, starting when Dorsey was 7 years old.
[Decades - Portland Archdiocese] - RCC. US$104m going. 175 claimants.
The Register-Guard,
By Bill Bishop, Monday, April 16, 2007
OREGON -- With the approval of a bankruptcy reorganization for the Archdiocese of Portland expected as early as today, church reformers fear that the archdiocese has succeeded in avoiding public accountability for decades of child sexual abuse by priests.
The archdiocese will emerge virtually unscathed, at least financially. Payments to 175 claimants will be covered by $52 million from church insurers and a $40 million loan. No parish properties will be sold. No church leaders will be forced to testify publicly about their behind-the-scenes response to specific cases of child abuse by clergy.
Court records show that once the reorganization is in place, the archdiocese will have paid more than $104 million to settle sexual abuse claims since 1984.
- Greek Orthodox.
Orthodox Reform,
~ April 16, 2007
UNITED STATES -- The latest issue of The Orthodox Observer, the official newspaper of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, ran the following ad on page 32, highlighting the Greek Orthodox sexual misconduct policy and encouraging people to call in their complaints.
- RCC.
[50yrs Rockville Centre Diocese] - Jury to hear case.
[Decades - U.S. RCC] - US$1,500m so far.
Newsday,
By FRANK ELTMAN, Associated Press Writer, 11:04 AM EDT, April 13, 2007,
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- The nation's sixth-largest Roman Catholic diocese is headed to trial next week in a $150 million lawsuit related to a youth minister who raped and sodomized teenagers – part of a wave of lawsuits against churches nationwide since the sex abuse scandal broke five years ago.
But this case is unique, despite its familiar scenario of youths abused by religious leaders: It could be one of the few decided by a jury, rather than a quiet, out-of-court settlement.
The U.S. Conference of Bishops estimates abuse-related costs from lawsuits have exceeded $1.5 billion, the majority out-of-court settlements. Many of the alleged acts took place long before statutes of limitations expired.
On Long Island, a grand jury found nearly two dozen cases of abuse going back decades in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the nation's sixth largest with 1.3 million Catholics in 134 parishes.
[? 1990s-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
Newsday,
By ANN GIVENS, April 11, 2007
NEW YORK -- Jury selection began yesterday in the civil case against a former Catholic youth minister convicted of molesting four teenagers and against the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which is accused of failing to protect his victims.
The suit, filed in State Supreme Court by two of Matthew Maiello's victims, names Maiello, the Rev. Thomas Haggerty, St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church in East Meadow, and the diocese as defendants.
The suit seeks $150 million in damages.
Maiello, a former youth minister at St. Raphael, pleaded guilty to rape and sodomy of the two plaintiffs and two others in 2003, and served just more than 2 years in prison.
[Years - Bishop Casey] - RCC. Had child. Smuggled away.
Telegraph (Britain),
~ April 16, 2007
IRELAND -- The former Bishop of Galway has spoken for the first time about his years on the run after he was at the centre of a sex scandal that shocked the Roman Catholic Church.
Eamonn Casey broke his silence about the Catholic network that smuggled him across two continents after the exposure of his affair with Annie Murphy, an Irish-American divorcee with whom he had a child.
In his first interview since returning to Ireland last year, Fr Casey revealed that Pope John Paul II did not want him to resign as bishop when told that he had fathered a child.
He also spoke of the great lengths he went to and the huge distances he travelled to evade the media as he paid his penance in a North American monastery and with a South American mission.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 8:46 AM]
[RECAPITULATION: ... Pope John Paul II did not want him to resign as bishop when told that he had fathered a child.
ENDS.]
[< 2004 Lastiri] - RCC puts internet homosexual back into parish!
California Catholic Daily
~ April 16, 2007
CALIFORNIA -- Father Jean-Michael Lastiri, removed by Fresno Bishop John Steinbock as pastor of St. Patrick's in Merced in 2004 for soliciting liaisons on a homosexual website, once again is in parish work.
According to the April 8 edition of the diocesan newspaper Central California Catholic Life, Bishop Steinbock appointed Lastiri as administrator of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Fresno on March 7.
In 2004, parishioners discovered that Lastiri frequented a homosexual website. One Lastiri post read: "Want sex. CA bear visiting Orlando on Friday, 7/23... looking for fun in other bears/admirers..."
After removing Lastiri from St. Patrick's, Steinbock called Lastiri's participation on the website "totally inappropriate" and said the priest "denied any inappropriate sexual activity on his part and declared he only entertained fantasies through this activity on the Internet."
- RCC.
News Busters,
Posted by Dave Pierre 21:30, April 15, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- Two weeks ago, we reported (in this NB post) that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles publicly objected to coverage of the priest abuse scandal by the Los Angeles Times. Two articles by the Times in the second half of March contained false information, contended the Archdiocese. One of the articles was cited as being particularly "insulting to all Catholics." Rebuttals to the Times were printed in the archdiocese newspaper, The Tidings, the largest diocesan paper in the United States. (Here and here are the rebuttals.)
Is the Times now retaliating against Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony for calling the paper out on its falsehoods?
Yesterday's Times (Saturday, April 14, 2007) parades a front-page article that claims that "Mahony's influence is dwindling in L.A." It's a typical unflattering portrait of its subject. Many would call it a hit piece. The article seems to serve no other purpose except to take a cheap slap at Mahony.
[1990s-2007 Armstrong*] - Episcopalian. < US$400,000. Secession. Oppose "gay" and other stances.
Casper Star Tribune,
Monday, April 16, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The leader of a breakaway Episcopal parish defended himself against allegations of financial misconduct Saturday, as a theological think tank that he oversees said it was distancing itself from him.
The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado moved in December to suspend the Rev. Donald Armstrong from Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish over the allegations.
Last month, Armstrong returned after the church vestry voted to leave the Episcopal Church, saying they were upset over the liberal theological direction of the national church, including its stance on gay relationships.
- Anglicans to list sex offenders.
Sydney Morning Herald,
by Linda Morris, April 16, 2007
AUSTRALIA -- A NATIONAL register of clergy and church workers has received the green light after the Anglican Church's highest legal tribunal ruled on laws to tackle sexual misconduct, including pedophilia.
But when the single centralised register opens this year it is likely to exclude allegations against clergy involving moral indiscretions and affairs between consenting adults. And plans to establish a "white pages" of biographical information on Anglican clergy are also set to be abandoned.
The church's parliament adopted plans for a database for screening and risk assessment in 2004, part of a strategy to prevent offenders escaping notice by moving from diocese to diocese.
Church authorities want the ability to check whether lay people or clergy members have been the subject of complaints of sexual misconduct or child abuse before it employed them.
[? 1990s-2000s ? Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
International Herald Tribune,
The Associated Press, Published April 15, 2007
MINEOLA, New York State: The United States' sixth-largest Roman Catholic diocese is headed to trial this week in a $150 million (€110.8 million) lawsuit accusing church officials of recklessness for employing a youth minister who raped and sodomized teenagers.
But despite its familiar scenario of youths abused by religious leaders, this case is rare: It could be one of the few decided by a jury, rather than a quiet, out-of-court settlement.
The U.S. Conference of Bishops estimates abuse-related costs from lawsuits have exceeded $1.5 billion (€1.1 billion), the majority out-of-court settlements.
[? 1990s-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
The New York Times,
By BRUCE LAMBERT, Published April 16, 2007
GARDEN CITY, N.Y., April 15 – A rare civil trial involving sexual abuse and the Roman Catholic Church starts here on Monday, and jury selection last week gave a hint of what could come.
Some potential jurors said the case was too disturbing to hear. Others said they were too angry to serve impartially. One woman, Antoinette Valentino, said she was Catholic but was "enraged against the Catholic Church." She was not chosen. Another woman said, "I'm Catholic and I'm not going against the diocese," and also was excused.
And a few revealed that they or their relatives had been victims of sexual abuse, although they did not accuse the church.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:57 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Mon April 16, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
• Ex-minister on new sex, drug counts
[1995-2006] - No religion link reported. 50 charges now. Boys.
Ex-minister on new sex, drug counts
The West Australian,
www.thewest. com.au ,
p 30, Tuesday, April 17, 2007
SYDNEY – Sacked NSW Government minister Milton Orkopoulos faces more than 50 child sex and drug offences after a third alleged victim approached police.
Mr Orkopoulos, 49, of Belmont North, was refused bail in Newcastle Local Court yesterday after detectives laid 21 fresh charges relating to a 16-year-old boy.
The teenager allegedly told police he had sex with Mr Orkopoulos and was supplied drugs by the former Aboriginal affairs minister in 1995-96.
Mr Orkopoulos was dumped by the ALP and resigned from State Parliament after last year being charged with supplying drugs to two other teenage boys and using government funds to pay one for sex.
Less than a week after the charges were laid against him, Mr Orkopoulos was admitted to hospital following an apparent suicide attempt.
The married father of three was given conditional bail after his initial arrest on November 8 last year, when he was charged with 30 child sex and drug offences.
Police laid a further three charges on January 31. They alleged those crimes were committed over nine years, beginning in 1997.
Yesterday, he was charged with 12 counts of supplying a prohibited drug, six counts of homosexual intercourse with a child aged 10 to 18, and three counts of indecent assault.
Mr Orkopoulos was remanded in custody ... #
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm#ex_minister_on_new
[Apr 17, 07]
• Church attorneys stall again, still no Caffoe files from St. John's; will Roger Mahony testify in pedophile priest civil case hearings?
[50yrs Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. 500 claimants.
City of Angels,
http://city ofangels3. blogspot.com ,
~ April 17, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) – It's getting nasty. No, it's getting OJ Simpsonian, as church attorneys throw obstructions in the face of plaintiffs and LA's 500 plus civil cases against the archdiocese battle toward justice. A motion to compel Roger Mahony to answer interrogatories is on calendar for a May 16 hearing.
Mahony's tactics seemed to leave the judge and others stunned today. After stalling since last summer, church attorneys now announce the only way they'll turn over St. John's Seminary files on Lynn Caffoe is with the judge's review in camera first.
Judge Haley Fromholz stared at Katherine Freberg and said, "I don't want to review anything I don't absolutely have to."
The Church Attorney held his fingers up in Freberg's face and said "The Seminary file is that thick."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:56 PM]
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Lascivious acts alleged.
Sun.Star ,
By Nancy R. Cudis, Sun.Star Correspondent, ~ April 17, 2007
PHILIPPINES -- THE Archdiocese of Cebu also wants the priest accused of lascivious acts to show up.
Fr. Benedicto Ejares has been accused of committing lascivious acts on high school students while he was hearing their confession during a seminar in November last year.
National Bureau of Investigation 7 Director Medardo de Lemos filed seven counts of acts of lasciviousness and separate complaints of sexual harassment against Ejares before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor last week.
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said he cannot issue statements yet on the matter because he has not talked to Ejares.
[? ~ 1990s Hobt*] - RCC. Child.
Des Moines Register,
By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, ~ April 17, 2007
DES MOINES (IA) -- The Diocese of Des Moines announced today that a priest serving at St. Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs is being removed from the priesthood following credible allegations of child sexual abuse.
Father Phillip Hobt, of the Diocese of Des Moines, has begun the process to voluntarily ask the Vatican for permission to leave the priesthood.
At the same time, the diocesan Allegation Review Committee completed its investigation of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor involving Father Hobt. The committee concluded the allegation was credible.
[? ~ 1990s Hobt*] - RCC. Child.
KETV,
~ April 17, 2007
DES MOINES, Iowa -- A priest with the Des Moines Diocese has voluntarily taken steps to leave the priesthood.
The Rev. Phillip Hobt, who most recently served at St. Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs, was put on leave Feb. 1 by Bishop Joseph L. Charron, according to a news release.
The move comes after allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. A Diocese committee found that the allegation was credible, the release said.
[Years - Shapiro*]- Judaist (Orthodox). Many boys.
The Examiner,
by Luke Broadwater, Apr 17, 2007
BALTIMORE (MD) -- Baltimore Jewish Times Editor Neil Rubin knew his paper's Friday article detailing sexual abuse allegations against a deceased rabbi would be controversial. But running the article, he says, was the right thing to do.
In the April 13 article "Rabbi's Abuse Victims Suffer Years Later," Executive Editor Phil Jacobs recounted the stories of three people who say they were abused by Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, the former principal of Talmudical Academy. Shapiro died in 1989.
According to some estimates, Shapiro molested hundreds, the article states.
- Judaist (Orthodox).
Congregation Shomrei Emunah,
~ April 17, 2007
BALTIMORE (MD) -- I want to talk with you this morning about the problem of sexual abuse in our community.
When I say "our community" I mean both the American Orthodox community and, specifically, the Baltimore Orthodox community.
I am sorry to have to speak about this topic at all and I am particularly sorry to have talk about it on Yom Tov. But I am doing so in advance of a letter that you should all be receiving later this week. The letter is a statement adopted by the Vaad HaRabbonim addressing the issue of abuse in our community.
As difficult as it may be, we feel it is important to address this topic openly and directly because ignorance and silence are two of the greatest allies of abusers. Hidden under the cloud of silence individual acts of abuse can become long-term abuse and small problems can grow into full-blown crisis. And the best antidote for a cloud is sunshine. ...
First, we must resist the instinct of denial - in all of its forms.
For many, I believe that this instinct comes from a "good place." We believe that a life based on Torah is holy and ennobling. When confronted with allegations that people who appear to be dedicated to Torah may have engaged in dark and destructive behavior there is an instinct to deny that such a thing is even possible. There is a further instinct to deny - even if it is acknowledged that something may have happened somewhere, maybe, to someone - that this constitutes a "problem in the community."
- RCC. Movie to start in June.
Variety,
By DAVE MCNARY, ~ April 17, 2007
HOLLYWOOD (CA) -- Isaiah Washington ("Grey's Anatomy") will topline indie thriller "The Least of These," written and directed by Nathan Scoggins.
Project is produced by James Duke and Number 3 Films in conjunction with producers Allison Calleri and Christina K.Y. Lee. "The Least of These" will begin production in Los Angeles in June.
Washington will portray a priest with a troubled past who's transferred to a Catholic boarding school after the mysterious disappearance of one of the priests. Thesp's feature credits include "Clockers," "Get on the Bus" and "Bulworth."
[? 1990s-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
Washington Post,
By Frank Eltman, Associated Press, 9:07 PM, Monday, April 16, 2007
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) -- The nation's sixth-largest Roman Catholic diocese went on trial Monday in a $150 million lawsuit accusing church officials of recklessness for employing a youth minister who raped and sodomized teenagers.
In his opening arguments, attorney Michael Dowd told jurors the focus of the trial was not Matthew Maiello, a priest who pleaded guilty to rape and sodomy in 2003, but his superiors.
"The question here is who let the beast loose? Who let him loose to run free through the flock of Rev. Thomas Haggerty, picking his victims at will?" Dowd said.
- RCC. Movie to start in June.
RTE News (Ireland),
~ April 17, 2007
UNITED STATES -- 'Grey's Anatomy' star Isaiah Washington is to play the lead role in a new thriller called 'The Least of These'.
Variety reports that the film tells the story of a priest with a troubled past who is transferred to a Catholic boarding school after one of the priests disappears.
The film will begin production in Los Angeles in June.
[? 1990s-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
New York Post,
By KIERAN CROWLEY, April 17, 2007
NEW YORK -- A 15-year-old boy and girl were raped and sodomized in a Long Island parish by a predator allowed by the Catholic Church to prey on children, a lawyer for the alleged victims said in his opening yesterday.
Lawyer Michael Dowd told a Mineola jury that Matthew Maiello, a lay youth minister at St. Raphael's Church in East Meadow, ordered the teens to have sex with each other and himself and videotaped the acts - a shocking exhibit that will be shown to the jury.
The lawyer said the Rockville Centre Diocese was negligent in failing to investigate Maiello's background, which included molestations at another parish.
[1995-99 Timothy Evans] - RCC. Guilty x 2. 2 boys.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Jean Torkelson, April 17, 2007
DENVER (CO) -- An Ohio man known as John Doe 10 on Monday became the first person to file a civil lawsuit against priest Timothy Evans, a convicted sex offender, and the Archdiocese of Denver.
Within the past three weeks, Evans has been convicted twice of sexual assault while serving as a priest. One of the cases involved a Fort Collins parish and a victim who now lives in Ohio.
Zachary Warzel, one of the attorneys for John Doe 10, said he could not comment on whether that was the same man who filed Monday's civil suit.
- RCC. Film planned.
TV Guide,
2:57 AM ET, Tue Apr 17, 2007
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington is set to star in the indie drama "The Least of These," playing a priest returning to the Catholic high school where he once was sexually abused.
His character replaces a missing teacher who molested several teenage boys and might have been killed by one of them.
It is the actor's first new role since derogatory comments he made about gays on the set of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and at the Golden Globes forced him into a much-publicized stint at a treatment center for psychological counseling.
[1999-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
Am New York,
BY ANN GIVENS, ann.givens@newsday.com , 10:20 PM EDT, April 16, 2007
NEW YORK -- A young woman who was molested by her Catholic church youth minister when she was a teenager choked back tears Monday morning as her lawyer told a jury that church leaders saw signs of abuse everywhere and did nothing about it.
The woman and a young man, both of whom were raped repeatedly over several years by Matthew Maiello beginning in 1999, are suing Maiello, the East Meadow church where he worked, the priest who supervised him and the Diocese of Rockville Centre for $150 million.
Newsday is withholding the names of the plaintiffs because they are victims of sexual abuse.
It is the first time the diocese has come face to face with its accusers in a sexual abuse case in court. Most cases have been settled or they have fallen outside the statute of limitations.
[1999-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
The New York Times,
By BRUCE LAMBERT, Published: April 17, 2007
GARDEN CITY, N.Y., April 16 – As a civil trial over sexual abuse at a Roman Catholic church began on Monday, the lawyer for the two victims who filed the lawsuit accused the pastor of neglecting background checks in hiring the youth ministry director who committed the abuse.
The employee, Matthew Maiello, later served two years in prison for the statutory rape of the two victims and two other teenagers from the parish.
"Who let the beast loose to run free through the flock of Father Thomas Haggerty, picking his victims at will?" the lawyer, Michael G. Dowd, said in his opening statement in State Supreme Court here, referring to the pastor, whom he later called as his first witness.
[2007 Cardinal McCarrick] - RCC. 9th/8th Commandment.
Washington Times,
By Julia Duin, April 17, 2007
NEW ZEALAND -- Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the recently retired archbishop of Washington, blamed the "loose morals" of the 1960s for the massive sex-abuse scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church.
Speaking at a conference in Auckland, New Zealand, last weekend, he said the priestly sex abusers had been caught up in the sexually lax climate of the 1960s -- an era that he said was "when anything goes."
"It was Woodstock," he said, according to the New Zealand Herald. "People were smoking marijuana, and the sexual mores went down as all mores went down."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 7:59 AM]
[COMMENT: For facts to show that bad clergy have been seducing young boys and some girls for centuries, not just since the 1960s, use
www.metacrawler.com search engine "+clergy +seducing +children". Or read the book by Doyle, Sipe, and Wall: http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/carnalbooks.htm#sexpriests .
COMMENT ENDS.]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 17, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont135.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2005 Whitacre -NEW*] - Christian. Girl.
The Journal Gazette,
www. fortwayne. com/mld/ fortwayne/ news/local/ 17102190.htm ,
By Rebecca S. Green, ~ April 18, 2007
HUNTINGTON (IN) -- The trial of a Huntington County youth pastor accused of child molesting began Wednesday, with a nearly daylong jury selection process.
Kevin Whitacre, 34, is on trial on two counts of child molesting, both Class C felonies punishable by up to eight years in prison. He is accused of fondling a then-10-year-old girl when she visited his family's apartment in Good Shepherd Church, 1280 Hitzfield St., in the summer of 2005. He was arrested in March 2006.
Whitacre did not know the girl through his work at the church.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 18, 2007
10:04 PM]
[2006-07 Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC delaying tactics.
City of Angels,
~ April 18, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- "Nothing. They're doing nothing," a plaintiff attorney said to me last week and another one said it this morning, "Nothing." The church ignores interrogatories for months, makes empty excuses to delay discovery, is a no-show for depositions that plaintiffs need for trials this summer.
Roger Mahony, cardinal of Los Angeles, finally responds to interrogatories. . . and says nothing.
There were tears of relief in court this morning when the judge denied 12 motions to strike in cases concerning George Neville Rucker. One family of survivors was in court and heard their names read into the record twice by their attorney Alex Goldberg and by Judge Haley Fromholz.
On the left in the back is a church attorney who I keep seeing, I think he's with Hennigan. He has a rubbery face; James Spader could play him. He looks like he might be a proud founding member of Young Republicans.
Then just to my left is church attorney Donald Woods, lips tight as he reads the judge's tentative order and shakes his head. He's this little leprechaun like guy who whenever I see him I think of my Irish relatives in Chicago. He looks up at me over his reading glasses as I'm typing into my laptop describing him. I smile and keep describing him. He smiles, sort of.
Whispers in the Loggia,
~ April 18, 2007
UNITED STATES -- The upcoming Commonweal leads with a brow-raiser of a piece from Villanova Law Dean Mark Sargent on the "moral capital" of victim-survivors, and what happens when it's diminished... dotCom says the mag's "already getting somewhat heated letters about it."
- Various faiths.
The Spokesman Review,
By Virginia De Leon and Sara Leaming, April 18, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Changing times and a growing awareness of child abuse have led to greater distrust of adults who work with children, prompting stricter rules in churches, Boy Scouts and other organizations.
That means less one-on-one contact between children and adult mentors, so relationships that could steer at-risk kids away from trouble take longer to build. ...
He and others believe it's up to the faith community to bring about that healing and restore trust, the essential element that "holds us together as a community."
"The sexual abuse problems are bigger than the Catholic Church," said Robertson, who meets regularly with Catholic Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane. "It's time for us, as the entire faith community, to work on a combined solution."
In recent months, the roughly 33 pastors who belong to the Spokane Valley Ministerial Association have been discussing an initiative known as "Healing to Our Community."
- Baptists.
Florida Baptist Witness,
By FRANK PAGE, Baptist Press, Published April 19, 2007
UNITED STATES -- A short while ago, I was interviewed by ABC's "20/20" news for an April 13 program titled, "Preacher Predators." At the request of several, I agreed to this invitation so as to provide some kind of balance to a program which may well be overwhelmingly negative.
There has been a great deal of attention given to this subject in recent days. As I said to the reporter, we are willing and able to discuss this issue because even one instance of sexual abuse by a minister is too much. While I do not believe the problem is systemic and large-scale, there have been several reported cases of abuse by trusted members of staff in our churches. Let me help set a few matters clear for you.
Some persons have accused Southern Baptists of ignoring the issue and hiding behind our polity. Let me clearly state that we believe in the autonomy of the local church as a biblical mandate. We are not hiding behind anything, except the Bible. In fact, the local church is where accountability must be enforced. I call upon every local church to develop written policy guidelines for the care of children and youth. I call upon every church to have a system or policy in place to deal with any accusations made. We must protect children and youth, and the integrity of staff members.
[Edward J. Smith (Norbertine)] - RCC. US$41m judgement. Child.
The News Journal,
By BETH MILLER, Posted 3:24 pm, Wednesday, April 18, 2007
DELAWARE -- The Rev. Edward J. Smith, the Norbertine priest against whom a federal jury awarded $41 million in damages to an alleged victim of child sexual abuse last month, has hired Wilmington attorney Kathleen Jennings to represent him.
Attorneys for Navy Cmdr. Kenneth J. Whitwell, who said Smith abused him while he was a student at Archmere Academy, reported difficulty locating Smith earlier this month. Attorney Thomas S. Neuberger said his process server had not been able to locate the priest at the Norbertine priory in Middletown where order officials had said he lived, or at his late mother's Philadelphia rowhome.
Eventually the papers were served on the order's superior, the Rev. James Bagnato.
Jennings said Tuesday she is in contact with Smith, 60, and has accepted legal documents on his behalf. She would not say where Smith is living.
[Harold White] - RCC. 15 cases moving.
Rocky Mountain News,
By Jean Torkelson, April 18, 2007
DENVER (CO) -- The Archdiocese of Denver has lost its second attempt to have a group of sex abuse cases involving the late priest, Harold Robert White, dismissed in Denver district court.
Twelve lawsuits moved closer to trial Tuesday when Judge Robert Hyatt rejected the church's argument that the cases should be dismissed because they exceeded the statute of limitations.
That makes a total of 15 cases involving White which are now moving forward. Last month Judge John McMullen issued a similar ruling on three cases.
[50yrs - Clergy of Spokane Diocese] - RCC. US$48m. 161 survivors.
CBS News,
AP, Apr. 18, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash., (AP) -- Victims of clergy sexual abuse and parishes that will foot part of the bill to pay them have voted to approve a $48 million settlement, setting the stage for the Spokane Catholic Diocese to emerge from bankruptcy.
In documents filed Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, some 161 people who filed abuse claims, individual parishes and other creditors voted to accept payments outlined in a court-mediated settlement.
Although the vote was unanimous, many of the victims believe the diocese should do more, plaintiffs' lawyer Michael Pfau said Wednesday.
"I think the victims have accepted the reality of finite resources and understand that there's some benefit to putting an end to this, and to doing it sooner, rather than later," said Pfau, who represents about half of those who sued.
- General public.
SQL Fusion,
Staff, ~ April 18, 2007
CORNWALL, Canada - David Silmser may never return to the stand at the Cornwall Public Inquiry, but his voice once again echoed throughout the hearings room today.
Commission officials, at the request of the Ontario Provincial Police, played a videotape of a statement Silmser gave to police in February 1994 during which he alleges he was sexually abused by both Rev. Charles MacDonald and now-deceased probation officer Ken Seguin.
Throughout the video, which was not broadcast on the inquiry's website in order to comply with publication bans and confidentiality requests, Silmser is mostly calm and quiet, speaking in a controlled manner about the abuse he says he suffered as young boy and as a teenager.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$75m. 175 claimants.
The Register-Guard,
By Bill Bishop, Wednesday, April 18, 2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- Previously private personnel files of pedophile priests will be made public under a bankruptcy reorganization plan for the Archdiocese of Portland that was approved Tuesday.
The papers, to be released as early as next month, will include documents showing knowledge and cover-up of the priests' activities by Catholic Church leaders.
"There is plenty there to cause frustration and anger," said Portland lawyer Kelly Clark, who represented more than 100 people abused by priests over the years and who obtained confidential copies of church records in the course of preparing for trials.
[Years and years] - RCC. Sins caused loss of respect.
Spirit Daily,
~ April 18, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- There it was, on a front page, in cold print.
"There was a time when Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, leader of the largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States, was a formidably influential political figure," reported The Los Angeles Times last week -- in what should be seen as a sign of our times. "A decade ago, he was a member of Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's inner circle and the spiritual leader of a growing community with exponentially expanding power.
"Today, Mahony remains one of the region's most recognized leaders and a sought-after voice on certain issues. But time, scandal, and the shifting demographics of Los Angeles politics have diminished Mahony's might to the point that his recent remonstrations – in which he took to task Fabian Nuñez, the speaker of the California Assembly, for endorsing an assisted suicide bill – have served more to emphasize Mahony's weakness than to deter Nuñez."
Inside and outside the Church, a crisis has risen. It is a crisis of respect.
[2007 Heinemann] - Judaist (Orthodox). Bans information.
Jewish Survivors,
~ April 18, 2007
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Abuse Speak Out
BALTIMORE (MD) -- The following handwritten letter was posted in the Agudah Israel of Baltimore
"Based on last week's vicious article (regarding rabbi Ephraim Shapiro) in the Baltimore Jewish Times and other articles of the past, it is my opinion that it is totally inappropriate for this publication to be found in any Jewish home." -- Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
I guess rabbi Moshe Heinemann better warn his congregants to also ban the Baltimore Examiner, because they also published a story on the alleged serial child molester. According to both articles Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro is believed to have raped hundreds of children during his rein of alleged terror. Why should rabbi Heinemann care if one of his buddies allegedly committed more crimes against humanity then most?
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 18, 2007
12:03 PM]
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$75m. 175 claimants.
Statesman Journal,
By ALAN GUSTAFSON, April 18, 2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- The Archdiocese of Portland agreed to pay settlements totaling $600,000 to 15 men who alleged they were molested by a Salem-area priest three decades ago at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, Salem attorney Daniel Gatti said Tuesday.
The settlements ranged from $7,500 to $100,000, said Gatti, who represents the men.
After a gag order was lifted by two judges, Gatti also spelled out settlements for about a dozen more people he represented in claims against other Catholic priests affiliated with the embattled archdiocese.
"Many of my cases settled for anywhere from hundreds of thousands of dollars to several (settlements) for more than a million and one for as many as two million," he said.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese] - RCC. > US$75m. Many victims.
Salem-News,
by Tim King, ~ April 18, 2007
PORTLAND, Ore. - A settlement in a Portland, Oregon court means victims of childhood sex abuse in the Catholic Church will be compensated with millions of dollars, and secret files relating to pedophile priests in the Portland Archdiocese that span half a century will be publicly disclosed.
More than 200 victims will share the amount that slightly tops $50 million.
More than 89 lawyers were involved in the case at one time or another. All had high remarks for the judges who worked tirelessly in bringing the case resolution.
[2006 Ejares*] - RCC. Confession. 7 children.
GMA News,
11:57 AM | Apr/18/2007
PHILIPPINES -- Now that he has been named and charged for supposedly sexually harassing students at a confession last year, Cebu-based Fr. Benedicto Ejares must now end his hiding and face the music.
Sun-Star Cebu said the order came from no less than the Archdiocese of Cebu, which said Ejares must face the charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation.
The NBI Central Visayas regional office earlier filed seven counts of acts of lasciviousness against Ejares before the Cebu City Prosecutor last week for allegedly harassing high school students whose confession he heard during a Life in the Spirit Seminar in November last year.
- Orthodox Christian.
Orthodox Reform,
By Paul Cromidas, ~ April 18, 2007
UNITED STATES -- (Writer's Note: Like my fellow parishioners, I was saddened and in disbelief when I learned that our long-time pastor was suspended on charges of sexual misconduct. Nevertheless, after reading Metropolitan Isaiah's letter to the parish, I felt that a response was called for.
(Ironically, I have been writing about the church misconduct issue for some time and that has included criticism of the Metropolitan. He has never responded to any of my articles or correspondence and neither has Archbishop Demetrios. A shorter version of this article appeared as a Letter to the Editor in The National Herald, the Greek-American newspaper, on April 13, 2007.)
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 18, 2007
8:15 AM]
[1999-2000s Mr Maiello] - RCC. Boy and girl.
New York Post,
By KIERAN CROWLEY, April 18, 2007
NEW YORK -- The two plaintiffs in a $150 million church sex-abuse lawsuit on Long Island angrily accused their former pastor of lying on the stand yesterday.
"How does it feel to lie under oath, like you just did?" the female victim asked Father Thomas Haggerty, former pastor of St. Raphael's Church in East Meadow, after court had recessed for the day.
The male victim accused Haggerty of fabricating a conversation in which they praised their admitted abuser.
Haggerty had testified that the victims never reported to him that they were sexually exploited by former youth minister Matthew Maiello, beginning in 1999, when they were both 15 years old.
[2002 Erickson] - RCC. 2 men shot dead.
River Towns,
By Judy Wiff, Regional Editor, ~ April 18, 2007
WISCONSIN -- St. Croix County's Finance Committee agreed Thursday to allocate $3,000 for legal research for the judge who is presiding over the O'Connell family's civil lawsuit against Catholic bishops.
Last August the parents, sister and brothers of Daniel O'Connell filed a lawsuit against U.S. Catholic bishops asking for the names of an estimated 5,000 priests the American church has identified as sexual abusers and predators since the 1950s.
O'Connell and intern James Ellison were found shot to death at the O'Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson Feb. 5, 2002. The O'Connell family and their attorneys claim the murders occurred after Dan O'Connell confronted Father Ryan Erickson of St. Patrick's Church about alleged sexual abuse of boys.
[2007 Commonweal] - RCC. Damning the damaged.
Voice from the Desert
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
UNITED STATES -- The April 20, 2007, Volume CXXXIV, Number 8, issue of Commonweal magazine contains an attack directed at the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
The writer is Mark A Sargent, dean of the Villanova University School of Law.
Sargent's attack is deftly refuted by SNAP whose response is in provided in paragraphs preceded by four dashes (----) and presented in bold font.
It's clear that Mr. Sargent is carrying water for the bishops and confuses vengeance with accountability and with the desire to protect kids from sexual predators.
- Church sends seducers across borders.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests,
by Richard Sipe and K.K. Murray
UNITED STATES --
The problem of foreign born or educated priests who come to the United States and subsequently abuse minors is and has been a problem for the American church.
[~ 50yrs Portland Archdiocese (Oregon)] - RCC. US$75m. 175 claimants.
Portland Tribune,
By Ryan Geddes, LocalNewsDaily.com, Apr 17, 2007
PORTLAND (OR) -- The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon plans to release to the public internal documents about church personnel accused of child abuse over the last 50 years as part of its recently approved bankruptcy settlement, church officials and lawyers for sex abuse claimants announced Tuesday.
On Friday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris confirmed the Oregon Catholic Church's proposed Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan, which was filed in 2004 after a wave of child sex abuse claims filed against priests and other church employees. That agreement calls for the court to approve about $50 million in settlements and to establish a fund for future payouts of about $20 million.
Tuesday's announcement went a step further, approving the release of what claimants' lawyers say are previously secret documents detailing accused pedophile priests' activities. Initial releases will comprise "several dozen" documents on fewer than 12 priests, lawyers said, but in the future could become a "virtually comprehensive release of the archives of the past."
- RCC.
Kingfishers, Dragonflies and Stones
~ April 18, 2007
UNITED STATES -- Open Letter to BishopAccountability.org and Other Group Advocates for Victims:
We are a strange country, our America, struggling by, from one justification for our conduct to another, tagging our steps with phrases and slogans, as we go.
Sex offenders must be exposed to save our children.
Innocent until proven guilty.
Statutes of limitations must be abolished.
Justice cries out for accountability.
A country of laws, not of men.
Cover-ups are worse than sexual abuse.
Rebels who win revolutions become oppressors.
Who will guard the guardians?
Some of you know me from work I did with Paul Baier on the original database of priests accused of sexual abuse of minors, back in the early days, when Paul and his crew started literally from scratch. That work gives me some right to offer an opinion which has been growing, too slowly, within me. I am very frightened that we Americans have come to despise the Rule of Law and want our justice against those who commit crimes against humanity to be swift and merciless.
AUSTRALIA and BRITAIN: The author, Mr David Hill, a British child migrant who went on to become head of NSW railways, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and Soccer Australia, called on the Fairbridge Foundation to confront the evidence in its files and abandon its policy of refusing compensation to people who say they were traumatised by their experiences at the Kingsley Fairbridge Farm Schools.