[≤ 2003 Mr Juan Gonzalez -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Child porn.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, ~ April 01, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. -- An employee of the Catholic church in Yakima is facing child pornography charges in Oregon.
The 37-year-old, Juan Jose Gonzalez, was arrested March 19 after a traffic stop and is jailed in Yakima awaiting an April 22nd extradition hearing.
Gonzalez faces four charges that arose from when he was a seminary student at Mount Angel. He was dismissed from the seminary in 2003 and hired by the bishop in Yakima to work at the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche (cow-ICH'-ee).
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
6:10 PM]
(This is the first item ofAbuse Chronology:
http://www. multiline. com.au/~ johnm/ethics/ ethcont147. htm ,
and of the Clergy Sex AbuseTracker,
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abusetracker ,
A Blog by Kathy Shaw,
for Tue April 01, 2008.)
[? 2000s "Bishop" Fraser -NEW*] - Baptist. Girl.
The Voice,
~ April 1, 2008
BAHAMAS HIGH Court judges have ordered a new trial for Bishop Randy Fraser, who is accused of having sex with a teenage girl he was counselling.
The Justices of Appeal overturned a magistrate's decision to free Fraser, who is the pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church.
[? 2007-08 Deacon Ritchie -NEW*] - - RCC. At a home for seniors.
The Whig Standard
Posted By Rob Tripp
~ April 1, 2008
CANADA -- A ROMAN CATHOLIC DEACON WHO WAS THE spiritual care co-ordinator of Providence Manor in Kingston has been charged with sexual assault, according to the facility's administrator.
Shelagh Nowlan said Patrick Ritchie is no longer an employee of Providence Manor, a long-term care home where 243 seniors live.
It's alleged that the abuse took place at the home. A deacon holds an ordained position in the church and performs pastoral duties.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Jose Gonzalez*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla -NEW*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
The Seattle Times,
By SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer, ~ April 1, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima said Tuesday he regrets hiring a retreat director known to be under investigation of child pornography charges in Oregon, saying it "wasn't a good hire."
Juan Jose Gonzalez, 37, of Cowiche is being held on $80,000 bail at the Yakima County Jail on a fugitive warrant issued in Marion County, Ore. He faces four charges of encouraging child sex abuse, a felony, according to Yakima County Superior Court records.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla said he hired Gonzalez in 2003 to work part-time at the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche because he viewed the incident as an "isolated episode," and because the job involved administrative work and teaching religious education to adults only, not children. Gonzalez was hired as full-time retreat director later that summer.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
9:31 PM]
[O'Donnell] - RCC.
KXLY,
Story by Erik Loney / KXLY4 Reporter, Updated 08:52 PM EDT, April 1, 2008
[with video]
SPOKANE (WA) -- Confessed child molester and former Spokane priest Patrick O'Donnell is facing new legal troubles after a woman placed a restraining order against him.
A woman that lives in O'Donnell's gated neighborhood in LaConner filed a temporary harassment protection order against him last week, claiming he approached her twin daughters while they were at the neighborhood school bus stop.
O'Donnell is accused of picking up a rock off the ground, approaching the girls and giving it to them. Neighbors say they witnessed the interaction and chased O'Donnell away.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
9:43 PM]
[1989-91 Beltran] - RCC. Fugitive arrested. 3 girls.
Sacramento Bee,
By Jennifer Garza - jgarza@sacbee.com
Published 3:24 pm PDT Tuesday, April 1, 2008
SACRAMENTO (CA) -- Another alleged sex abuse victim of a former Sacramento priest has stepped forward.
Gabriela Enriquez, 26, claims she was repeatedly molested by Gerardo Beltran who was recently arrested in Mexico. Enriquez - and other Beltran victims - spoke at a press conference Tuesday outside St. Joseph's parish in Sacramento.
Enriquez says she was molested by Beltran at St. Joseph's Church from 1989 to 1991. She was an 8-year-old altar server at the church.
- RCC. More seducers still leading parishes.
San Francisco Chronicle,
AP, Monday, March 31, 2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- At least 64 Roman Catholic clergy members have been accused of molesting children in Alameda and Contra Costa counties since 1950 – far more than the diocese has publicly acknowledged – and nearly two dozen of them continue to serve in churches, according to published reports.
The alleged abuse spanned at least 26 parishes and six high schools in the East Bay, nearly three-quarters of the parishes in the Diocese of Oakland, according to reports published this week by local MediaNews Group newspapers, which analyzed court and church records.
Since 2004, Bishop Allen Vigneron has publicly apologized for 12.
- RCC.
New Hampshire Department of Justice,
~ April 1, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- This links to the report on the Diocese of Manchester made public today by Attorney General Kelly Ayotte.
New Hampshire Union Leader
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, ~ April 1, 2008
CONCORD, New Hampshire -– The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester reached a “milestone” in its compliance with child protection policies and practices since last year, including revising policies to close “critical gaps” and enhancing its program, an international forensic auditing firm said in its report made public today.
KPMG Inc. also remarked on the “openness and willingness to cooperate” with auditors shown by Bishop John B. McCormack, the Rev. Edward J. Arsenault and other senior diocesan leaders.
State Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte commended diocesan leaders and staff for the “dramatic improvement” made since last year.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
5:26 PM
Foster's Daily Democrat,
AP, April 1, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) _ The latest audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester shows "significant progress" in its compliance program to prevent child-sexual abuse, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday. But there are still some issues that need to be addressed, such as not immediately removing someone accused of abuse when an allegation is reported, she said.
The audit was conducted as part of the state’s December 2002 agreement with the diocese, relating to its handling of allegations of sexual misconduct of children by priests. The terms of the agreement included an annual audit of the diocese regarding its compliance with the agreement.
The third annual audit, the result of visits and other interviews conducted by an independent firm from Aug. 13 to Nov. 1 last year, was made public Tuesday.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
5:24 PM
- RC diocese does U-turn.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester,
April 1, 2008
MANCHESTER, NH -- “Protecting children and young people continues to be a focus of the entire Catholic Church in New Hampshire and maintaining a safe environment for everyone is an essential part of who we are as Catholics,” said Bishop John B. McCormack.
Bishop McCormack commented on the assessment conducted by a Massachusetts accounting firm for the Attorney General’s Office and released today along with a letter from the attorney general. “I am heartened by the letter from Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in which she recognizes our ‘shared goal of protecting children from sexual abuse.’ This mutual desire to do what is best for children serves both our state and our Church. I am deeply grateful to the priests, deacons, school administration and teachers, and the thousands of paid and volunteer lay ministers in our parishes, schools and institutions who remain dedicated to making our children and young people safe.”
The KPMG assessment published today is the result of visits and interviews conducted by KPMG from August 13 to November 1, 2007.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
5:20 PM
NEW HAMPSHIRE --
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester,
~ April 1, 2008
[with link to Bishop McCormack's letter to the attorney general]
On April 1, 2008, the NH Attorney General released to the public the assessment report prepared by KPMG Forensic Services regarding the Diocese of Manchester’s safe environment programs, along with a cover letter to Bishop McCormack, in which she “acknowledge[s] and commend[s] the Diocese for the significant progress which it has made” and identifies some areas for further enhancements and improvements. Bishop McCormack has replied to the Attorney General’s letter. See below for more information.
Nashua Telegraph,
By ALBERT McKEON, amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com , April 1, 2008
CONCORD (NH) The state’s top prosecutor on Tuesday praised the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester for making great strides in further refining and following its sexual misconduct policy.
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said diocesan leaders had greatly changed their attitudes about instituting safeguards that can help protect children from sexual abuse. Her statement marked a clear reversal from last year, when Ayotte faulted a diocesan leader for displaying a poor attitude and impeding the process.
“We’re certainly pleased we’re moving in the right direction,” Ayotte said at a press conference that outlined the latest state review of the diocesan sexual misconduct policy.
- RCC had them in temptation's path.
CALIFORNIA --
City of Angels,
~ April 1, 2008
SHORT NOTE:
Doing research I copy and pasted this letter from Via Coeli Servants of the Paraclete in 1968, and the PDF download corrupted a Word file so bad I had to delete the doc. Then I copy and pasted the letter two more times and it would just disappear. So I'm publishing it here today before it goes away and never comes back.
“Beginning July 1968 the Superior and Staff of Via Coeli Monastery inaugurate a system of MONTHLY REPORTS on guest priests resident with us at Via Coeli or [ILLEGIBLE] ed out to our halfway houses in Albuquerque and Santa Fe within recent weeks.
“In the past PROGRESS REPORTS have been mailed out intermittently, but this system has proven unsatisfactory in many instances. We hope that this new effort on our part will bring to the Ordinaries and Major Superiors a better understanding of their personnel resident with us, and a keener insight into what we have to offer at Via Coeli by way of priestly rehabilitation.
The Australian,
ANALYSIS: Jeremy Roberts | for April 02, 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- ADELAIDE'S Anglican diocese yesterday shared the blame with the South Australian Government in failing to protect children in state care from sexual predators.
Ted Mullighan's report details alleged abuse of state ward children at two Anglican institutions over the past 65 years, as well as two Catholic and three Salvation Army facilities.
While the Catholic Church declined to comment yesterday, Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver urged the South Australian Government to adopt all of Mr Mullighan's 54 recommendations.
"I strongly support the recommendations," he said.
[Tusky] - Christian. Money.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
By Francine Garrone
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
PITTSBURGH (PA) -- The Diocese of Pittsburgh has yet to make a decision to the future of former local pastor the Rev. Richard Tusky, and is unsure when that decision may come.
Diocesan spokesman the Rev. Ron Lengwin said Monday no decision had been made. …
His decision came after the diocese began an investigation of "financial decisions."
[Dr Reardon] - RC connected hospital. 8 new claims.
Hartford Courant,
By DANIEL P. JONES | April 1, 2008
HARTFORD (CT) -- Eight more people – including a man who claims Dr. George Reardon raped him repeatedly – have filed a lawsuit against St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center alleging negligence in not preventing the prominent endocrinologist from sexually abusing them.
"It's just another example of the depravity of Reardon and the increasing toll that the hospital's failure to intervene has taken on innocent lives," lawyer Joel Faxon, whose firm represents 44 of the plaintiffs, said Monday.
Reardon, who died in 1998, practiced medicine at St. Francis from 1963 to 1993, when he resigned in the face of accusations that he molested and inappropriately photographed children for decades, starting in the 1950s. A massive cache of slides and videos showing children in what police described as pornographic poses was discovered in November in Reardon's former West Hartford home.
[1982-85 Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Stockton Record,
By Alex Breitler, April 01, 2008
LOCKEFORD (CA) -- A Catholic priest denied a newly filed lawsuit's claims that he sexually abused a young boy in Stockton in the early 1980s.
"The accusations are outrageous lies, and I categorically deny them," the Rev. Michael Kelly said Monday.
Kelly was placed on administrative leave in October while the Diocese of Stockton investigated. He was cleared in mid-March and has returned to the ministry at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Lockeford.
[LOOK BACK: March 14, 2008]
[1940s onward - Government and Church institutions, foster homes, youth shelters]
Herald Sun,
by Tim Dornin, 02:04pm, April 01, 2008
SOUTH AUSTRALIA -- Child sexual abuse is widespread, reporting rates are low and the effects can be devastating and last a lifetime, a report into the sexual abuse of children in state care in South Australia has found.
Releasing the results of his three-year inquiry into the abuse of children in state care, former Supreme Court Justice Ted Mullighan said evidence showed abuse occurred in every type of care from the 1940s onward. …
Mr Mullighan found that abuse occurred in large institutional care, in church institutions, in government and non-government homes for children, in youth shelters, residential care units and foster homes.
[Dr Levine] - No religion link reported in these cases.
The Eagle-Tribune
By Stephanie Chelf
~ April 1, 2008
BOSTON (MA) – Lawyer Carmen Durso, a Haverhill native who represented victims of the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, is now a central figure in a sexual assault complaint against a doctor who has made appearances on the "Oprah" and "Today" shows.
Durso, on behalf of five unnamed clients, filed a complaint yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court accusing Dr. Melvin Levine of sexually abusing patients when he was treating them at Children's Hospital in Boston more than 20 years ago. …
Boston defense lawyer Edward Mahoney said in a statement that Levine "categorically denies" the allegations.
[Hoppe*] - Christian. 4yrs prison. Girl.
The Journal Times
BY JANINE ANDERSON
11:54 PM CDT
Monday, March 31, 2008
RACINE (WI) – The former Burlington pastor who had an ongoing romantic and sexual relationship with one of his youth group members is "a wolf in sheep’s clothing," a prosecutor said Monday.
Judge Gerald Ptacek sentenced Scott Hoppe to four years in prison and six on extended supervision, a sentence which adds one year of incarceration and three of supervision to Hoppe’s initial sentence.
Hoppe, 33, groomed his victim and her family over the course of several years to gain their trust and weaken boundaries, Deputy District Attorney Richard Chiapete said. By the time the girl was 16, their relationship had progressed. Eventually, he was leaving his home and sneaking into her bedroom nearly every night.
[LOOK BACK: ~ Jan 4, 2008]
- RCC and Government authorities kept challenging judge's authority.
CBC News
Last Updated 6:05 PM ET |
Monday, March 31, 2008
CANADA -- A public inquiry into sexual abuse allegations in Cornwall, Ont., will continue into the fall instead of wrapping up in July, thanks mainly to delays caused by institutions such as police and Ontario government ministries, says the judge presiding over the hearings.
Commissioner Normand Glaude announced the extension Monday while providing an update on a number of issues related to the Cornwall Public Inquiry, which is looking at how public institutions responded to allegations of sexual abuse made over decades against dozens of people in positions of authority, including priests and parole officers.
Glaude mainly blamed the Cornwall police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Corrections, the local Catholic diocese and other institutions for slowing the proceedings by challenging his authority on a regular basis. Many of them have gone to court to overrule Glaude's decisions, resulting in lengthy proceedings in those courts.
Albany Times Union
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
NEW YORK An attorney who represents numerous people who allege they were the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests said Monday that he will announce his run for the 21st Congressional District seat next week.
John Aretakis, 47, would be the seventh Democrat to enter the race, in addition to two Republicans. All are vying to take the seat of Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, who will retire at year's end after 20 years in Congress.
Aretakis has filed numerous lawsuits against the church on behalf of those who say they were molested by priests. He was fined by two federal judges last year for filing baseless lawsuits. Aretakis has appealed these sanctions.
[1982-85 Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Modesto Bee,
By SUE NOWICKI, snowicki@modbee.com , April 01, 2008
STOCKTON (CA) -- The Southern California law office of John C. Manly filed a lawsuit in San Joaquin County on Friday against an unnamed Catholic diocese, parish, school and priest on charges of childhood sexual abuse. The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of money for actual and punitive damages on behalf of an unnamed plaintiff.
"I'll confirm on the record that it's against the (Stockton Diocese) and Father (Michael) Kelly," Manly said in a phone interview Monday.
"As of this moment, the diocese has not been served with any papers, so we have no comment," said Stockton Diocese spokeswoman Sister Terry Davis.
- Book review.
Bloomberg,
Review by Susan Antilla, April 1, 2008
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Robert S. Bennett was at his desk on April 1, 1998, when word reached him that Paula Corbin Jones's sexual harassment suit against his client, then-President Bill Clinton, had been thrown out.
Bennett instantly dialed the White House to share the news with the president, but while on hold he glanced at his calendar and noticed the date: April Fools' Day. Frantic that the news could be a prank, he balanced a second phone on his free ear to verify the information before Clinton came on the line. He got the confirmation just seconds before the president greeted him from Senegal. …
He also faced emotional battles. His father moved out when Bennett was 7, and he describes watching him pack to leave -- a heartbreaking scene. Further chinks are made in his emotional armor by the Catholic Church: When his father remarried and asked Bennett to be best man, a priest told him it could "bring scandal to the church." He did it anyway.
Yet Bennett remains a devout Catholic and was even chosen to lead a review board that examined sexual abuse of minors by priests. The boxer from Brooklyn pulls few punches when he writes about the scandal, which includes some of the most intimate insights in the book.
Schenectady Daily Gazette
By Michael Lamendola
April 1, 2008
NEW YORK, 21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT – A high-profile lawyer known for pursuit of clergy abuse cases plans to join the field of Democrats seeking the 21st Congressional District seat of Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island.
John Aretakis, 47, of North Greenbush, will announce next week he will seek the seat, he said Monday in a news release.
Mark Lyman, a spokesman for Aretakis, said Aretakis wants to address the sexual abuse of children through legislation in Congress, as well as economic issues affecting New Yorkers.
[Decades - Salesians of Don Bosco] - RCC. Legal manoeuvres. Children.
San Jose Mercury News
By Jeremy Herb and Rob Dennis
Article Launched 03:02:25 AM PDT, Apr/01/2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- While the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland reached a $56.4 million global settlement in 2005 with the victims of childhood sexual abuse by its priests, one religious order opted for a different tactic.
The Salesians of St. John Bosco, whose Western Province is based in San Francisco, has been the most aggressive church group fighting lawsuits against its priests, said Rick Simons, a lawyer who handled many cases against the diocese and religious orders.
The order said one victim fabricated stories and had other cases dismissed -- not because its priests didn't commit abuse, but because the Salesians didn't have "notice" of the abuse, Simons said.
For the order to be held liable in a civil trial, they had to know that abuse was occurring and not take preventive action, according to California law.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 1, 2008
7:33 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.bishop- accountability. org/ abuse tracker ,
Tue April 01, 2008
• Church shares blame with state.
[65yrs State Government oversighting 2 Anglican, 2 Catholic, and 3 Salvation Army institutions] - Children.
Church shares blame with state
The Australian,
www.the australian. news.com.au/ story/0,25197, 23470169- 5006787, 00.html ,
ANALYSIS: Jeremy Roberts | April 02, 2008
ADELAIDE'S Anglican diocese yesterday shared the blame with the South Australian Government in failing to protect children in state care from sexual predators. Ted Mullighan's report details alleged abuse of state ward children at two Anglican institutions over the past 65 years, as well as two Catholic and three Salvation Army facilities.
While the Catholic Church declined to comment yesterday, Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver urged the South Australian Government to adopt all of Mr Mullighan's 54 recommendations.
"I strongly support the recommendations," he said.
Recalling the bitter lessons his diocese learned in the wake of the 2004 report into Anglican Church sex abuse, Archbishop Driver re-issued the church's apology.
"As a church we have learnt that timely, practical and pastoral support is an essential part of supporting victims and survivors," he said.
"I support the Premier's commitment to apologise."
Mike Rann said he stayed awake until 1am yesterday to read the Mullighan report, and was sickened by the accounts of abuse.
"Victims lived in fear that telling their story would result in punishment, rejection or even further violence and abuse," the Premier told parliament.
"I am sure that all will share my abhorrence at what has happened over many decades."
The report ended more than 60years of silence, in which many victims had passed away, Mr Rann said. "For those victims who have not lived to give evidence to the inquiry, we rely on those who did survive to lift the curtain of silence," he said.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Vickie Chapman claimed some credit for then Opposition leader Rob Kerin in setting up the commission in 2004.
Alleged victim Priscilla Taylor, 55, was put into foster care at the age of three and grew up in a series of foster homes -- the Seaforth children's home in Adelaide and boarding houses in Adelaide and Port Augusta.
She said yesterday she and other state wards had been "sitting ducks". "We did not belong to anybody … we were nobody."
The Mullighan Commission concluded that Ms Taylor was sexually abused as soon as she was removed from her mother.
"I said I didn't like it, but it didn't make any difference," she said tearfully.
Among the victims who welcomed the release of "Uncle Ted's report" yesterday was Ron (not his real name).
He is the leading litigant in more than 100 civil cases being prepared by former state ward victims seeking compensation from the state government.
Ron, 46, said the release of the Mullighan report came as a huge relief. "It's fantastic to have the stories put out there," he said.
"I'm glad it's over for me and all of the other wards." #
[COMMENT: Balanced commentators keep repeating that it is not just ONE religion that has this problem. As a U.S. Jewish commentator asked (when commenting on Jewish clergy child sex abuse), what is there about religion that makes its practitioners pick on the little ones? (If there is time, exact words and publication details will be inserted here. Internet users could help on this!)
Needless to say, the pretence by religions' leaders, including Muslims and Hindus, that they lead virtuous lives, leads to their followers lowering their guard, and entrusting their vulnerable young people to them with little or no caution.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks to CathNews (from the RCC Church Resources, Australia),
www.cathnews. com/article. aspx?aeid= 6480.
ENDS.]
The Record (R.C. Perth, W. Australia, weekly),
By Bronwen Dachs, CNS, p 2, Wednesday, April 2, 2008
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) – Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube, who resigned as archbishop of Bulawayo last year after a sex scandal, has admitted he had an affair with a woman.
The archbishop, one of the most outspoken critics of Zimbabwe's political leadership, made the admission to Frontier Africa TV, an independent film production company, in Zimbabwe before he boarded a plane for Rome in November 2007.
One of the directors of Frontier Africa TV, Fred Bridgland, released the archbishop's remarks from the interview in a March 23 story in the Scottish newspaper The Sunday Herald.
In the piece, Archbishop Ncube also spoke out against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who was widely expected to win re-election March 29.
"It is true, I do admit that I did fail in keeping God's commandment with regard to adultery," Archbishop Ncube said.
"Having failed in keeping the Seventh Commandment… I would like to apologise to you (the people of Zimbabwe); I'd like to apologise that so many of you were praying for me, for the fact that so many of you standing with me in fact suffered so much," he said. #
[COMMENT: "Seventh Commandment" in this newsitem is according to the non-Catholic numbering. RCs used to call it the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Another one he broke has an RC number of Eighth, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." He broke that commandment as he repeatedly lied when he kept denying his adultery, which had been photographed with a hidden video camera and played on Zimbabwe television.
But his fleshly weakness is all so sad.
COMMENT ENDS.]
[~ 2000s Bazzoffi -NEW*] - RCC. Fake exorcisms.
Telegraph (United Kingdom)
By Malcolm Moore in Milan, Last Updated 1:07am BST, April/03/2008
ITALY -- A senior priest in Florence is under investigation for fraud after allegedly amassing £3 million by performing fake exorcisms.
Prosecutors said that Father Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi would "stage shows" at the House of the Sainted Archangels, an organisation he founded.
During the events, which regularly attracted crowds of over 400 people, a number of associates would "pretend to be possessed by demons" and Fr Bazzoffi would allegedly exorcise them using ancient and obscure rites.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:27 PM]
[1999 Yurgel -NEW*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
By GARY WRIGHT AND TIM FUNK, ~ April 02, 2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) A former priest at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Charlotte was arrested Wednesday on charges of having sex with a minor, police announced.
The Rev. Robert Yurgel, 43, was taken into custody in New Jersey. He was wanted on five counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor and two counts of statutory sex offense in connection with a 1999 incident in Charlotte. The alleged victim recently reported the matter to Charlotte-Mecklenburg detectives, police said.
He was a juvenile at the time the alleged offenses occurred, according to police.
Yurgel was "parochial vicar," or assistant to the pastor, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, when authorities say the incidents occurred.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:02 PM]
- RCC. > US$ 1m costs against unsuccessful complainant.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
By CHRISTOPHER QUINN, April 02, 2008
GEORGIA -- A judge's order for plaintiffs and their attorney to pay more than $1 million in court costs in a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Bishop Earl Paulk will discourage other victims from suing abusers, plaintiffs' supporters said Wednesday.
Victims will think they could end up crushed financially if they sue, said David Clohessy of St. Louis, head of the support group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
"I would be hard pressed to think of a ruling anywhere more hateful and outlandish," Clohessy said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:38 PM]
[2003+ Aleshire*] - Baptist. 2 girls.
The Advocate,
By RUSS ZIMMER, Advocate Reporter, April 02, 2008
NEWARK – The state’s highest court has vacated a Hebron pastor’s 2006 admission of sexual abuse and ordered his case back to the Licking County Courthouse, according to an opinion released by the Ohio Supreme Court.
In November 2006, Lonny J. Aleshire Jr., now 37, was sentenced to seven years in prison for convictions on 10 charges, including first-degree felony rape, alleging sexual conduct with two girls – ages 15 and 17 at the time – while they were parishioners and he was an associate pastor at the Licking Baptist Church in Hebron.
Last week, the justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, by a 5-2 decision, ordered that Aleshire’s case be returned to Licking County Court of Common Pleas and continue as if he had never changed his plea.
[LOOK BACK: April 26, 2007]
BOWIE (MD) --
Gazette
by Megan King | for April 03, 2008
The sexual abuse scandal that rocked the U.S. Roman Catholic Church in 2002 has faded from the headlines, but for Bowie resident David Lorenz, memories of the abuse he said he endured as a 15-year-old will never go away.
Between 1974, when he said a Catholic cleric abused him, and 1992, when he finally told his family, Lorenz, 49, said he buried his feelings and had trouble sleeping.
"I had worked up in my mind that I should tell people, but it’s a very hard thing to do," he said.
But the abuse galvanized him into action. Today, Lorenz and his wife, Judy, are helping to bring healing and spread awareness of the issue through the Bowie chapter of Voice of the Faithful, which the Lorenzes founded in 2004.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:32 PM
LOS ANGELES (CA) --
The Tidings,
By Ellie Hidalgo, for April 04, 2008
Recently appointed leaders of the archdiocesan Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board and the Office of Victims Assistance Ministry said they hope to build on the solid work of their predecessors.
Dan Koenig --- who served the Los Angeles Police Department for 32 years in numerous field and management capacities prior to his retirement --- began chairing the Oversight Board for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in January. Koenig succeeds Judge Richard P. Byrne, who served as chair for more than five years.
Also in January, Suzanne Healy was named coordinator for the Office of Victims Assistance Ministry, which provides counseling to survivors of sexual abuse. Healy succeeded Society of the Holy Child of Jesus Sister Sheila McNiff, the first director of the program since its inception in April 2002, who currently is on sabbatical.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:59 PM
DAVENPORT (IA) --
Des Moines Register,
By ERIN JORDAN • REGISTER IOWA CITY BUREAU • April 2, 2008
A federal bankruptcy court judge today approved the disclosure statement to be sent to 162 victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport.
The decision by Judge Lee Jackwig bodes well for overall approval of a $37 million settlement plan between abuse victims and the diocese, attorneys said.
"If the plan was patently unconfirmable, she would not have approved the disclosure statement," Hamid Rafatjoo, the Los Angeles-based attorney for the committee representing victims, said after a hearing today in Davenport.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:57 PM
The Gazette,
April 02, 2008
DAVENPORT (IA) -- Individual abuse victims will now have their say in the $37 million Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport bankruptcy settlement.
Judge Lee Jackwig of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa on Wednesday approved the disclosure statement that explains the diocese's reorganization plan to emerge from Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection.
Jackwig still must OK the plan for it to take effect. A hearing is set for April 30.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:07 PM
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WCNC,
By WCNC Staff
NEWS@WCNC.com ,
05:24 PM EDT on Wednesday, April 2, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A former priest at a south Charlotte church has been arrested in New Jersey on charges related to having sex with a minor.
Robert Yurgel, a former priest at St. Matthews in Charlotte, was wanted on five counts of indecent liberties with a minor and two counts of statutory rape.
Police said a 24-year-old man reported that the priest abused him in 1999 and the abuse lasted over a year. The man was 14 at the time.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
6:03 PM
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
WSOC,
~ April 2, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A former priest at St. Matthew Catholic Church in south Charlotte is accused of sexually abusing a boy nearly a decade ago.
Father Robert Yurgel, 43, was arrested Wednesday in Passaic, N.J., where he currently works as a priest. He’ll be extradited back to Charlotte.
Yurgel worked at St. Matthew for three years in the late 90s. Police said the child he sexually abused was 14 at the time and just recently came forward.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. 5 more charges. Minors.
The Arizona Republic,
by Michael Kiefer, 12:06 PM, Apr. 2, 2008,
ARIZONA -- A defrocked priest who once served as spiritual advisor to Mother Teresa was indicted by a grand jury last week on charges he molested two brothers from the Phoenix area between 1988 and 2002.
Donald McGuire was arrested in suburban Chicago on Tuesday. He was hospitalized there after claiming he was experiencing chest pains, and is under the supervision of the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
McGuire, 77, is charged with three counts of child molestation, one count of furnishing obscene or harmful items to minors and once count of indecent exposure.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
ABC 15,
Email: kwessman@abc15.com ,
Last Update 12:22 pm, ~ April 2, 2008
PHOENIX (AZ) -- A Jesuit priest was indicted in Arizona on Wednesday for child molestation.
Reverend Donald McGuire, 77, faces three counts of child molestation, one count of providing obscene material to minors, and one count of indecent exposure.
McGuire has already been convicted in Wisconsin for molesting two boys and is also facing charges in Chicago.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
AZfamily.com
The Associated Press
12:04 PM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, April 2, 2008
PHOENIX (AZ) -- A Jesuit priest already convicted in Wisconsin of molesting two boys and facing additional charges in Chicago has been indicted in Arizona for child molestation.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix announced the indictments against the Rev. Donald McGuire Wednesday. He's charged with three counts of child molestation, one count of providing obscene material to minors and one count of indecent exposure.
McGuire lives in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn. Arizona authorities working with federal officials took him into custody Tuesday, but he complained of chest pains and is currently hospitalized pending an extradition hearing.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
Chicago Sun-Times,
BY ERIC HERMAN, Criminal Courts Reporter, April 2, 2008
CHICAGO (IL) -- Rev. Donald J. McGuire – already convicted of molesting two boys – has been charged with three counts of child molestation in Maricopa County, Ariz., police said.
A Chicago police officer appeared in court today at the Criminal Courts Building seeking to extradite McGuire to Arizona. But because McGuire is in the hospital, Judge Adam Bourgeois held the matter over until Friday.
“We’re asking that because of the circumstances of him being in the hospital, that we continue the case,” said Chicago Police Officer Elain Stancil.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. Another charge. Minors.
KTAR,
by Jim Cross/KTAR,
12:03pm
April 2, 2008
ARIZONA -- A Valley man who's [whose] two sons were allegedly sexually molested by a former catholic priest says it's the ultimate betrayal.
Jim Clark said he found out last September that his two sons were victims of former priest Donald McGuire.
Clark said he was devastated.
[1960s - 2002 McGuire (Jesuit) and friend of Mother Teresa] - RCC. More charges. Minors.
Chicago Tribune
By Jason Meisner | 1:01 PM CDT, April 2, 2008
ARIZONA -- Arizona authorities Wednesday announced child molestation charges against Donald J. McGuire, a defrocked Jesuit priest previously convicted of molesting two boys from Loyola Academy and under federal indictment in Chicago on similar allegations.
McGuire, 78, is wanted on three counts of child molestation in the Phoenix area, and authorities there are seeking to have him extradited from Cook County to stand trial there, a Maricona County Attorney's Office spokesman said. Details of the allegations will be released at a news conference in Phoenix later Wednesday, he said.
The former priest had been scheduled for an extradition hearing Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, but he complained of chest pains and the judge postponed the hearing until 11 a.m. Friday, said Andy Conklin, spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.
[1980s Wood] - Baptist. Boy.
The London Free Press
By JANE SIMS, SUN MEDIA, ~ April 2, 2008
CANADA -- Tara Ward's sensitive son was "a wuss," she said.
At age 12, he was easily offended if spoken to sharply. He cried often and wasn't very tough.
Ward said she wanted to help her son, John Milonas, by allowing Ambassador Baptist church pastor Royden Wood put him through "character training" at an alternative school run out of the controversial church between 1985 and 1987.
Yesterday, testifying at Wood's trial on assault and sex-related charges, Ward said she agreed with the self-discipline program for a son from whom she's been estranged for more than a decade, wanting him "to control his emotions more appropriately."
CANADA --
The Standard-Freeholder,
Posted By Trevor Pritchard, ~ April 2, 2008
Morale was so poor among Cornwall police by 1993 that the chief at the time was accusing other officers of carrying out "coups" against their superiors, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Tuesday.
Yet it was an officer's duty to "rise above" morale issues and not let them interfere with police work, Staff Sgt. Garry Derochie testified repeatedly under cross-examination.
"If you're a professional and you're having a hard day, you go on and do your job the best you can," said Derochie, a 32-year veteran of the Cornwall Community Police Service.
CANADA --
The Kingston Whig-Standard
Posted By Rob Tripp, ~ April 2, 2008
A Roman Catholic deacon charged with sexual assault has been barred by church leaders from performing pastoral duties.
Patrick Ritchie was charged last week with sexual assault stemming from his job as spiritual care co-ordinator at Providence Manor in Kingston.
It's alleged that the sexual assaults happened at the Sydenham Street facility, a 243-bed home for frail seniors.
In addition to his full-time job at the seniors home, Ritchie helped with weekend services at the Church of the Good Thief in Kingston. He has been associated with the church for roughly three years.
[O'Donnell]
KOMO,
By KOMO Staff, ~ April 2, 2008
[with video]
LA CONNER, Wash. -- A former priest who admitted to having molested dozens of boys in Eastern Washington is facing new accusations in the western part of the state where he now lives.
Patrick O'Donnell, who worked as a priest in the Spokane area for years, now lives in La Conner. The confessed serial pedophile no longer works as a priest, but his presence in the community has made some local parents nervous.
Tammy Henricksen-McKenzie has filed for a restraining order against O'Donnell.
"He's admitted to molesting children. This man should be in prison for life," she said. "Stop him from approaching our kids because we don't want any of our kids to get hurt."
[1980s+ Kolko*] - Judaist. US $10m sought. 8 boys.
The Jerusalem Post,
By MICHAL LANDO, THE JERUSALEM POST, NEW YORK, ~ April 2, 2008
NEW YORK -- A Brooklyn yeshiva and its head administrator are being sued for $10 million over alleged sexual abuse by a rabbi who taught there for several decades.
The lawsuit is the fifth to be filed against Yeshiva Torah Temimah and administrator Lipa Margulies alleging sexual abuse by Rabbi Yudi Kolko.
Kolko was arrested for a second time in September for allegedly molesting a boy at the yeshiva, and then released on bail.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:30 AM]
- RCC.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Comparison of State versus Church Audits,
by Carolyn Disco,
Survivor Support Chairman, New Hampshire Voice of the Faithful
April 1, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Child protection programs have been developed and implemented in Catholic dioceses throughout the United States since the sexual abuse scandal broke in 2002. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has done what they call audits, not in the financial sense, but annual reviews of their implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, 1. known popularly as the Dallas Charter.
We in New Hampshire have an unparalleled opportunity to evaluate USCCB audits because Bishop John McCormack also agreed to five annual audits by the New Hampshire Attorney General. That was part of a plea bargain agreement in 2002 2. to avoid criminal prosecution of the Diocese for child endangerment.
So, we can read and compare for ourselves what church-sponsored audits concluded, versus what independent law enforcement audits found.
There are striking differences at the outset:
1) USCCB auditors have no right of access to personnel files or other confidential materials.3.
2) USCCB audits/surveys do not count allegations against the following abusers:
(a.) religious order brothers (Benedictine, Franciscan, etc.) since technically they are not
considered clergy 4.
(b.) victims of seminarians who did not go on to ordination 5.
(c.) mentally handicapped victims whose abuse did not begin before their 18th birthdays 6.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
8:25 AM
[1982-85 Michael Kelly] - RCC. Boy.
Tracy Press,
~ April 2, 2008
STOCKTON (CA) – A lawsuit alleges that in the 1980s, the Rev. Michael Kelly, the parish priest in Lockeford who served many years at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Tracy, abused a young boy who is now serving with the U.S. military.
The suit, filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court last week, alleges the abuse began when the boy was 7 and lasted until he was 11, during a period from 1982 to 1985. Kelly was a priest at Stockton’s Cathedral of the Annunciation at the time.
The Stockton Diocese recently reinstated Kelly to his post in Lockeford after a diocese investigation found no evidence of the alleged abuse.
- VoTF to air views.
The Standard-Times,
April 02, 2008
UNITED STATES -- Just as the Catholic group Voice of the Faithful prepares to make its most high-profile statement to date, the SouthCoast chapter is fading away. That's unfortunate.
The group is planning a full-page advertisement in the New York Times later this month to coincide with Pope Benedict's visit, but they will accomplish it without much SouthCoast support, because the local branch has largely dissolved.
While some Catholics are suspicious of the transformative influence of the group or oppose its aim to give laity a larger role in parish governance, Voice of the Faithful says it has no interest in changing church dogma.
- RCC.
[≤ 2003 Jose Gonzalez*] - Child porn.
[2003 Bp Sevilla*] - Hired a porn viewing man.
KNDO/KNDU,
~ April 2, 2008
[with video]
YAKIMA (WA) -- The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Yakima comes under fire at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla admitted that he knowingly hired an employee who was under investigation for viewing child porn online while at seminary in Oregon back in 2003.
37-year-old Juan Gonzalez now sits in a Yakima County Jail awaiting extradition back to Oregon to face this charge.
[1989-91 Beltran] - RCC. Fugitive arrested. 3 girls.
KTXL,
April 1, 2008
SACRAMENTO (CA) – It's been nearly two decades since 26 year old Gabriela Enriquez allegedly endured years of sexual abuse by Father Gerardo Beltran at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Sacramento.
She decided to come forward now, only because police in Mexico arrested him last month after he was on the run for 16 years.
The alleged abuse by Father Beltran began when Enriquez became an altar server while preparing to make her First Communion.
[1989-91 Beltran] - RCC. Fugitive arrested. 3 girls.
CBS 13,
~ April 2, 2008
[with video]
SACRAMENTO (CA), (CBS13) -- Another woman has come forward, saying that she too was sexually assaulted by a former Sacramento priest many years ago. Gerardo Beltran was recently arrested in Mexico and is facing extradition on charges of abusing other children.
Gabriela Enriquez spoke with CBS13 about the events that happened to her nearly 17 years ago. She says her priest, then known as Father Gerardo Beltran, stole her innocence when he allegedly sexually molested her repeatedly inside Saint Joseph's Church in Sacramento.
"We would come to church every Tuesday, Thursday, Holy Friday, Good Friday, Saturdays and Sundays," Gabriela said. The assaults happened as many as five days a week.
New Hampshire Union Leader,
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, ~ April 2, 2008
CONCORD, New Hampshire -– The state's top law enforcement officer yesterday commended Roman Catholic church leaders for significant strides they made toward improving child protection policies and practices since last year and their willingness to enact a strong program that will outlast their tenure.
"There has been dramatic improvement," state Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte said in releasing results of the third independent audit measuring the Diocese of Manchester's compliance with the child protection agreement it struck with the state in 2002.
The findings represent a marked change from last year's report when KPMG Forensic Services faulted top diocesan leaders for failing to set a "tone at the top" promoting lasting policies to protect children from sexual abuse.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:49 AM
Nashua Telegraph
By ALBERT McKEON, Telegraph Staff
amckeon@nashuatelegraph.com
April 1, 2008
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The state’s top prosecutor on Tuesday praised the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester for making great strides in further refining and following its sexual misconduct policy.
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said diocesan leaders have greatly changed their attitudes about instituting safeguards that can help protect children from sexual abuse. Her statement marked a clear reversal from last year, when Ayotte faulted a diocesan leader for having a poor attitude and impeding the process.
“We’re certainly pleased we’re moving in the right direction,” Ayotte said at a press conference that outlined the latest state review of the diocesan sexual misconduct policy.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:47 AM
NEW HAMPSHIRE --
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
~ April 2, 2008
The Diocese of Manchester is committed to preventing the abuse of children. Please click on the link to download and print Being Friends, Being Safe, Being Catholic, a coloring book for children ages 10 and under. The coloring book is a teaching tool which contains safety tips and may be used at home or in school or religious education classes.
Related Links:
Download a copy of the coloring book, Being Friends, Being, Safe, Being Catholic (pdf)
Article - Ten Ways to Keep Children Safer
How to Report Child Abuse
Visit our Child Safety page for more resources.
Concord Monitor
By Joelle Farrell,
April 2, 2008
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester has shown greater willingness to work alongside law enforcement officials to help prevent sexual abuse of children by priests and church leaders, according to the state's third annual audit of the diocese.
New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte commended the diocese for "significant progress" in establishing a program to help eliminate sexual abuse of minors by clergy members. Some of the diocese's latest efforts include an online database that tracks complaints, improved training for church staff, and educational materials for parents and children, including a coloring book about safety available at the diocese's website.
"I am very pleased that we are now having a much more open dialogue," she said at a press conference yesterday.
- Waited too long.
The Kansas City Star,
~ April 2, 2008
Court denies suit against priest
JEFFERSON CITY (MO) -- A man who claimed he was sexually abused as a high school student in the mid-1980s cannot sue a Catholic religious order because he waited too long to do so, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The ruling shot down an attempt to pursue a lawsuit on grounds that the abuse victim only recently realized the sexual nature of what he was led to believe was a psychological experiment. Robert Visnaw alleged he was abused by former school administrator William Mueller during his senior year at St. John Vianney High School in Kirkwood in 1984 and 1985.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:39 AM
The Boston Globe,
Associated Press / April 2, 2008
CONCORD, N.H. - The latest audit of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester shows "significant progress" in its compliance program to prevent child-sexual abuse, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said yesterday.
But there are still some issues that need to be addressed, such as ensuring in its policy language that someone accused of abuse is removed when an allegation is reported, she said.
The audit was conducted as part of the state's December 2002 agreement with the diocese, relating to its handling of allegations of sexual misconduct of children by priests. The terms of the agreement included an annual audit of the diocese regarding its compliance with the agreement.
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:34 AM
Sacramento Bee,
By Marcos Bretón - mbreton@sacbee.com , METRO section, Page B1,
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
SACRAMENTO (CA) -- It seems that every day, we learn of a new victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a priest.
Another victim stepped forward Tuesday in the hopes of bringing to justice a fugitive in Mexico – a former priest from Sacramento who is accused of committing unspeakable crimes in local parishes.
The scandal has left an indelible mark on the U.S. Catholic Church, including the Diocese of Sacramento, which has been rocked by multiple allegations.
Someone from the diocese has had to face a public demanding answers. That someone is usually Monsignor James Murphy.
Yakima Herald-Republic
~ April 2, 2008
YAKIMA (WA) -- Tuesday's news conference comes just over a year after the Most Rev. Carlos Sevilla, bishop of the Diocese of Yakima, declined to speak to the Yakima Herald-Republic for a story about an investigation involving a former diocesan priest.
In January 2007, Sevilla said through a spokesman that he "does not have any comment because he doesn't have confidence in the Yakima Herald."
In recent years, Sevilla has been difficult to reach for comment. He has issued prepared statements to the news media. And he has also issued "no comment" statements through spokespersons.
[RCC] - Hired porn fan.
YAKIMA (WA) --
Yakima Herald-Republic
By MARK MOREY
~ April 2, 2008
The bishop of the Catholic diocese in Yakima admitted Tuesday that he failed to tell priests and parishioners he had hired a former seminary student who was being investigated for viewing child pornography.
Bishop Carlos Sevilla acknowledged that he made a "series of errors in judgment, a whole bunch of them," when he gave a part-time job to a now 37-year-old man who was later promoted to direct the St. Peter Retreat Center in Cowiche.
Among the missed checkpoints were informing Cowiche pastors about the man's background and telling the diocesan lay committee responsible for monitoring child safety issues.
San Jose Mercury News
By Matthew Artz,
03:02:11 AM PDT
Apr/02/2008
OAKLAND (CA) -- It was the worst of times for the Diocese of Oakland.
The clergy sexual abuse scandal that first broke in early 2002 had tainted the careers of at least 24 diocesan priests. A year later, the state Legislature extended the statute of limitations involving sexual abuse allegations, inundating the diocese with dozens more lawsuits stretching back decades.
As the scandal raged, the diocese in 2003 started holding seminars aimed at preventing further abuse by priests and lay officials.
Nancy Libby remembers looking out on a class that included several priests, none of whom had any credible allegations against them, but all of whom were tainted by the enormity of the scandal.
"There was a lot of sadness in the room," said Libby, who now runs the diocese's Safe Environment Project. "Nobody wants to be part of a group that did something so heinous."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 2, 2008
7:17 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
Wed April 02, 2008
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont147.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed.
[? 2007-08 Unnamed priest -NEW*] - ? RCC. 3 girls.
DutchNews,
Thursday April 03, 2008
NETHERLANDS -- The public prosecution department has called for a 15-month jail sentence for a priest from Overburg for the possession of child pornography and attempting to molest three girls aged four, seven and nine.
The 60-year-old priest is also accused of taking 'sexual' photographs of a seven-year-old girl at a swimming pool in Kootwijk last October.
[2004-06 Szydlik -NEW*] - RCC. Seduced, coerced abortion. Woman (married).
Madison County Record,
By Steve Gonzalez, 1:59 PM, Apr/3/2008
ILLINOIS -- An Edwardsville woman filed a civil suit against a Catholic priest she claims impregnated her then coerced her into an abortion.
Holly Force is joined in the suit by her husband, Chris Force, against the Rev. Thomas Szydlik and Bishop Daniel Jenky of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria.
According to the complaint filed March 31 in Madison County Circuit Court, the Forces attended Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in the Peoria Diocese from September 2000 until June 2006.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
10:35 PM]
[2008 Mr Mauro -NEW*] - RCC. Student.
Press of Atlantic City,
By REGINA SCHAFFER Staff Writer, 609-272-7211
Thursday, April 03, 2008
MAYS LANDING (NJ) -- A former math teacher and assistant wrestling coach at St. Joseph High School in Hammonton was arrested late Tuesday on charges of inappropriately touching a student, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said.
Joseph W. Mauro, 30, of Forked River in Lacey Township, Ocean County, was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, meaning an act of sexual penetration was committed. Mauro was arrested at his home without incident, Housel said.
The charges arise from allegations that Mauro, while employed at St. Joseph, inappropriately touched a student in January. The charges were investigated by Sgt. David Weiss of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Crimes Against Children Unit and Patrolman Richard Jones of the Hammonton Police Department.
[~ 2000s Battersby] - Church of England. Child pornography.
This is Lancashire,
By Sally Henfield, ~ April 03, 2008
UNITED KINGDOM -- A VICAR who was sacked after being caught downloading child porn was investigated for inappropriate behaviour with teenagers six years earlier, it has been revealed.
Police, council workers and the Church of England carried out an investigation after a concerned parent of a girl pupil at Witton Park High School, Blackburn, made allegations against Rev Paul Battersby.
At the time, in February 2002, Battersby was the priest in charge at St Mark's Church, close to the school.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 2008
10:44 PM]
- RCC to close churches.
Philadelphia Inquirer,
By David O’Reilly and Kristen A. Graham, ~ April 03, 2008
[with video] [with link to list of affected parishes]
CAMDEN (NJ) -- Citing a growing shortage of priests - and a marked decline in religious observance among its Catholic laity - Bishop Joseph A. Galante announced today that he is cutting the number of Camden Diocese parishes nearly in half.
In a massive restructuring, 124 parishes will shrink to 66 in the six-county diocese, which comprises most of South Jersey. About 30 will close outright, and many others will become "worship sites" within newly formed parishes.
"This is radical," Galante told a news conference at diocesan headquarters in Camden. "It's being done piecemeal in so many dioceses, especially in the East.
[1999 Yurgel*] - RCC. Boy.
The Charlotte Observer,
By TIM FUNK
tfunk@charlotteobserver.com
~ April 03, 2008
CHARLOTTE (NC) Pastors at St. Matthew and Our Lady of Consolation Catholic churches will speak to their congregations this weekend about the priest accused of having sex in Charlotte with a 14-year-old boy in 1999.
The Rev. Robert Yurgel, 43, who was taken into custody in New Jersey on Wednesday, spent time at both Charlotte parishes between 1997-99. His alleged victim was a member at St. Matthew, where Yurgel helped start a youth ministry in 1997.
Monsignor John McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew in the Ballantyne area, plans to address the case at all Masses. He'll offer what Diocese of Charlotte spokesman David Hains called a "healing message."
Posted by Kathy Shaw on April 3, 20
