References cont. (27) — Clergy Child Molesters

• [Man claims priest's abuse was behind his oral sex on minor.]

CARLYLE (IL): A 49-year-old father of 13 blamed being repeatedly sexually abused as a teenager by a Belleville Catholic Diocese priest as the underlying cause of his own sex attack on an underage boy. James W. Stamper Jr. of New Baden was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison on his guilty plea to performing oral sex on a boy under 17. Clinton County State's Attorney Stan Brandmeyer said Monday that the priest was identified in court as the Rev. William Rensing of Sparta. Brandmeyer said Monday that a statement read by a defense witness who had counseled Stamper "implied that what happened to him (Stamper) many years ago was the triggering factor to what he did in this case." Because Stamper's allegations of abuse are about 30 years old, the statute of limitations expired long ago, preventing any current criminal probe of Rensing, Brandmeyer said. -- Belleville News-Democrat, "Church investigates decades-old case," http://www.belleville.com/ mld/newsdemocrat/ 5899579.htm , By George Pawlaczyk, gpawlaczyk@bnd.com (Posted by Kathy Shaw 9:32:35 AM; Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Tuesday, May 20, 2003, begins) [COMMENT: Come on, he's 49 now and has 13 children! Surely he can't shift the blame to someone else! COMMENT ENDS]

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Most newsitems are from http://www.poynter.org/ subscribe.to.clergy.tracker/ daily reports • [Former priest went on the run for nearly 10 years.] EL PASO (TX): An El Paso jury found a man guilty of indecency with a minor today, almost ten years after he was originally charged. Roy John Givens was a priest at St. Rafael's church in El Paso. He was originally charged in 1994, but went on the run. He was arrested in March after the El Paso County Sheriff's Office tracked him down in Springfield, Illinois. -- KVIA, "Former priest found guilty of indecency with a child," http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=1285531 &nav= AbC0 FuiP
• Priest to be sentenced in molestation case. ABBEVILLE (LA): A former Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to molesting a teenager is set for sentencing today. Prosecutors have recommended a sentence of two years in jail and two years home incarceration for John Wesley Andries, 48, who was pastor of St. Margaret Catholic Church in Boyce when accused of molesting a 16-year-old boy while spending the night at the boy's Abbeville home. -- The Advertiser, http://www.the advertiser.com/todaysbriefing/html/D34A997B-ADF8-47B6-81D6-9AA0 FE5C 2DEC. shtml
• Schuyler attorney to testify about sex abuse. ALBANY (NY): A man who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest during the 1960s will speak before the state Senate today about extending the statute of limitations for sex crimes. Schuyler County Assistant District Attorney John Hayes will speak for 10 minutes in Albany as a victim, an advocate and a prosecutor. Hayes, of Odessa, has spoken publicly about his experience of being sexually abused by a priest when he was a boy. In March, state Sen. Thomas K. Duane, D-Manhattan, introduced a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for sex crimes. On Tuesday, it will be discussed in a public forum. The measure calls for a change in state law to allow child molestation victims to seek criminal prosecution of their abusers for eight years after they turn 18, or up to age 26, if the crime has not been reported previously to police. "The main thrust of that bill is to let New York recognize the fact that it takes many years for a victim of trauma to come to terms with that," said Duane spokesman Mark Furnish, during a telephone interview. -- Ithaca Journal, http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030520/localnews/330467.html , By Jennifer Kingsley, Gannett News Service
!!!: Catholic Byzantine priest drunk, no pants, groping people restraining him! [CURRENT] CLEVELAND (OH): A Parma priest accused of groping two male deputies and a female hotel clerk has pleaded no contest in Erie County to misdemeanor charges of indecency and sexual imposition. Monsignor Robert V. Yarnovitz, a 74-year-old cleric at St. John Byzantine Church in Parma, was found guilty. He faces a jail term of up to 90 days and a $5,000 fine because of Friday's plea in Huron Municipal Court. A sentencing date has not been set. Deputies reported finding the priest drunk and wandering the Sawmill Creek resort without pants on May 1. They accused him of setting off a fire alarm, then groping and propositioning the officers and clerk as they tried to restrain him. Yarnovitz, who declined to comment yesterday, is chairman of the architecture and building commission for the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. The eparchy represents 12,400 parishioners in 12 Midwestern states. -- The Plain Dealer, "Parma priest pleads no contest to indecency, sexual imposition," http:// www.cleveland. com/news/ plain dealer/ index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/105342313939440.xml , by Brie Zeltner
• State bill would allow more time to sue over alleged childhood abuse. MISSOURI: The Missouri Legislature voted to extend the statute of limitations by eight years to the age of 38 for those who file civil suits against alleged sexual abusers in cases involving minors. If Gov. Bob Holden signs the bill, it likely will increase the number of lawsuits against many organizations, including schools and the state's three Catholic dioceses and the St. Louis Archdiocese. Alleged victims currently have until they turn 30 to file lawsuits for damages from sexual abuse as a minor. The proposed measure was attached to the foster care bill sponsored by Sen. Patrick Dougherty, D-St. Louis. This bill would not alter the statute of limitations in Missouri criminal cases. The clock stops on those cases 10 years after the victim turns 18. David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a victims' support organization, said in an interview from New York City that SNAP had quietly worked for the bill for weeks. His group got advice from lawyers. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/36C2A89 B7DCE56C586256D2C0017 75D3? OpenDocument&Headline=State+bill+would+allow+more+time+to+s ue+over+alleged+childhood+abuse , By Patricia Rice
• Anglican leaders review report. AUSTRALIA: Brisbane's Anglican church leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the church's response to a damning report on sexual abuse within the diocese. Brisbane Archbishop Phillip Aspinall convened the meeting after the publication earlier this month of an independent inquiry into sexual abuse cases within the diocese. The report criticised the former archbishop, Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, for his handling of cases involving two priests, and led to calls for his resignation. The Australian newspaper reported that Dr Aspinall, in a letter addressed to clergy, had called for a meeting to discuss issues relating to the report. "I'm very aware that the events of recent weeks and indeed the last 15 months or so have been very difficult and trying times for us all," Dr Aspinall wrote. -- The Age (Melbourne), http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/20/1053196563069.html , Tuesday 20 May 2003
• Catholic group knew Graves' criminal past. [CURRENT] LANSING (MI): Catholic Social Services of Lansing knew about Nelson Graves' conviction for sexually assaulting a child but allowed him to work with families for almost 14 years, according to a letter the agency's president sent to Lansing's Catholic Diocese. In early 2002, the agency's leader learned of the conviction and fired Graves. Some of the boys in families Graves worked with have since accused him of sexual abuse. The agency allowed Graves to work because officials from several fields said he had successfully undergone counseling. "They all assured (the agency) that Mr. Graves posed no risk to the clients that he was working with," Lansing Catholic Diocese spokesman Michael Diebold said Monday. Graves, 59, worked at Catholic Social Services before taking a job in spring 2002 at the American Red Cross in Lansing. In April, the Lansing man pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 13-year- old boy whose family he was helping in his Red Cross job. He was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. -- Lansing State Journal, http://www.lsj.com/news/local/030520_graves_1a-2a.html , By Adam Emerson
• Prosecutors won't file criminal charges in church sex abuse cases. NEW BRUNSWICK (NJ): No criminal charges will be filed against any of the 29 priests, monks and church employees in the Diocese of Metuchen who were accused of sexually abusing children. The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced its decision Monday, ending a yearlong investigation. Church and law enforcement officials said several factors affected the decision, noting that the statute of limitations had expired in some cases, while other claims did not support criminal charges or were outside the county's jurisdiction. Julie McClure, an assistant prosecutor who leads the county's sex crimes unit, declined to discuss specifics of any of the cases, some of which date back decades. Officials noted that some of the accused have died, while some victims and witnesses would not file charges. The diocese, in a prepared statement, said the investigation "did not resolve the status of several priests ... who are on leave of absence as a result of allegations of abuse." The diocese, which serves 522,719 Catholics in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren counties, negotiated an $800,000 out-of-court settlement earlier this year with 10 people who claimed they were sexually abused by five priests. -- Newsday, http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--churchabuse0520may20,0,211705.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire
• 3 brothers sue Spokane Diocese for sex abuse. SPOKANE (Washington State): Three brothers who say they were sexually abused as children decades ago have become the latest to sue the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane. In the lawsuit filed Thursday in King County Superior Court, the plaintiffs, identified only by their initials, allege they were molested when they were between the ages of 8 and 13. The lawsuit names the Spokane Diocese and Bernard "Benno" Oosterman, an ex-priest who worked in the diocese for more than two decades. It accuses Oosterman of abusing the boys between 1968 and 1975. It is the fifth complaint filed in the past nine months against the Diocese of Spokane. According to the Spokane Diocese, Oosterman worked at Sacred Heart Church in Wellpinit until 1971 and then served as pastor of both Sacred Heart in Wilbur and St. Benedict in Coulee Dam until 1975. -- The News Tribune, The Associated Press, http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/story/3134510p-3158885c.html
• US State limitations save six priests, but one file might be used in Canada. WORCESTER (MA): District Attorney John J. Conte has closed criminal investigations into alleged sexual misconduct by six suspended Worcester diocese priests, because of statute of limitations issues. Meanwhile, Mr. Conte has asked Canadian authorities to take over his investigation of a seventh priest, the Rev. John J. Bagley, who allegedly took a Worcester youth to Canada during the 1970s and sexually abused him. The closed investigations involve the Rev. Gerald P. Walsh, who last served at St. Roch parish, Oxford; the Rev. Raymond P. Messier of St. Francis parish, Athol, and St. Peter parish, Petersham; the Rev. Chester Devlin of St. Bernadette parish, Northboro; the Rev. Joseph A. Coonan of St. John parish, Worcester; the Rev. Peter J. Inzerillo of St. Leo parish, Leominster; and the Rev. Lee F. Bartlett of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish, Worcester. Mr. Conte has forwarded the files from his investigation of Rev. Bagley to the Toronto Police Service. The alleged incident is beyond the Massachusetts statute of limitations, which means Mr. Conte cannot prosecute the priest here, he said. He discovered during his investigation that Canada does not have a statute of limitations for this type of crime, so he turned over the file to Canadian authorities, he said. The media relations office for the Toronto Police Service had no information on the files that Mr. Conte said were handed over to them in late April. The sexual crimes unit in Toronto did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. Mr. Conte said his investigation into allegations against Rev. Bagley turned up more than one victim. One alleged victim has asked the district attorney's office to pursue the case, Mr. Conte said. --Telegram & Gazette, "Conte closes priest sex abuse cases," http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030520/NEWS/305200308/1025 , by Kathleen A. Shaw, May 20 03
• Man claims abuse by Catholic priest. ALBANY (NY): Another man has stepped forward, claiming he was sexually abused by a priest and the Catholic Church covered it up. David Leonard alleges the church hid his abuse for years, making him swear on a Bible to never tell. Leonard also claims that Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard ordered a $6,000 exorcism of his body. Leonard claims the alleged exorcism in Little Falls, New York led to several stays in a mental hospital, depression and attempted suicide. He said, "I'm not going to cover and I'm not going to be quiet for the crimes and the terrible evil that is in the Roman Catholic Church and bishops covering up the lies because they all know what happened, they all knew and they turned their heads." In a written statement to Capital News 9, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany said, "Bishop Hubbard has never performed an exorcism, nor has he ever authorized nor been asked to authorize an exorcism for a victim of clergy sexual abuse." -- Capital News, http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/headlines/?ArID=26579&SecID=33 , By Capital News 9 web staff
• No charges in Middlesex probe of priest sex. NEW JERSEY: The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office has ended its year-long investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of minors by 29 priests, monks and church employees in the Diocese of Metuchen and announced yesterday that no criminal charges will be filed in any of the cases. An attorney for the most visible of the accused -- Gov. James E. McGreevey's former spiritual adviser, Monsignor Michael Cashman -- called the announcement "a vindication" of the popular priest. However, church and law enforcement officials said several factors affected the decision not to bring any cases before a grand jury, including that some alleged suspects have died and victims and witnesses would not file criminal charges. Other reasons noted were incidents that didn't support criminal charges or were outside the statute of limitations or outside the jurisdiction of Middlesex County. Assistant Prosecutor Julie McClure, head of the county sex crimes unit, declined to discuss specifics of any of the cases, some of which date back decades, but said some evidence was very persuasive. -- Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-8/105341136643220.xml , By Judy Peet
• Anglican documents seized in Tasmania. AUSTRALIA: Anglican Church documents had been seized as part of an investigation into child sex abuse allegations against two former priests, Tasmania Police said today. Hobart CIB Inspector Glenn Lathey said the "documentary exhibits" were seized after a search warrant was executed at the church's Hobart headquarters last week. "They relate to complaints of sexual assault committed against boys quite some time ago," he said. "The investigation is in relation to two former priests and is not into the church itself." Inspector Lathey said complaints had been received from 11 people, with some allegations dating back 20 years. -- The Australian, "Church documents seized," http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6465765%255E1702,00.html , May 20, 2003
• Alleged victim recounts rite to drive out demons. ALBANY (NY): Candles and incense burned in the chapel as a circle of clerics splashed holy oils on him, David Leonard recalled of what he described as his exorcism 25 years ago. Murmured prayers swelled into shouts and accusations, he said. The priests were trying to expel demons they believed were troubling the 35-year-old man who said a priest sexually abused him when he was a child. "I remember I was sitting there and they asked me questions. They told me to come out and show who I was. They weren't talking to me, they were talking to the spirits they thought were there," Leonard, of Herkimer County, said in an interview Monday. Leonard, now 60, is one of several alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse who will speak at the Capitol today at a hearing called by state Sen. Thomas Duane. The Manhattan Democrat has proposed several bills that would extend the statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits against pedophile priests. -- Albany Times-Union, http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=135764&category=REGION&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=5/20/2003 , By Andrew Tilghman, Tuesday, May 20, 2003
• Call to change laws -- victim alleges exorcism but no other help. ALBANY (NY): State Senator Thomas Duane is holding a public forum Tuesday on reforming New York's sexual abuse laws related to children. One of the people planning to speak at the forum is 60-year-old David Leonard of Franfort. He claims a priest raped him when he was 11 years old and that Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard authorized an exorcism for him years later. The Catholic Diocese of Albany says Hubbard did no such thing. Leonard said that when he was 35, he told a priest about his childhood abuse, and the priest told him he was possessed by demons. -- WOKR (AP), "Advocates Call For Reform Of Sexual Abuse Laws," http://www.wokr13.tv/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=D7AA5684-CB04-4BA8-A7C5-9453A93FCA38 , May 20, 2003
• Tasmanian Anglican sex abuse inquiry escalates; 11 complaints. AUSTRALIA: Police have seized paperwork and audiotapes from the headquarters of the Anglican Church of Tasmania as an inquiry into child sex abuse escalates. Eleven people have now complained to police that they were sexually assaulted as children by two former Anglican Church priests. Police confirmed yesterday that they had taken a search warrant on a visit to the Anglican Church headquarters in Macquarie St, Hobart. They are understood to have seized copies of the findings of the church's independent inquiry into child sex abuse, Not The Way of Christ. They also took possession of audiotapes of a church tribunal held last year in which a former priest was convicted of indecent dealings with two boys. -- News.com.au, "Child sex abuse inquiry escalates," http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6463869%255E26462,00.html , By Ellen Whinnett, May 20, 2003
• Childhood Sex-Abuse Liability: House votes to extend time limit for lawsuits . MINNESOTA: Despite objections from a group of childhood sex-abuse survivors, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill on Tuesday that would extend civil liability statutes for child victims by three years. "This bill will only protect child molesters, not the children of Minnesota," Michael Wegs, a member of Survivors Network Minnesota, had said hours before the House voted 126-4 on an amendment to a bill sponsored by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville. Holberg was praised by the group for supporting a change to current law that would give childhood victims up to 14 years after the age of 18 to seek damages against their abuser or those who employed or were otherwise responsible for them. It also would allow victims of childhood sex abuse to sue for damages at any time if DNA or physical evidence is collected and preserved. But members of the Civil Law Committee, which Holberg chairs, recently approved a measure that reduced the liability window to nine years after the official age of maturity. Current law allows childhood victims up to six years after the age of 18, or when they turn 24, to file a civil lawsuit. -- Pioneer Press, http://www.twincities.com/ mld/twincities/ news/local/ 5854351.htm , By Rubén Rosario
• Brisbane Anglican clergy to discuss report on Hollingworth; 11 clergy ousted. QUEENSLAND, Australia: The Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Phillip Aspinall, has called a summit of Brisbane diocese clergy to discuss fallout from the church's controversial report into the handling of sexual abuse. The report criticised Governor-General Peter Hollingworth for his handling of cases of sex abuse involving priests John Litton Elliot and Donald Shearman. It found Dr Hollingworth's decision to allow known pedophile Elliot to continue as a priest was "untenable", and it was critical of the way he handled complaints against Shearman, a former bishop. The report also criticised the role of the former headmaster of St Paul's School, Gilbert Case, who was later forced to resign as the executive director of Brisbane's Anglican Schools Office. Dr Aspinall has said he has withdrawn the operating licences of six clergy and suspended the licences of five others. -- Townsville Bulletin, "Clergy to address sex report fallout," http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,6462097%255E421,00.html , By Ashleigh Wilson, 20 May 03
• Alleged molester wears collar to trial, defies bishops' charter. ST. LOUIS (MO): The trial of a priest accused of molesting a 14-year-old boy eight years ago began in St. Louis County Monday morning. The Rev. Bryan Kuchar wore his Roman collar in the court of Judge John Ross as his attorneys, Scott Rosenblum and J. Martin Hadican, and prosecutor Rob Livergood were questioning prospective jurors. Under the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection for Children and Young People, a priest on administrative leave may not wear a clerical collar or have any other sign or action of public ministry. Kucher's arrest on charges of allegations of sex abuse of a minor automatically and immediately put him on administrative leave last year. The charter passed 239-13. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Priest's molestation trial begins," http://www.stltoday.com/ stltoday/news/ stories.nsf/ News/51CE96AB97DA 0B2B86256D2 B005FBAEE? Open Document &Headline=Priest , By William C. Lhotka
• BBC admits bias against British cardinal. BRITAIN: The BBC has admitted bias in a story on Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's response to sex abuse allegations, on the Today program on its serious talk outlet Radio 4. The admission follows a complaint from an interviewee, the veteran former Tablet and Daily Telegraph journalist Clifford Longley. Brought on to represent the Church's viewpoint, Longley argued that the discussion was not conducted in a balanced way. He said that while he was challenged repeatedly over his claims, the other speaker - Michele Elliot, of the anti-bullying charity Kidscape - was allowed to make controversial claims about the cardinal unchallenged, including an incorrect accusation that he had broken the Nolan guidelines on standards of behaviour in public life. Longley accused the BBC of a "serious abuse of impartiality" in its manipulation of the program last Nonvember in which he agreed to be interviewed. The BBC upheld his complaint and admitted that there was a "fault in the discussion, and thus in the overall balance of the item as a whole" and that Mr Longley was challenged in a way the other speaker was not. -- Catholic News, http://www.cathnews.com/news/305/102.php
• Greek bishop is accused of hiring hit-man to kill Patriarch. [CURRENT] GREECE: A Greek Orthodox bishop is to be charged under anti-terrorism laws in Athens for allegedly plotting to murder the head of the ancient Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Bishop Timotheos of Vostra is accused of offering to pay a hit-man $500,000 (£354,000) to have his clerical rival, Patriarch Irenaios, killed. According to Irenaios's lawyer, Timotheos offered the money to a Palestinian radical, Yusaf Naim al-Mufti. He was said to be angry that he had lost out to Irenaios in the 2001 election to become patriarch - one of the most sought-after roles within the Greek Orthodox Church. Last week, the Athens criminal prosecutor announced that Timotheos would be charged with forming a criminal gang. The bishop, who is in charge of the Patriarchate's finances, has denied the allegations. -- The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/ 2003/05/18/ wbish18.xml&sShe/ et=/news/2003/05/18/ ixworld.html , By Neil Barnett in Athens, Filed: May 18 03 (Posted by Kathy Shaw)
########## End of Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Tuesday, May 20, 2003
• Three wives and six others seek Catholic Church help; Brothers blamed. PERTH, W. Australia: Three wives of men who suffered abuse in Catholic institutions during the 1950s and early 1960s have sought Catholic Church help this year. They had asked for assistance because of serious difficulties in their marriages attributable to their husbands' early life experiences, a Church spokesman said. Six men had also come forward this year who had allegedly been sexually or physically abused in Christian Brothers' institutions during the same period. None of the alleged perpetrators was still alive, the spokesman said. He also said that none of this year's cases involved legal action, but in other circumstances people would be helped to make complaints to the police if that was appropriate and desired by the claimant. The nine people who had come forward this year were all being helped through the Church's Towards Healing process, which was open to anyone having concerns about current or past abuse by a priest, religious or lay person working for the Catholic Church, he said. The toll-free Towards Healing contact line is 1800 072 390. -- The West Australian, "Abuse help sought," Wed May 21 03
########## Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Wednesday, May 21, 2003 edition follows:-
• Prosecutors Claim Archdiocese Withheld Documents. CINCINNATI (OH): Prosecutors say the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati withheld documents that were supposed to have been turned over in an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against priests. Hamilton County prosecutors told the First Ohio District Court of Appeals yesterday that church officials have made misleading and inaccurate statements about records that the archdiocese was ordered to share. Church lawyers had argued that the records were protected by attorney-client privilege. A Hamilton County Common Pleas judge last year appointed a special master to determine which files should be given to prosecutors. Prosecutors say the special master was not allowed to see some documents kept by the archdiocese's lawyers. Church lawyers deny withholding documents. -- Ohio News Network, http://www.onnnews.com/story.php?record=24298 (Posted by Kathy Shaw)
• State seeks 2nd delay in issuing clergy abuse report. MAINE: Prosecutors have asked a judge for more time before issuing a report on their yearlong investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in Maine. In a document filed in Kennebec County Superior Court this week, Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin asked for a two-month delay of a court-ordered deadline for the release of information. The order resulted from a lawsuit filed by Blethen Maine Newspapers, the owner of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. In September, Superior Court Justice Kirk Studstrup put off ruling on the newspaper's request for information for six months, giving prosecutors time to complete their investigations. In March the state requested and received a 60-day extension. This would be their second extension. Robbin would not discuss the kind of information that would be released or why the delay was needed. She said in March that two counties still had open investigations into allegations. She said Tuesday that she did not know if those investigations had been closed. -- Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com/news/state/030521clergy.shtml , By Gregory D. Kesich, May 21 03
• Prosecutors seek delay in issuing clergy abuse report. AUGUSTA (ME): State prosecutors in Augusta have asked a judge for more time before releasing information about allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in Maine. The Blethen Maine Newspapers had filed a lawsuit seeking information contained in personnel records which the Diocese of Portland turned over to prosecutors a year ago. The records are purported to contain sex abuse allegations against 51 priests and other clergy. -- WMTM (AP), http://www.wmtw.com/ global/story. asp?s=1287957 &ClientType= Printable , Wednesday, May 21, 2003
• Conte makes another Bishop's Fund donation. WORCESTER (MA): Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte has made another donation from his campaign coffers to the diocesan Bishop's Fund, his second since launching an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by priests. Mr. Conte made the latest donation on April 29, according to state campaign finance records. Told of the donation, David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said he knows of no other prosecutor in the country simultaneously investigating the church scandal and donating to the church from campaign funds. Last month, answering questions about donations he made to the Worcester diocese last year, Mr. Conte said he saw no conflict between his support for his church and his role as district attorney in investigating allegations of clergy sexual abuse. He did not return a telephone call to his office yesterday. While the donations from his campaign fund are not illegal, clergy abuse victim advocates have criticized them as insensitive and creating a perception of a conflict of interest. Last year the Conte campaign donated $500 to the Bishop's Fund in April. He donated $250 to the diocesan Forward in Faith endowment campaign in January. Mr. Conte has made donations amounting to several thousand dollars to other Catholic-related organizations. Massachusetts campaign finance records through February did not show any other district attorney contributing to a similar bishop's fund or cardinal's appeal since the church scandal began making headlines in January 2002. -- Telegram & Gazette, http://wtnlb.us. publicus.com/ apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/ 20030521/NEWS/305 210339/1025/ NEWSLETTERS08 , by Richard Nangle, May 21 03
• Police probe has backing of Anglicans. HOBART, Australia: The Anglican Church has issued a statement "strongly supporting" a police investigation into allegations of child sex abuse by former priests. The statement came after The Mercury yesterday revealed police had used a search warrant to seize documents and audiotapes from the Anglican Church of Tasmania headquarters in Hobart's Macquarie St. The items, including audiotapes, related to disciplinary action the church had taken against one of two former priests accused of sexually abusing a number of boys some years ago. Police also seized copies of the findings of the church's 1998 independent inquiry into sex abuse within the church. Yesterday's statement said the church "strongly supported police inquiries into two former priests against whom a number of allegations have been made". -- The Mercury, http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6468677%255E3462,00.html , By Ellen Whinnett, May 21 03
• Boys abused by Anglican Church worker told: speak out. ADELAIDE, Australia: Anglican Archbishop Ian George has appealed for boys sexually abused by an Adelaide church youth worker to contact a special hotline. ABC TV last night reported on allegations the church was taking too long to deal with complaints lodged by lawyers acting for three alleged victims of Robert Brandenberg, who committed suicide in 1999. Brandenberg, a former youth worker at St George's Anglican Church, Magill, is believed to have drowned himself after being charged with child-sex offences. Archbishop George told The Advertiser he had met with one of Brandenberg's alleged victims during an "extended interview", while the church had paid for counselling for another victim. Asked whether he was concerned the alleged abuse by Brandenberg may be more widespread, Archbishop George replied: "Absolutely." -- The Advertiser, "Boys abused by church worker told: speak out," http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6468465%255E2682,00.html , By Colin James, May 21 03
• Boston Archdiocese Told To Ask Priests For Permission To Release Medical Files. BOSTON (MA): A judge has ordered the Boston Archdiocese to ask dozens of priests for permission to release their psychiatric files to attorneys trying to determine how much church officials knew about clergy sexual abuse. The medical files covered by Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney's ruling Friday include reports experts made after treating priests at mental health clinics, retreats and other institutions. The archdiocese, which has been at the center of the clergy abuse crisis in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church, did not return a call seeking comment. The attorneys seeking the documents represent Gregory Ford, an alleged victim of the Rev. Paul Shanley. The non-medical records of about 140 priests have already been turned over to Ford's lawyers. -- WHTM (AP), http://www.whtm.com/showstory.hrb?f=n&s=88061&f1=loc
• Catholics in Texas upset over priest accused of rape. DALLAS (TX): The Catholic Church here, beleaguered by several sexual-abuse cases in recent years, has another controversy in the works — this one surrounding the assignment of a priest once accused of raping a nun to a Dallas-area church. Parishioners in Frisco, a fast-growing town just north of Dallas, are upset about the selection of Monsignor Ernesto C. Villaroya to replace a popular priest who was reassigned to his native Colombia a few weeks ago without explanation. On Sunday, several dozen church members picketed the church, demanding the appointment be voided. "We don't want a rapist priest," read one sign. -- The Washington Times, http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030521-121555-6049r.htm , By Hugh Aynesworth, May 21 03
• Former priest pleads not guilty to counts of sexual misconduct. [1975-1986] NORWALK (CA): A former Catholic priest who served at churches in La Mirada and Pico Rivera pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 35 counts of sexual misconduct with a child. Former priest Michael Stephen Baker, 55, is accused of molesting former Whittier resident Matthew Severson, 35, beginning in 1975 - when Severson was 8 - and ending shortly after Severson turned 19 in 1986. Severson, who testified at Baker's preliminary hearing last month, said the alleged molestations took place when he spent nights at the church rectory with Baker. Severson also testified Baker sent him a 1994 letter. In it, Severson said Baker apologized for his "immature emotions and psychosexual screwed- up-ness (that) slashed and burned through those years of your life seeking self- satisfaction in the name of love." -- Whittier Daily News, http://www.whittierdailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,207~12026~1404213,00.html , By Susan McRoberts
• Accused Metuchen priests not facing criminal charges. NEW BRUNSWICK (NJ): Of 31 allegations of sexual abuse by priests and other church officials turned over to county prosecutors, only one led to charges, Diocese of Metuchen officials said Tuesday. The Rev. John M. Banko, a former Milford priest convicted in December of abusing an altar boy, was among the 31 priests and church officials named in accusations forwarded to prosecutors in Hunterdon, Middlesex and Warren counties in August. None of the other priests will face criminal charges. However, five, including Banko, have been removed from ministry and will face trials in the church under canon law, church officials said. Diocesan General Secretary Ronald Rak said the church initially turned over files containing allegations of sexual abuse by 18 priests to Middlesex County prosecutors, one such file to Hunterdon County prosecutors and one to Warren County prosecutors. -- New Jersey News, http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1053507998164111.xml , From staff and wire reports
• Priest-abuse ruling was no victory for local parishes. OREGON: Last week's ruling by a Deschutes County judge, allowing the Catholic Diocese of Baker to transfer diocesan assets to individual parishes, was portrayed as a victory by church leaders ("Ruling backs diocese on assets," The Oregonian, May 15) and a setback for the 18 men suing the diocese for the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of a diocesan priest, the late Rev. David Hazen. The bishop of the Diocese of Baker, the Most Rev. Robert Vasa, told The Oregonian, "I think that the parishes will be relieved to know that what their fathers and grandfathers built is considered theirs and will now remain in their hands as their property." The effect, however, of Circuit Judge Michael Adler's ruling is just the opposite. The judge specifically rejected the church's argument that the diocese was not the true owner of its property and that it held those assets "in trust" for individual parishes. "Under Oregon law," Adler stated, "the property initially was not owned by the individual churches, but the diocese as a corporation sole." --- The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com/commentary/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1053518923278300.xml , by David Slader
• Future priest: "I love the idea of faith". BOSTON (MA): James Achadinha harbors no illusions about solving two problems afflicting the Roman Catholic Church in this country: the shrinking priesthood and the damage wrought by a year of clergy misconduct revelations. The 27-year-old future priest hopes only to help restore the church "one family at a time." Achadinha is one of 11 men set to be ordained into the priesthood Saturday in ceremonies at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's South End. -- Boston Herald, http://www2. bostonherald.com/news/ local_regional/prie05212003.htm , by Eric Convey, Wednesday, May 21, 2003
• Accused priest faces more charges. [1975-1981] NEW HAMPSHIRE: A Roman Catholic priest already accused of raping two altar boys has been indicted on two more sex charges in New Hampshire. The Rev. Joseph Maguire, 72, already was charged with assaulting the boys from St. Joseph parish between 1977 and 1981. Now a Strafford County grand jury has indicted him on two more rape counts involving boys between 9 and 12 years old from 1975 to 1978. -- Boston Herald, http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/lnib305212003.htm
• A door opens on abuse cases. BOSTON (MA): The judge presiding over hundreds of lawsuits charging sexual abuse by clergy has taken the first step toward forcing the Archdiocese of Boston to release to alleged victims church files containing psychiatric assessments of 87 priests. In a one-paragraph decision made public yesterday, Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney ruled that the archdiocese had failed to prove "in any way" the existence of a medical or psychiatric privilege that would allow church officials to keep the documents secret. Sweeney ordered the archdiocese to notify all the priests in question that their records are about to be turned over and that they have 15 days to file an objection if they do not want their records revealed. So far, plaintiffs have received psychiatric records for a handful of priests but Sweeney's order potentially paves the way for the release of thousands of pages of new documents to lawyers for alleged abuse victims. -- Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/141/metro/A_door_opens_on_abuse_casesP.shtml , By Ralph Ranalli, May 21 03
• 6 suspended priests' criminal cases closed. WORCESTER (MA): Worcester District Attorney John Conte has closed criminal investigations into sex abuse allegations against six suspended priests because the statute of limitations has expired in each case, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester reported. Conte has also asked the Toronto Police Service to take over the case of a seventh priest, the Rev. John Bagley, who is accused of abusing a boy during a trip to Canada in the 1970s. The statute of limitations in the case has expired in Massachusetts, but Canada does not have a statute of limitations for such crimes. The priests whose cases have been closed are the Rev. Gerald P. Walsh, who last served at St. Roch parish, Oxford; the Rev. Raymond P. Messier of St. Francis parish, Athol, and St. Peter parish, Petersham; the Rev. Chester Devlin of St. Bernadette parish, Northborough; the Rev. Joseph A. Coonan of St. John parish, Worcester; the Rev. Peter J. Inzerillo of St. Leo parish, Leominster; and the Rev. Lee F. Bartlett of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish, Worcester. -- Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/ dailyglobe2/ 141/metro/ 6_suspended_ priests_criminal cases_closedP.shtml , By Associated Press, May 21 03
• Priest's confession is aired at sex abuse trial. [1995] ST. LOUIS (MO): Jurors listened Tuesday to a 20-minute tape of the Rev. Bryan Kuchar as he told police last year about his sexual relationship with a troubled teenage boy in 1995 when Kuchar was a parish priest at Assumption Catholic Church in south St. Louis County. Kuchar also told county police detectives about two later sexual encounters with the boy, at the rectories of St. Timothy's Catholic Church and the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. The confession was recorded on April 10 of last year and detailed oral and anal sex. Kuchar is on trial in St. Louis County Circuit Court on six counts of statutory sodomy. If convicted, he could get up to 42 years in prison. The jury also heard testimony from police Detective Jennifer Williams, who said Kuchar had confessed to her and fellow Detective John Newsham before they recorded the statements. Now 22, the alleged victim also testified about the sexual relationship, which he said began at Kuchar's insistence when the victim was 14. The victim's mother testified that she first learned her son had been molested by Kuchar in March 2000 while her son was a patient at a drug treatment center in mid-Missouri. During opening statements, prosecutor Rob Livergood pointed to Kuchar, clad in his black suit and Roman collar, and told the jury: "That man molested a 14-year-old child." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com/ stltoday/news/ stories.nsf /News/C01EF2FA B2F4823686 256D2D00165D56? OpenDocument&Headline =Priest , By William C. Lhotka, May 20 03
• New Baden man gets five years for fondling boy. BELLEVILLE (IL): A New Baden man who claims he was abused as a youth by a Belleville Diocese priest has been convicted of sexually abusing a boy. James W. Stamper Jr., 49, received a five-year jail sentence May 13 after pleading guilty in Clinton County Circuit Court of fondling a boy. But during the sentencing hearing, Jerome Frazier, a counselor for Stamper, testified that Stamper was allegedly sexually abused as a youth by the Rev. William Rensing of Sparta, Ill., said Clinton County State's Attorney Stan Brandmeyer. Frazier testified that the alleged abuse was "a triggering factor" for Stamper's criminal conduct, Brandmeyer said. Frazier would not comment Tuesday about his testimony. A Belleville Diocese review board is examining Stamper's allegations that Rensing sexually abused him more than 30 years ago. That case is beyond the Illinois statute of limitations for prosecuting it as a crime, but Rensing would be barred from any public ministry if the diocese finds that he committed sexual abuse. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com/ stltoday/news/ stories.nsf/ news/B5A31F48 A24E92D586 256D2D001A6A17? OpenDocument&highlight= 2%2Cnorm%2Cparish &headline =New+Baden +man+gets+ five+years+ for+fondling+boy , By Norm Parish, May 20 03
• Priest's trial is tale of sex, lives and audiotape. ST. LOUIS (MO): The accuser was a slightly built young man. He had long blond hair and sideburns that descended into a thin, neatly trimmed beard. He told the jury that in 1995, he had been having trouble in the eighth grade at the Assumption Catholic Church school in south St. Louis County when he was befriended by a popular young priest, the Rev. Bryan Kuchar. Befriended and then betrayed. The priest sexually abused me, the young man said. By the time the young man testified Monday morning, the jury had already been given another version of events. Defense attorney J. Martin Hadican had used his opening statement to suggest that the accuser was a manipulator who didn't do well in school, got involved in drugs and then decided to blame somebody else for his shortcomings. There was, however, a huge problem with the defense theory. Kuchar had confessed after he was arrested. He had made a taped confession. Hadican took a swipe at that problem in his opening statement. He said his client had been befuddled and confused after undergoing three hours of interrogation. That's going to be a tough sell, I thought. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com/ stltoday/news/ Columnists.nsf/ Bill+McClellan/ CE8CD D758102CA2A86256 D2D0032C52B? OpenDocument &Headline=Priest , By Bill McClellan, May 21 03
• Jefferson County Preacher Faces Molestation Charge. [CURRENT] MISSOURI: The search is on for the former pastor at Bethel Baptist church near Arnold, after molestation charges were filed against him. Craig Sisson is accused of molesting an 11 year old girl. The girl says Sisson put his hand up her shirt while the two sat on the couch in her parents home last May. Sisson is charged with one count of first degree child molestation. The girl's father, who we are not identifying, tells NewsChannel 5, "How can you sit and preach to a group full of children to do the right thing and don't let any boy touch you but the pastor can. That's just sick." -- KSDK, http://www.ksdk.com/ news/news_ article_lc. asp ?storyid=40985 (Posted by Kathy Shaw)
########## End of Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Wednesday, May 21, 2003
• Catholic Church rethinks handling of abuse complaints. AUSTRALIA: MICHAEL: I was told by one of the Church people that if I don't like it, either lump it or get out, but don't bother annoying us if you're not prepared to work within the system they've established to suit themselves. . . . LOUISE WILLIS: No-one really knows how many others there are like Michael, as neither the Anglican or Catholic Church release national totals of complaints received or cases handled. In Brisbane alone the Anglican Church has opened 157 files on abuse complaints since early last year. . . . Sister Ryan is the Executive Officer of the [Catholic] National Committee for Professional Standards, set up in 1996 to oversee each State's handling of all types of complaints against clergy. ANGELA RYAN: We find it difficult to work that out. We certainly, it would be across Australia, more than 1,000. LOUISE WILLIS: Would it surprise you to learn that out of Queensland the figures seem to be that the group's dealt with 270 cases in six years? It's nearly one a week. . . . CHRISTINE MACISAAC: On average, we'd get two or three new calls a week. By new, I mean calls from people we've never heard of before and calls reporting perpetrators we've never heard of before. -- Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio, "AM", http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2003/s859953.htm , Reporter: Louise Willis, Wednesday, 21 May , 2003 08:21:41 FOR GOOD TEACHINGS TO BE HEEDED, A BIG CLEAN-UP IS NEEDED Poynter Institute: http://www.poynter.org/ subscribe.to.clergy.tracker/ for daily e-mails
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