[≤ 1999, 2003-06 - Unnamed priest -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Allowed to resume! 2 youths, now choir boy.
Windsor Star,
www.canada. com/windsor star/news/ story.html?id= 05184410- 0126-4514- 9b0c-7134 edb08525 ;
Star News Services, Saturday, September 01, 2007
NUREMBERG, Germany – A German priest with a previous conviction for pedophilia has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a choir boy, prosecutors in Nuremberg said on Friday.
The 39-year-old priest allegedly repeatedly abused the boy between 2003 and 2006, according to justice authorities in the southern city.
He had been found guilty of abusing two youths eight years ago, but was allowed to resume his duties as a priest by the diocese of Regensburg after he underwent therapy.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 1, 2007 8:18 AM]
(This is the first item ofAbuse Chronology:
http://www. multiline. com.au/~ johnm/ethics/ ethcont140. htm ,
and of the Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abusetracker ,
A Blog by Kathy Shaw,
for Sat September 01, 2007.)
[COMMENT: The new Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger) has strong links with Regensberg.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[2007 Mobley -NEW*] - Grace Community Church. Spreading child porn.
The Ledger,
By John Chambliss, ~ September 01, 2007
WINTER HAVEN (FL) – A music director at a local church has been charged by federal authorities with distributing child pornography.
Steven Wayne Mobley, a director at Grace Community Church on 652 Ave. L N.W., was arrested early Thursday on six counts of distributing child pornography by a computer.
At least six times from Jan. 12 to March 27, federal investigators said that Mobley distributed child pornography, according to a federal indictment.
[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College -NEW* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.
Globe and Mail,
By MICHAEL VALPY, September 1, 2007
CANADA -- Ontario's Grenville Christian College, which has closed amid allegations of cult practices, was an emotionally, spiritually and sometimes physically abusive place that caused "hurt and pain" to staff and students, a former senior administrator of the elite private school acknowledged yesterday.
Joan Childs, who worked at the school for more than 30 years, posted a public apology on an Internet message board that former students have been using for more than a year to talk about what they experienced and suffered.
"What was done to people at GCC was very wrong," Ms. Childs wrote. "I was very wrong. And I am so sorry for all the hurt that was caused to each of you by me and by all of us in positions of leadership."
[2007 Bishop Pelotte] - RCC. Suspicious injuries.
Gallup Independent,
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola, August 31, 2007
GALLUP (NM) – Bishop Donald E. Pelotte is now recuperating in Florida, according to the diocese's Web site.
A statement posted on the Diocese of Gallup's Web site states Pelotte has been moved to a private residence in Florida and that his twin brother, the Rev. Dana Pelotte of Houston is remaining with him. Parishioners from Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup have reported that an announcement of the move was made during the weekend Masses; it was also reportedly announced the brothers share a residence in Florida.
Since news of the bishop's transfer to Florida was made at the cathedral over the weekend, it is unknown why chancery officials posted a Web site statement on Monday saying Pelotte was still being treated at Memorial Hermann/TIRR in Houston.
[≤ 1999, 2003-06 - Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Allowed to resume! 2 youths, now choir boy.
Earthtimes,
~ September 01, 2007
REGENSBURG, Germany -- Germany's Catholic Church came under fire Saturday for re-employing a convicted paedophile priest who was arrested this week for allegedly sexually abusing an altar-boy again. The priest, 39, received a suspended one-year prison term in 2000 for molesting at least one boy, but was put in charge of a new parish after therapy. He is now accused of molesting another boy repeatedly between 2003 and 2006.
Johannes Heibel, head of a group that assists children abused by adults, said that if the charges were borne out, the diocese of Regensburg should also be prosecuted.
"It's irresponsible to put people in the hands of such priests," said Heibel, who heads the Society against Violence and Sexual Abuse of Children and Young People.
[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.
ANSA,
~ September 01, 2007
ITALY -- (The Rev. Sante Sguotti, a parish priest who wants to marry his girlfriend, said in this Italian-language story that he is not the father of her child.)
[Decades ago - Deschamps*] - RCC. Boy.
Standard-Freeholder,
by Elisabeth Johns / Saturday, September 01, 2007
CANADA -- A number of Blessed Sacrament parishioners are standing by a priest in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against him.
Rev. Gaetan Deschamps has retired amidst an allegation he sexually abused a man several decades ago in the diocese of Prince Albert, Sask.
However, Deschamps has denied the allegation and has not been charged by either the Cornwall police or the Prince Albert police.
[20yrs - Couch*] - RCC. <11yrs prison. 6 boys.
Mirror,
By Richard Smith, September 01, 2007
UNITED KINGDOM -- A former monk was yesterday jailed for nearly 11 years for sexually abusing boys at a boarding school.
Paul Couch, 61, molested pupils on sailing trips and while they played with a train set.
One terrified boy hid in his tiny locker after Couch put his hands down his trousers, Exeter crown court heard.
[1940s-70s Mons. Schroeder*] - RCC. > 10 boys so far.
Courier & Press,
~ September 01, 2007
EVANSVILLE (IN) -- Cheers for this three-day Labor Day weekend, to be enjoyed by union and nonunion Tri-Staters alike. We do offer a special cheers for those in labor who continue to keep alive a tradition dating to 1886, when the first Labor Day celebration in Indiana was held in Princeton. It moves around from year to year, and it being held this year in Princeton and Gibson County. [...]
Tears fall for the many alleged victims of the late Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, founding pastor of Holy Family Parish in Jasper, Ind.
Bishop Gerald Gettelfinder of the Evansville Catholic Diocese said this past week that reports continue to come in of alleged sexual abuse by the priest, who died 19 years ago.
[1940s-70s Mons. Schroeder*] - RCC. > 10 boys so far.
Indianapolis Star,
By Ryan Lenz, Associated Press, ~ September 01, 2007
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Roman Catholic church officials said Friday that more than 10 people have come forward with allegations they were sexually abused by a Southern Indiana priest.
The Diocese of Evansville said the number of allegations against Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, who died in 1988, has continued to grow since Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger announced the abuse during sermons at a Jasper church two weekends ago.
Diocese spokesman Paul Leingang said the allegations were the most against one priest in the diocese's 64-year history, but he cited church confidentiality in not providing more specific numbers.
[1990s Rogge (Carmelite)] - RCC. Pled guilty. 2 teenage males.
Online Athens,
September 01, 2007
JOLIET (IL) -- A former Carmelite priest who pleaded guilty to child molestation in Athens in 1974 has died in Illinois before he could be sentenced in another molestation case.
Louis Rogge, 77, of Joliet, Ill., died Aug. 8 after being diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
According to the Tribune, Rogge in April pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for molesting two young teen brothers in the 1990s.
The abuse occurred in the bedrooms of the boys, for whom Rogge was acting as "a spiritual adviser," Assistant State's Attorney Neil Adams said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 1, 2007 8:02 AM]
- RCC. US$190m.
Associated Press,
By LOUISE CHU, ~ September 01, 2007
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – A maze of wooden planks and glass panes is gradually taking shape among the austere office buildings of downtown Oakland, a structure alternately described as a bee hive, an inverted basket or a nuclear reactor.
Only an inconspicuous sign on a fence offers a clue that it will soon be one of the nation's most ambitious – and expensive – religious sites.
When it's completed in fall of 2008, the $190 million Cathedral of Christ the Light will be the centerpiece of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, which lost its old cathedral to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. ...
The project originated during a nationwide building boom among Catholic dioceses around 2000, said Duncan Stroik, an architecture professor at Notre Dame University who specializes in cathedral design.
However, that trend slowed as dioceses became mired in priest sex abuse settlements that have forced some into bankruptcy.
The Oakland diocese took out a loan to cover half its $56.4 million settlement with 56 sex abuse victims in 2005, but the cathedral is being financed by donations – just over $100 million pledged as of June – specifically for the project, separate from the money used to settle those cases, officials said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 1, 2007 5:56 PM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Sat September 01, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[~ 1970s Stouvenel -NEW*] - RCC. 4 claimants.
The Hawk Eye,
www.thehawk eye.com/ Story/ Diocese_ 090207 ,
September 02, 2007
DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Diocese of Davenport has placed a priest on administrative leave after four people complained he sexually abused them 30 years ago.
Gerald Stouvenel was placed on administrative leave effective July 27, the diocese said in a statement released on Sunday. Stouvenel will remain on leave until an investigation is complete, according to the dicosese.
According to the diocese, four people have made claims in the bankruptcy case filed by the diocese claiming that Stouvenel sexually abused them, as minors, over 30 years ago. Stouvenel was ordained on August 12, 1972.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 2, 2007 6:10 PM]
[LeBlanc*] - RCC. Impropriety.
The Times-Picayune,
Saturday, September 01, 2007
LOUISIANA -- A Catholic priest who once served in parishes in New Orleans, Reserve and Westwego has been removed from ministry on an unspecified allegation of sexual impropriety.
The Rev. Etienne LeBlanc has been relieved of his duties as pastor of Annunziata Parish in Houma by Bishop Sam Jacobs of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
LeBlanc has denied the allegations, Jacobs said.
Jacobs told Annunziata parishioners last week that the church was investigating an allegation of sexual impropriety lodged against LeBlanc.
[LOOK BACK: ~ August 31, 2007]
[2007 "Bishop" Weeks*] - "Global Destiny Church." Wife-beating allegation.
Asbury Park Press,
www.app.com/ apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20070902/ NEWS03/ 709020400/ 1007 ;
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, September/2/07
ATLANTA (GA) – Juanita Bynum is known and admired by thousands as a fiery evangelist whose no-nonsense, lead-by-less-than-perfect-example message of self-improvement was seemingly illustrated by her fairy-tale marriage to a man who also is a widely known minister.
The romance, which included a million-dollar wedding, became a nightmare last week when Thomas W. Weeks III was charged with choking his wife, pushing her to the ground in a hotel parking lot and stomping on her.
Her example, of living one's life as an empowered Christian single woman-turned-spouse, now shifts to spouse-turned-survivor.
- Man-boy WWW host will shut.
Montreal Gazette,
~ September 02, 2007
CANADA -- A controversial Internet company based in Montreal will shut down on Oct. 1. Epifora, which provided hosting services for pedophile or so-called "boy-love" websites made the announcement on the company's website on Saturday. It stated the shutdown was based on a decision by its primary client, Free Spirits, to "seek more cost-effective hosting solutions."
[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.
Il Corriere della Sera,
~ September 02, 2007
ITALY -- (Padova Bishop Antonio Mattiazzo has spoken out against the Rev. Sante Sguotti in this Italian-language article. He likened the parish priest to Satan and said he is not showing respect or obedience.
(Rev. Sguotti held a press conference this week to say he is in love with a woman and wants to marry her, which is forbidden to priests in the Roman Catholic Church. The bishop said he intends to remove Rev. Sguotti from ministry but the priest said he will not resign.)
[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
Chicago Sun-Times,
September 2, 2007
CHICAGO (IL) -- A Catholic lay group is appealing to American bishops not to elect Chicago's Cardinal Francis George as their next president because of his record on clergy sexual abuse.
In a letter to the bishops, Voice of the Faithful cited George's handling of convicted predator priest Daniel McCormack, who was sent to prison in July for molesting boys.
[Potes*] - RCC. Sexual misconduct.
El Pais,
~ September 02, 2007
COLOMBIA -- (Monsignor Juan Francisco Sarasti, who heads the Cali Archdiocese, said in this Spanish-language story that he kept silent about allegations of fiscal and sexual misconduct by priests in order to protect the reputation of the priests but acted against allegations made against the Rev. Fred Potes.)
[20yrs - Couch*] - RCC. 10 9/12 yrs prison. 6 boys.
This is South Devon,
~ September 02, 2007
UNITED KINGDOM -- A former teacher who sexually abused six pupils at a Devon school has been jailed for 10 years and nine months.
Former Royal Navy chaplain Paul Couch was convicted on August 2, but released on bail by the judge 'as an act of mercy' because his father is dying.Couch, 61, of Wyndham Street West, Plymouth, was sentenced at the city crown court for a catalogue of offences on boys, aged eight to 13, between 1972 and 1993 at the school, which is now closed.
Judge Paul Darlow said Couch had committed a 'gross breach of trust' and that the boys at the school, which cannot be named for legal reasons, needed care and protection from the staff. [...]
A Diocesan spokesman: "As soon as the allegations came to light Fr Couch was removed from all public ministry in accordance with national child protection policy.
- RCC.
Ironwood Daily Globe,
September 01, 2007
MARQUETTE (MI) -- The Catholic Diocese of Marquette is requiring new clergy, as well as diocesan, parish and Catholic school employees and volunteers who have regular contact with children or youth, or are in a position to observe those who do, to attend an awareness session for the prevention of child sexual abuse.
The free session, called "Protecting God's Children for Adults," is being offered at various sites and on different dates throughout the Upper Peninsula from September 2007 to January 2008. Anyone who plans to work or volunteer with children or youth in the coming year and has not yet taken the training must take it during this time period.
[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
Daily Southtown,
By Susan Hogan/Albach, September 2, 2007
CHICAGO (IL) -- A Catholic lay group is appealing to American bishops not to elect Cardinal Francis George as their next president because of his record on clergy sexual abuse.
In a letter to bishops, Voice of the Faithful cited George's handling of predator priest Daniel McCormack, who was sent to prison in July for molesting boys.
The cardinal didn't follow a review board's recommendation to remove McCormack from ministry after abuse was reported in 2005, church officials said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 2, 2007 8:11 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Sun September 02, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[2007 Govindaswamy -NEW*] - Temple religion. Girl.
Times of India,
http://times ofindia.india times.com/ India/Temple_ priest_ arrested_for_ attempting_ rape_minor_ girl/article show/2333 522.cms ; ~ September 03, 2007
SALEM (TN), INDIA -- A 65-year-old temple priest has been arrested on charges of attempting to rape and threatening to kill a minor girl, police said on Monday.
Govindaswamy, the priest of Chengammal temple at Omalur, was handed over to police by villagers who chased and caught him following the rape attempt on Sunday evening, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ashok Kumar, said.
The girl was playing in front of the temple when the priest took her inside the temple and attempted to molest her, he said.
[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.
Sioux City Journal,
AP, September 03, 2007
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- The Diocese of Davenport has placed a priest on administrative leave after four people complained he sexually abused them 30 years ago.
However, it is too late to file criminal charges against him, Scott County's top attorney said Sunday.
The Diocese of Davenport announced Sunday that it put the Rev. Gerald Stouvenel on administrative leave July 27. The statement, released Sunday by the office of the Most Rev. Martin J. Amos, bishop of Davenport, said that Stouvenel will stay on leave until an investigation is complete.
[≤ 1999, 2003-06 - Unnamed priest*] - RCC. Allowed to resume! 2 youths, now altar boy.
Expatica,
September 03, 2007
REGENSBURG, Germany (dpa) - Germany's Catholic Church came under fire Saturday for re-employing a convicted paedophile priest who was arrested this week for allegedly sexually abusing an altar-boy again.
The priest, 39, received a suspended one-year prison term in 2000 for molesting at least one boy, but was put in charge of a new parish after therapy. He is now accused of molesting another boy repeatedly between 2003 and 2006.
Johannes Heibel, head of a group that assists children abused by adults, said that if the charges were borne out, the diocese of Regensburg should also be prosecuted.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 3, 2007 8:41 AM]
[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.
Catholic Online,
Catholic News Service ( www.catholicnews.com ), ~ September 03, 2007
WASHINGTON (DC), United States of America (CNS) - The head of a network of former members of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi has offered to hand over computer files to a Virginia circuit court after being sued by the religious order.
Paul Lennon, president of the nonprofit organization ReGAIN, appeared before the Circuit Court of Alexandria Aug. 22 during a seizure hearing.
Glenn Favreau, a former member of the Legionaries and a member of ReGAIN, told Catholic News Service Aug. 28 that the court accepted Lennon's offer. No further steps have been taken in the case against Lennon and ReGAIN, Favreau said.
The Legionaries are suing Lennon and ReGAIN to recover what the order claims is private property and to deter what it said is improper use of stolen materials.
- RCC. Anti-competitive policy of Italian government!
Catholic News Agency,
11:07 am, Aug 31, 2007
ROME, Italy, (CNA).-- Italian officials and politicians have accused "radical and Masonic" groups of being behind the threats by the European Commission to investigate supposed "fiscal advantages" of the Catholic Church in Italy.
The Minister of Infrastructure, Antonio Di Pietro, said people were playing politics in order to keep others from doing good and that the European Union should occupy itself with more important matters.
The accusations are the result of recent investigations launched by the EU into whether or not the tax-exempt status of the Church's hospitals, schools, and other social service organizations should be withdrawn.
Clemente Mastella, Minister of Justice, said the suspicions of the European Commission were only a "pretext." The Union of Christian Democrats and the Center said "radical and Masonic" groups were behind the actions in Brussels.
The political party Forza Italia implicitly accused former government official Romano Prodi of the Radical Party, which is heavily Masonic, of being involved as well.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 3, 2007 9:57 PM]
[1940s-60s Maciel (Legion of Christ founder)] - RCC. 100 males, including seminarians.
ABC News,
Maddy Sauer Reports, ~ September 03, 2007
UNITED STATES -- A controversial Catholic group is taking its critics to court in the latest escalation of the decades-long battle between the Legion of Christ and former members of the Legion, some of whom have accused its founder of sexual abuse.
Former members of the order, known as Legionaries, have formed an online community to discuss, among other things, the sexual abuse allegations against the founder, Father Marcial Maciel.
Last year, the Vatican asked Maciel to give up all of his ministry appearances following accusations that decades ago he molested young priests in training.
The Legion has filed a complaint against one of the organizations, ReGain Inc., and its president, a former Legionary, John Paul Lennon.
[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
New Zimbabwe,
By Lebo Nkatazo, Last updated 14:47:48, August/31/2007
ZIMBABWE -- ZIMBABWE'S Catholic bishops on Friday united behind a statement offering support to the scandal-hit Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, and accused the government of violating human rights.
Archbishop Ncube, who is facing an £80 000 adultery lawsuit, has previously urged Zimbabweans to rise up and drive out President Robert Mugabe through street protests.
In a surprise intervention, the country's nine Catholic bishops took out a full page advert in the state-run Herald newspaper to announce their support for the embattled archbishop.
[2006-07 Archbishop Ncube*] - RCC. Married woman.
New Zimbabwe,
By Lebo Nkatazo, Last updated 11:49:26, August/31/2007
ZIMBABWE -- JOURNALIST Supa Mandiwanzira has rejected claims that he led a "sting operation" by Zimbabwe's intelligence services on Archbishop Pius Ncube, a Catholic priest and critic of President Robert Mugabe accused of adultery.
Reports said last week that the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was investigating claims by The Zimbabwean newspaper that Mandiwanzira, their Zimbabwean correspondent, used the SABC to secure an interview with the archbishop, and then led journalists from Zimbabwe's state media whom the bishop would usually not have granted an interview.
[Fr Cleary, Bp Casey] - RCC. 2 children; 1 child. Seduced teenage girl.
Irish Independent,
Monday September 03, 2007
IRELAND -- Fr Michael Cleary's death was hastened by his fear that the Bishop Eamonn Casey love child scandal could lead to his own similar secret being exposed, said his son Ross Hamilton Cleary.
The celebrity priest died of cancer in 1993, a year after the sensational revelations that his friend Bishop Eamonn Casey was the father of a son in the US.
The cancer, which was first detected 17 years earlier, returned with a vengeance, as a result of the priest's terror of being found out, said his son.
Fr Cleary fathered two children with Phyllis Hamilton, his housekeeper, whom he first seduced when she was a vulnerable 17-year-old girl.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Union-Tribune,
By Sandi Dolbee, September 3, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- After being threatened with contempt of court and suffering the slings and arrows of a less-than-flattering financial review, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is on the verge of getting kicked out of bankruptcy court.
It would be a dramatic move even for this case, which has seen more twists and turns in the past six months than a Shakespearean tragedy.
"Compared to the other cases we've seen across the country, so far it's really unprecedented," said Charles Zech, an economics professor at Villanova University, a Catholic school near Philadelphia.
[? 2000s Evansville Diocese] - RCC. Diocese withheld reports about priest.
WEHT,
by Jennifer Cahill, ~ September 03, 2007
EVANSVILLE (IN) -- A story gathering steam is the recent admission of Evansville Catholic Bishop Gerald Gettlefinger, that he withheld information of reports of sexual abuse by a deceased priest. Two groups supporting victims, and speaking out against abuse, handed out flyers at St. Benedict's Cathedral in Evansville Sunday morning.
The two groups were 'Silent Lambs' out of Paducah, KY and SNAP, the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests, from St. Louis, MO. They say their goal is to encourage victims to come forward and seek help.
The members of the groups are all victims themselves and they say it's through speaking out about the abuse that they've come to heal. They passed out flyers Sunday in hopes more victims will seek help, and to let them know there are confidential support groups available.
[? 2000s Evansville Diocese] - RCC. Diocese withheld reports about priest.
Tri-State Homepage,
Reported by LaTonya Stephens, 08:37pm CST, Sunday, Sep 2, 2007
EVANSVILLE (IN) -- Victims of abuse are asking other victims to step out of the shadows and the Evansville diocese to acknowledge their responsibilities.
The Silent Lambs organization and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests say recent revelations of molestation by a local priest is another example of the church's failure to protect the innocent.
They showed up Sunday at Saint Benedict's Cathedral handing out fliers encouraging members to support abuse victims and to push the catholic church to be honest about abusive priests.
- RCC.
Weekly Tax Newsletter,
~ September 03, 2007
ITALY -- The European Union has hinted that it may open a formal investigation into a series of generous tax concessions granted to the Roman Catholic church by the Italian government.
According to an AFX News report, a spokesman for EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes said that while Brussels has not yet launched an investigation into the tax breaks, it has already requested information from the Italian government.
"We are talking about certain tax concessions for the Italian Church in Italy. We haven't yet decided whether or not an investigation will be opened. We need to have further information," the spokesman revealed.
- General communities. Laws differ.
Tiscali Europa,
~ September 03, 2007
A European-wide problem Recent events have again drawn attention to the problems of child sexual abuse and child pornography. You may know what is being done to fight child abuse at home but what about in other countries?
Similar problems, different approaches EUROPE -- National and European authorities have intensified cooperation to fight the problem in its various guises: within the family, child prostitution, child pornography and its increased dissemination via the internet, and sex tourism by Europeans abroad.
Many countries have signed up to international conventions and codes, however, national approaches do differ markedly.
For instance, the age of consent ranges from twelve in some European countries (Spain, Netherlands) to 17 in Ireland while in Britain it differs for heterosexuals (16) and homosexuals (18).
For sex tourism only Spain has not yet made its citizens prosecutable for child sex crimes committed abroad. And child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has surfaced noticeably so far in Ireland, Germany and Austria.
[2006-07 San Diego Diocese] - RCC. Builds US$80m campus, facing 150 complainants.
Union-Tribune,
By Chris Moran, September 3, 2007
CHULA VISTA (CA) - At every turn, there's something in South County's new Catholic high school that wasn't in the old: echoes from a theater's lobby, gleaming whiteboards to catch images from ceiling projectors, the cool caress of air conditioning.
Mater Dei Catholic High School, which opens tomorrow, also has a bigger and better version of almost everything the old campus had. There's a chapel that seats 200, a bowl-style football stadium and a dozen science labs.
As recently as five months ago, it was unclear whether Mater Dei would open. The Catholic Diocese of San Diego built the $80 million campus while facing about 150 lawsuits alleging the sexual abuse of children by priests.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Mon September 03, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1984-2007 Mr Klein -NEW*] - ? Church of England. 16mos prison. £70,000 gone.
Daily Mail,
www.dailymail. co.uk/pages/ live/articles/ news/news. html?in_article_ id=479843& in_page_id=1770 , ~ September 04, 2007
UNITED KINGDOM -- An accountant who stole £70,000 from two churches to fund his addiction to gambling and stamp collecting has been jailed for 16 months.
Derek Klein, 53, took the cash from bank accounts over 23 years while he was a treasurer of two local parochial church councils.
[Picture] Derek Klein admitted stealing £57,000 from St Andrew's Church in Norfolk. He admitted stealing £57,000 from 15th century St Andrew's Church at Bacton near North Walsham, Norfolk, between 1984 and last January Klein also pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing £13,000 from St Peter's church at nearby Ridlington over 14 years from 1993.
[1984-94 Mons. Fushek*] - RCC. Life Teen founder. 7 young males.
Tucson Citizen,
The Associated Press, ~ September 04, 2007
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- It's the 21st century, but Arizona lawyers and judges still can find themselves looking at cases and laws from stagecoach days to figure out whether defendants are entitled to a trial by jury.
If you're accused of certain misdemeanor crimes in Arizona, whether you're entitled to a jury trial may depend on whether there was a right to one when Arizona became a state in 1912. ...
Dale Fushek, the former pastor of a Catholic church in Mesa, awaiting trial on charges of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor, failed to win the right to a jury trial partly because there was an English crime of neglect dating back to 1908.
The Court of Appeals rejected Fushek's argument, saying in its June 14 ruling that the crime was included in British statutes but not entrenched in common law.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 4, 2007
9:31 AM]
[LOOK BACK: The Arizona Republic, "Fushek case heads to Court of Appeals," Apr. 11, 2007.
ENDS.]
[~ 2000s Mr Smith*, Mr Zgoznik*] - RCC. US$17.5m in 7yrs. $784,000 for consulting.
The Plain Dealer,
by James F. McCarty, Tuesday, September 04, 2007
CLEVELAND (OH) -- Some employees at Cathedral Square, headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, share a whispered acronym for a memory problem that strikes priests who are called to testify in court cases.
"We call it RCA, or Roman Collar Amnesia," employee Janice Hesselton testified during the federal kickback trial of a former diocesan accountant, Anton Zgoznik.
Defense attorneys in the case suspect the RCA affliction has spread all the way to the church's hierarchy.
Bishop Anthony Pilla, now retired, and the Rev. John Wright, one of his former top assistants, could not recall significant details of financial transactions and business decisions when questioned at the trial last week in U.S. District Court.
"I've gotten the impression that people's memories are malleable over there" at the diocese, defense attorney Robert Rotatori said after the sixth day of testimony.
- RCC.
Radicali,
~ September 04, 2007
ITALY -- (This Italian-language article, written by the Transnational Radical Party, discusses the Vatican's dealings in commerce and tax issues now being investigated by officials of the European Union.)
- RCC.
CathNews,
~ September 04, 2007
AUSTRALIA -- The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle today opens a new facility for healing individuals and communities affected by sexual abuse within the church.
Zimmerman House will be named after its patron, Josephite Sister Beverly Zimmerman. It will house the Diocesan Child Protection and Professional Conduct Unit.
The unit's manager Helen Keevers said: "Many would argue that you can never completely heal from abuse."
But she added that she believes in "the importance of walking with survivors of abuse and offering them whatever support [is possible]".
[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.
KHQA,
By Jim Whitfield, Posted 3:08:26 PM, Monday, September 03, 2007
IOWA -- The Davenport Diocese says it's placed a priest from Lee County Iowa on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an alleged sexual abuse allegation that took place nearly 30 years ago.
Bishop Martin Amos, says he removed Father Gerald Stouvenel from serving at S-S Mary and Joseph Church in Ft. Madison as well as St Joseph's Church in Montrose.
[1940s-70s Mons. Schroeder*] - RCC. > 10 boys so far.
WFIE,
Reporter: Marianne Lyles, New Media Producer: Rachel Beavin, ~ September 04, 2007
EVANSVILLE (IN) -- Sex abuse victims call on the Evansville Archdiocese to stop hiding church sex crimes.
Sunday, victims stood outside St. Benedict Cathedral handing out leaflets urging Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger to be more forthcoming about abusive priests.
This comes just weeks after the diocese announced Monsignor Othmar Schroeder abused several boys during his nearly 30 years at a Jasper church.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 4, 2007 8:02 AM]
- SNAP helps any religion's victims.
Coshocton Tribune,
By BRIAN GADD, September 04, 2007
OHIO -- A Chicago-based organization which offers support for victims of clergy sex abuse will be holding three confidential counseling sessions in the area over the next three months.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) plans to host meetings Sept. 17 in New Concord, Oct. 15 in Columbus and Nov. 19 in Cambridge, said Judy Jones, SNAP leader for southeastern Ohio.
Despite the word "priests" in the group's name, the organization helps anyone hurt by religious figures in any denomination.
- RCC.
ANSA,
September 4, 2007
VATICAN CITY (ANSA) -- The Vatican Secretary of State lashed out on Tuesday at politicians who have questioned the tax advantages enjoyed by the Catholic Church in Italy.
Without naming any group specifically, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said critics were stoking "cheap" polemics and "falsifying" reality by presenting the tax breaks as undeserved and unjustifiable privileges. ...
PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. The Commission is reportedly interested in a law passed by the Silvio Berlusconi government in 2006 which effectively exempted all Church property used for commercial purposes from local real estate tax.
Officials at the Competition Commission are also believed to be interested in the 50% reduction in corporation taxes applied to church business activities such as schools, hospitals, clinics and hotels.
It has emerged that a complaint about the Church's tax treatment was lodged in Brussels last year by a group of Italian businessmen supported by the Radical party.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 4, 2007 9:27 PM]
City of Angels,
By Kay Ebeling, ~ September 04, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The complete story of what happened in the rectories and behind bishops' doors has yet to come out. A group is meeting next Sunday afternoon here in LA, details on the left hand column of this blog. LA is full of creative people. The goal of this survivors' project is to produce . . . something. My idea is a low budget digital video to post on a blog and then go from there. But I'm hoping people bring other ideas to the group.
With this blog I've learned the therapy is not just in writing but in having people read what you say. So with the civil cases mostly settled, it's a good time to start a creative project, focusing of pedophile priest rapes, one story at a time, one parish, city, one region at a time. The goal is to get more details of the stories out to more people, using whatever media we know how to use.
There's video blogs or I also thought we could do a play we'd perform as guerrilla theater in parks and public places. Part of the show would be handing out rotten tomatoes for the audience to throw at scarecrow like figures of bishops and priests. So the meeting Sunday is open to any ideas.
[2000s Cleveland Diocese leaders, and others] - RCC. Forget.
Catholic World News,
www.cwnews. com/offthe record/off therecord. cfm?task= singledisplay& recnum=4362 ,
~ September 04, 2007
CLEVELAND (OH) -- Off The Record has often had occasion to notice the frequency and expedience of memory lapses by senior ecclesiastics faced with awkward questions -- especially under oath
(go here, and here , and here and here ...). Now it seems some persons in greater metropolitan Cleveland are making the same diagnosis in reference to the current diocesan kickback scam trial. From the Plain Dealer :
Some employees at Cathedral Square, headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, share a whispered acronym for a memory problem that strikes priests who are called to testify in court cases.
[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.
Gazette,
September 02, 2007
DAVENPORT (IA) -- The Diocese of Davenport has placed a priest on administrative leave after four people complained he sexually abused them 30 years ago.
The Rev. Gerald Stouvenel was placed on administrative leave effective July 27, the diocese said in a statement released on Sunday. Stouvenel will remain on leave until an investigation is complete, according to the diocese.
According to the diocese, four people have made claims in the bankruptcy case filed by the diocese claiming that Stouvenel sexually abused them, as minors, over 30 years ago. Stouvenel was ordained on August 12, 1972.
[1995-96 Mr Andrade] - RCC. Girl.
Orange County Register,
August 30th, 2007
CALIFORNIA -- The Catholic Diocese of Orange asked a judge today to order a woman who is pursuing a sex-abuse suit against a former coach at Mater Dei High School to name all of her sexual partners.
Jane Doe, a 26-year-old woman, is suing the church, school and her alleged perpetrator, former assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade, accusing him of sexual abuse for two years starting in 1995. Andrade, who no longer works at the school, has admitted in a deposition that he had sex with the girl.
Today, a hearing was held on the lawsuit, which is scheduled to go to trial in Orange County in mid-September. Superior Court Judge Gail A. Andler decided to make Jane Doe testify for at least another two hours about her sexual history – but let a retired judge Robert Jameson, who is handling the case's mediation, determine whether she needs to name her past sexual partners.
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Tue September 04, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[1990s +? - Cook -NEW*] - Church of God. 47 charges.
WSAZ,
www.wsaz.com/ news/head lines/957 6087.html ,
~ September 05, 2007
WEST VIRGINIA -- A high-profile pastor from Kanawha County says he's one of the sexual assault victims of another pastor -- and he's written a letter to the public.
Pastor Mike Lewis of the New Life Center in Cedar Grove sent a letter to local media outlets Tuesday night. In the letter, he says he was one of the victims of Sandy Martin Cook more than ten years ago when he was a teenager.
Cook was and still is the pastor at the Shrewsbury Church of God.
Cook was arrested by West Virginia State Police on Monday. He's charged with 3 counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust, and 44 counts of sexual assault in the 3rd degree.
During his arraignment in Kanawha County magistrate court, Cook said, "I'm scared to death."
[? 2000s Cortez Rodriguez -NEW*] - Christian. Methamphetamine, arms. 2 children.
NBC Sandiego,
~ September 05, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A licensed pastor is being sought in connection with two sexual assault cases, San Diego police announced Thursday.
Pedro Cortez Rodriguez, 58, is the subject of a child molestation investigation involving two separate victims, according to police. Police did not release the circumstances of the alleged crimes, but officials said Rodriguez should be considered armed and dangerous.
Rodriguez was a pastor who operated a church in Tecate, Mexico. He has since sold his property there and may have fled to San Diego, authorities said. He is a known methamphetamine user and is aware police are searching for him.
[2001 Stallworth] - Methodist / Word and Worship Church. Woman.
WDAM,
www.wdam.com/ Global/story. asp?S=7028 773&nav= menu123_ 2_12 ,
Associated Press, 10:14 AM ET, September 5, 2007
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that State Farm Insurance Company does not have to pay to defend the Reverend Jeffery Stallworth from a civil lawsuit filed by a Maryland woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2001 in her home.
Stallworth also was fined $800 yesterday (Tuesday) by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate for being two hours late for a hearing.
State Farm had denied Stallworth the coverage under three policies to fight the woman's $10 million lawsuit and asked Wingate for a judgment in its favor.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 5, 2007 8:17 PM]
And see Clarion Ledger, September 5, 2007
www.clarion ledger.com/ apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/200709 05/NEWS/ 709050371/ 1002/NEWS01 .
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
KPBS,
~ September 05, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- Advocates for sex-abuse victims are urging patience amid speculation of a settlement with San Diego's Catholic diocese. The diocese filed for bankruptcy protection just as the first of 150 lawsuits was headed for trial. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps has details.
The Union-Tribune quoted a friend of Bishop Robert Brom, who says both sides are close to a settlement that would avert trials. The bankruptcy judge delayed a critical hearing till next week. That could mean attorneys need time to finish a deal.
Barbara Dorris speaks for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. She says it would be unfair to mislead sex-abuse victims about a possible settlement.
Dorris: We fear that Bishop Brom is in some ways leading them on. 'Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we're going to do this.' And then when nothing happens, they're hurt. And we don't want them to get hurt again.
Dorris says church officials in Boston reneged on a deal several years ago after it was publicly announced.
- RCC.
Marketplace,
~ September 05, 2007
ITALY -- Looking for an apartment's never easy. But here's a hint if you promise not to tell anybody else: the Vatican's got some good deals. Seriously. Even beyond St. Peters, the Catholic Church owns a lot of pricey real estate in Rome.
For years, many of its tenants paid quite reasonable amounts, and they came to believe they were protected from rising rents. But Megan Williams reports now from Rome, their faith was misplaced.
Megan Williams: It may be the last summer 65-year-old Franco Lattughi welcomes a guest into his spacious, sunlit apartment in the historic center of Rome.
[1995-96 Mr Andrade] - RCC. Girl.
Orange County Register,
By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI, ~ September 05, 2007
CALIFORNIA -- Bishop Tod Brown must testify about his knowledge regarding past childhood sex-abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, a judge ruled today.
The deposition, ordered as part of ongoing litigation between the Catholic Church regarding a sex-abuse claim at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, would be the first time Brown has ever testified regarding his knowledge of such claims, lawyers on the case said.
A now-26-year-old woman, who is identified as "C.R. Doe" in court, is suing the diocese, private school and her alleged perpetrator, former assistant basketball coach Jeff Andrade, accusing him of sexual abuse for two years, starting in 1995. The trial is scheduled for Sept. 17 in Orange County Superior Court.
[2005-06 McCormack*] - RCC. 5yrs prison. Fondled 5 boys.
Chicago Tribune Metromix,
By Azam Ahmed, ~ September 05, 2007
CHICAGO (IL) -- Over the summer, Shauna Boliker, the head of the sex crimes division for the Cook County state's attorney's office, was driving to work when she got a flat tire.
Eight months' pregnant, she changed the flat in 95-degree heat and then continued on to the Criminal Courts Building at 26th Street and California Avenue. ...
Her recent high-profile cases included the prosecution of Rev. Daniel McCormack, a Chicago priest who pleaded guilty in July to molesting five boys and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
"She's a professional, and I think that's the highest compliment you can pay to a prosecutor," said Robert Loeb, one of McCormack's lawyers.
[2006-07 Sguotti*] - RCC. Celibate has girlfriend.
ANSA,
September 5, 2007
PADUA, Italy (ANSA) -- A scandal-hit parish in northern Italy has voted to keep its local priest despite his love for a separated mother.
More than 200 parishioners in Monterosso near Padua said they wanted Sante Sguotti to stay on, in a ballot called by the priest himself to sound out the extent of parish support for his position.
Only 17 villagers sided with the local bishop, Msgr. Antonio Mattiazzo, who wants Sguotti to quit.
Before the Tuesday night ballot, a parishioner whom Sguotti has accused of deliberately exposing him was ejected from the church.
[~ 60yrs - Los Angeles Archdiocese] - RCC. > 150 priests. US$660m. 508 victims.
Anglican Journal,
Los Angeles, Sep 4, 2007
LOS ANGELES (CA) -- The archdiocese of Los Angeles' agreement to a $660 million US clergy abuse settlement will amount to $1.3 million for each plaintiff, and it prevents Roger Cardinal Mahoney, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic diocese, from having to testify on the issue.
News reports said Cardinal Mahoney would not have to disclose whether diocesan leaders had covered up the incidents of abuse as they occurred.
However, the settlement, which includes more than 500 plaintiffs, and effectively avoids 15 upcoming pedophilia trials against the Los Angeles archdiocese, also calls for the release of confidential personnel files of priests involved in alleged abuses from the 1940s to the 1990s.
[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.
Record Seachlight,
By Michael Valpy and Caroline Alphonso, Toronto Globe and Mail,
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
BROCKVILLE, Ontario, Canada -- A private religious school that charged up to $35,000 a year for tuition has abruptly closed its doors amid allegations of sexual improprieties and cult practices.
Citing rising costs and a drop in enrollment, officials at Grenville Christian College, which sits on the edge of the St. Lawrence River town of Brockville, Ont., announced at the end of July it would close.
Students who attended the school over a period dating back to the 1980s paint a picture of a bizarre environment, involving so-called "light sessions" where teenagers were ordered from their beds in the middle of the night, made to sit in a dark room with a bright light shining on their face and accused repeatedly of being sinners by teachers and staff they couldn't see.
The Right Rev. Peter Mason, the retired bishop of the Anglican diocese of Ontario, which includes Brockville, said he had heard allegations from former staff members of cult behavior at the school but had not been aware it involved students.
[1990s +? - Cook*] - Church of God. 47 charges.
The Charleston Gazette,
By Gary Harki, ~ September 05, 2007
WEST VIRGINIA -- A Cedar Grove pastor said Tuesday he was one of the boys whom another pastor is charged with sexually assaulting over a decade ago, and accused state Church of God leaders of ignoring reports of the abuse.
Mike Lewis, senior pastor of the New Life Center in Cedar Grove, released a statement Tuesday evening acknowledging he is the same Mike Lewis mentioned in the criminal complaint against Shrewsbury Church of God pastor Sandy Martin Cook.
"For thirteen years I have hidden this secret in the deepest part of my being, never to let it out," Lewis said in his statement. "Over these past years I have shared this secret with no one. Not my wife, parents, family, or leaders.
"I assumed that my abuse had been limited to me alone and that no one else was suffering what I suffered. My assumptions were wrong."
[≤ 1994 +? Rowe] - Anglican. 3yrs more prison. Indigenous boys.
Anglican Journal,
Staff, Sep 4, 2007
CANADA -- Former Anglican priest Ralph Rowe on July 6 was convicted of additional charges of sexual abuse against boys and sentenced by a judge in Kenora (Ont.) Superior Court to three years in prison.
The Kenora Daily Miner & News reported that Justice Erwin Stach found Mr. Rowe, 67, guilty of indecent assault and sexual assault, including rape. The incidents took place in several First Nation communities in northern Ontario where Mr. Rowe served as a priest, Boy Scout leader and pilot.
Mr. Rowe, who lives in Surrey, B.C., was previously convicted for similar sexual offences in 1994 and served four and a-half years of a six-year sentence. At the time, prosecutors agreed that Mr. Rowe would not have to serve further jail time if more charges were laid for such charges as fondling.
Last May, he pled guilty to 20 charges that fell under the plea bargain. However, the additional charges involved more serious offences.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
Union-Tribune,
By Sandi Dolbee, 10:40 p.m. September 4, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- After four years of lawsuits, delays and bankruptcy proceedings, an agreement may be drawing near between the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and roughly 150 childhood sexual abuse victims.
I believe that they are very close," said Bob Baker, a prominent Catholic who recently helped form Parishioners for the Churches and Schools to represent church members in the diocese's bankruptcy case.
Baker, a longtime friend of San Diego Bishop Robert Brom, said he recently consulted with Brom on structuring some aspects of a settlement. "I know the bishop is trying very hard to settle these cases in the next few days," said Baker, founder of the Bob Baker Auto Group.
Lawyers for the diocese and victims declined to be interviewed because of instructions barring them from talking about the mediation, which is being overseen by federal Magistrate Judge LeoPapas.
[1970s Stouvenel*] - RCC. 4 people.
Des Moines Register,
By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE, REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR, September 05, 2007
DAVENPORT (IA) -- A priest in the Davenport Diocese has been suspended while officials investigate four child sexual abuse allegations against him.
Bishop Martin Amos waited more than a month after he suspended the Rev. Gerald Stouvenel to announce his decision.
"The bishop was hoping to give more information to the (diocesan sexual abuse) review board," said Deacon Michael Montgomery, spokesman for the diocese.
"The investigation was taking longer than expected. The review board met and advised the bishop to release the information, to not delay any longer, even though the investigation wasn't done," he said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 5, 2007 7:12 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed September 05, 2007
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont140.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[June 2007 Penland -NEW*] - Episcopalian. Soliciting in WC.
Sun-Sentinel,
www.sun- sentinel. com/sfl-96 bocapriest, 0,2947699. story ,
By Jerome Burdi | Sun-Sentinel.com ,
1:50 PM EDT, September 6, 2007
BOCA RATON (FL) -- A new priest at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church was issued a citation for allegedly soliciting sex in a North Carolina public park's men's room recently.
Though the announcement came out this week, police issued a citation for solicitation to the Rev. Michael Penland in June during a Waynesville police sting operation dubbed Operation Summer Heat. Waynesville is located near Asheville, N.C.
Penland, who has been a youth minister at the Boca Raton church since November, allegedly followed an undercover officer and solicited sex from him, police said. Penland allegedly followed the officer as he left the park and was pulled over.
[1966-2006 Mr Truksa -NEW*] - Community Church. Porn. 4 boys.
KETV,
www.bishop- accountability. org/Abuse TrackerArchive/ 2007/09/# 004989 , ~ September 06, 2007
LINCOLN, Neb. -- A former employee of Lincoln Public Schools faces charges of sexually assaulting four boys, at least one of them at a church where he had been choir director.
Benjamin Truksa, 27, was charged Tuesday in Lancaster County Court with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and two counts of sexual assault of a child. He is accused of assaulting four boys who are now ages 16 to 22 between January 1996 and March 2006 at Indian Hills Community Church and elsewhere.
Authorities said Truksa was fired from his position at the church in November 2005 for looking at pornography on his church computer. He had previously worked at Irving Middle School as a piano accompanist.
[1982 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - RCC. Repressed memory. Boy.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
By Tim Townsend, September/06/2007
ST. LOUIS (MO) -- An 11-year-old boy was molested in 1982 by a priest from Little Flower Parish. The victim, now a St. Louis attorney, said he repressed the memory and didn't connect the abuse to his psychological problems until 2004.
The attorney knew the state's statute of limitations had expired in his case. The St. Louis Archdiocese knew the same, offering him only $20,000 in mediation.
After the man rejected the offer, a St. Louis judge refused to dismiss his lawsuit, allowing the case to go to a jury trial.
The judge cited a June 2006 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that added new wording on how the statute of limitations can be applied, essentially allowing a court to consider when a victim not only recalled the abuse, but recognized the harm it inflicted.
[1990s +? - Cook*] - Church of God. 47 charges.
Charleston Daily Mail,
September 06, 2007
WEST VIRGINIA -- A pastor accused of sexual assault chose boys whose families were not active at the church, police believe.
"Some of the victims believed that they were chosen because when it came down to it, who are you going to believe, the pastor or the boy," said State Trooper M.J. Napier, who is investigating the case. "One of the victims didn't have a father, that's why he feels he was chosen."
Sandy Martin Cook, 48, of Belle, is charged with three counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust and 44 counts of third-degree sexual assault. The alleged assaults occurred at his home or in his vehicle along U.S. 60.
[1967-68 Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Santa Barbara Independent,
By Nick Welsh, Thursday, September 6, 2007
CALIFORNIA -- At first, Andrew Ruiz was relieved. But his relief quickly gave way to frustration, followed by anger.
Ruiz was initially happy not to take the witness stand, not to answer difficult questions about a painful past. And content not to endure the agonies of a protracted trial with no certain outcome.
A rawboned man with sad, piercing eyes, elaborately tattooed arms, and a direct, deliberate manner, Ruiz is one of 508 men and women who recently settled claims of sexual abuse with the Los Angles Archdiocese, which presides over Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles county Catholic churches.
All together, they will be paid $660 million. That settlement was announced July 15, just two days before the first of many sex abuse trials were scheduled to begin on July 17.
Ruiz–who has yet to receive his settlement check–said there are some things that can never be undone. Money, he said, can't erase the past; certain memories will never go away.
Tapping the back of his head with the finger tips of his right hand, Ruiz said, "It's all still in here."
Ruiz, now 52, sued the archdiocese in November 2003, claiming that Father Matthew Kelly, the once iconic pastor of Santa Barbara's Our Lady of Guadalupe, had molested him 30 times back when he was 12 and 13.
Ruiz was the first of seven men from Santa Barbara to bear witness against Kelly, who until then had enjoyed a near legendary status throughout Santa Barbara's Eastside, which he served for nearly 30 years.
Since filing his lawsuit four years ago, Ruiz, an electrician, has actively prepared for his day in court. He and his attorneys–R. Thomas Griffith and Tim Hale, from Santa Barbara–have been consumed by depositions, interrogatories, and a blizzard of dueling legal motions over what evidence could and should be made available.
"But when it finally came time for the showdown," Ruiz said, "{the archdiocese} said, 'Here's some money. Take it. Just go away.'"
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on September 6, 2007 10:22 AM]
[1970s-1997 - Grenville Christian College* (Community of Jesus)] - Anglican. Sexual, physical, psychological.
Cape Cod Times,
By Susan Milton and Robin Lord, September 06, 2007
ORLEANS (MA) – It started this time with a question posted to an online message board about the Community of Jesus in Orleans and Grenville Christian College in Brockton, Ontario, Canada.
"Has anyone heard of these, been involved with or had experience in either of these two groups which were originally started by Cay Andersen and Judy Sorensen?"
Fourteen months later, the college, a K-12 boarding school, is closing amid allegations of physical and emotional abuse, according to a series this week in the Globe and Mail daily newspaper in Toronto.
And, for the fifth time in 28 years, the Community of Jesus is fielding allegations about cult-like behavior, mind control and excessive discipline among the families and monastic orders at its site at Rock Harbor.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
North County Times,
By: TERI FIGUEROA, September 06, 2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) -- A crucial hearing over the fate of a bankruptcy case filed by the Roman Catholic bishop of San Diego is on hold for a week, amid reports that settlement talks are heating up with dozens who want the diocese to pay for alleged sex abuse by priests.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler was supposed to hear arguments today about why she should not dismiss the diocese's bankruptcy filing, but instead she rescheduled the hearing until Sept. 11.
The diocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization on Feb. 27, on the eve of jury selection for five civil trials to address claims brought by alleged sex abuse victims. The bankruptcy filing froze the civil court proceedings until late last month, when Adler gave the green light for 42 of the sex abuse trials to move forward.
[2000-05 Tendler] - Judaism (Orthodox). Woman.
New York Daily News,
BY OWEN MORITZ, 4:00 AM, Thursday, September 6th 2007
NEW YORK -- A controversial rabbi has fended off a lawsuit that charged he seduced a woman in his congregation by telling her she needed "sex therapy" to help find her a husband.
A divided appellate court ruled 3-2 that Adina Marmelstein's "thinly veiled claims of seduction" against Rabbi Mordecai Tendler are prohibited by civil rights law, and therefore she has no grounds to sue him.
But attorneys for the woman vowed to appeal based on arguments from the court's two dissenting members - one of whom, Judge John Sweeny, wrote that Tendler "clearly exploited the vulnerability" of Marmelstein "to attain his own ends."
The contentious case has rocked the Orthodox Jewish community because of Tendler's so-called "sexual therapy sessions," and led to the rabbi's dismissal from the Rabbinical Council of America.
[20yrs - Couch*] - RCC. 10 9/12 yrs prison. 6 boys.
Plymouth Evening Herald,
By DIANA PRINCE, 11:50 - 06 September 2007
UNITED KINGDOM -- A former Roman Catholic school pupil who helped to convict the teacher who repeatedly sexually assaulted him has told his harrowing story and urged other victims to speak out. John, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, said the abuse he suffered at the Devon boarding school between the ages of eight and 14 has ruined his life.
Now an adult, he gave vital evidence in the trial of Paul Couch, who was last week jailed for 10 years and nine months for a catalogue of offences on boys aged under 13 between 1972 and 1993.
Couch, aged 61, of Wyndham Street West, Plymouth, was sentenced at the city crown court after being convicted of two counts of serious sexual assault and 11 counts of indecent assault while at the school, which has since closed and cannot be named for legal reasons.
[50yrs San Diego Diocese] - RCC. $US 60m. 45 settlements, > 150 pending.
San Jose Mercury News,
By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer, Article Launched 07:37:46 PM PDT,
Sep/05/2007
SAN DIEGO (CA) – When the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy six months ago, it hoped to find shelter from potentially embarrassing and costly lawsuits from people claiming they were sexually abused by priests.
Instead, the church opened itself up to an unprecedented public examination of its financial affairs and to withering criticism from a judge who has used her authority to interrogate church staff, order audits and, in the most recent blow, return individual cases to state court control for immediate trials.
Now, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Louise DeCarl Adler is considering throwing out the whole case–a move that would leave the diocese where it was in February, with little choice but to risk trial or settle. Mediation proceedings are continuing Thursday before a federal magistrate judge, and Adler delayed a hearing until Tuesday on the dismissal to allow for more negotiations.
"It's like sitting holding a candle on a pile of dynamite," said Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine monk who has written extensively on church abuse. "The question is how to blow the candle out."
- Religion and law.
Find Law,
By MARCI HAMILTON, Thursday, Sep. 06, 2007
UNITED STATES -- I took a short break from my column-writing duties this summer in order to finish my forthcoming book. Looking back over the summer, I saw three major developments in the area of law and religion.
The Supreme Court Narrows Taxpayer Standing in Establishment Clause Cases
From the moment that Justice Samuel Alito joined the Supreme Court in the seat left by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement, there has been reason to be concerned that the Establishment Clause would become more watered down than it already is.
The open question was would he be an "incrementalist" who chipped away at the separation of church and state bit by bit, or would he take the most extreme positions taken by Justices Scalia and Thomas. In June, we learned that the answer is the former. ...
Los Angeles Archdiocese Clergy Abuse Settlement and the Slow Release of Church Documents One of the bigger headlines of the summer concerned the Los Angeles Archdiocese's $660 million settlement with over 500 victims of clergy abuse. The survivors, on average, received $1.3 million each for their injuries. Almost half of the amount is to be paid by insurance and the rest by the Archdiocese out of funds and properties not dedicated to religious purposes.
These settlements are never about money alone, though that is often the only fact the public absorbs. We saw the number $660 million in every headline, and to a lesser extent the number of victims, but only as an aside
