Babeu says he was victim of priest abuse

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 02:27:56 +1100

Tag: usa
Tag: youtube

PHOENIX -- Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, a leader in the fight for border security, says his views were molded when he was sexually assaulted as a child by a Catholic priest.

Babeu recently talked with FOX 10 News' John Hook about his life, which has led to appearances nationwide to discuss illegal immigration and border security.

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"I was a victim of sexual assault when I was a young boy," Babeu told Hook. "Actually by a priest back in Massachusetts. That was something that had a dramatic impact on my life."

He said the abuse began when he was 11 years old and continued for several years.

Babeu said he learned that being abused "by somebody who is trusted, revered, somebody who represents God, and then having leaders within the church cover it up and lie about it really awakened my sense of truly the world. What's right and what's wrong. How some people who are in positions of great trust and honor sometimes can do bad things."

Babeu said his experiences led him to "always strive to do right" and to see himself as a protector.

He became a victims' rights advocate for those abused by priests. Babeu said he no longer is Catholic, but that he believes in God.

Babeu told Hook that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was once "very, very upset" with him, but the two have mended fences.

He said he is "not going to close the door" on a possible run for higher office and that he believes if he ran, it would be "a very competitive political battle."

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Priest Sex Abuse Victim Speaks Out After Trial

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 02:17:35 +1100

Tag: usa
Tag: youtube

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – At St. Elizabeth Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, John Vai considered himself a victim.

“We were afraid to say something because the priests were held in such high esteem,” said Vai. “We were dealing with God figures.”

Now, forty-six years after the abuse that stole his youth, Vai is a survivor. A civil court jury found that Father Francis DeLuca was his abuser.

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“He took advantage of me and numerous other kids,” said Vai, “and they scarred us for life.”

In a civil trial that lasted eight weeks, Vai won a $3 million verdict in December against St. Elizabeth and Deluca, but he says he would trade it all for the truth.

“There’s still a lot of truth that needs to come out.”

It came out in court that Diocesan officials “…apologized for the cover up and for the church’s inability to cope appropriately with the situation.” The diocese moved DeLuca around to other parishes, where court records show he abused other young men.

In 2007, DeLuca was criminally convicted of sexually molesting his grandnephew in Syracuse.

“Francis DeLuca,” said Vai, hesitating, “now I know the terminology – is a serial pedophile, a convicted serial pedophile.”

In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the latest grand jury report revealing cases of child sex abuse is a reminder to Vai that there are more victims out there. He got his day in court, an option not available to many victims in Pennsylvania because of the statute of limitations.

“I’m a forgiving person, but in order to give forgiveness, I need to see some sense of sorrow. And so far I haven’t seen any in Delaware and obviously none in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.”

No matter how hard it is for Vai to speak about his abuse, he sees it as an obligation to the children of all religions to make sure none of them become victims as well.
The Diocese of Wilmington is now going through bankruptcy hearings.

Part of the bankruptcy agreement may require the Diocese to turn over its archived documents. Sex abuse victims see the documents as an opportunity to learn more about abuse in the church.

Watch the video…

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011...ter-trial/ ...

Victims and advocates praise Brown for going public about childhood

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:54:57 +1100

Tag: usa

By Travis Andersen

Victims of child sex abuse and their advocates yesterday praised Senator Scott Brown for going public with the abuse he suffered as a child at a summer camp and said they hope his acknowledgment will prompt elected officials to strengthen laws against predators, and convince more victims to come forward.

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Brown discloses abuse

“Senator Brown’s decision to speak publicly about his own abuse helps lend a voice to survivors around the world,’’ said victim Gary Bergeron, 48, of Salem, N.H., in a phone interview.

Bergeron, who was abused as a middle school student by a Catholic priest in Lowell, said Brown’s admission comes after victims of priestly abuse blazed a trail in the Boston area in 2002, when the clergy abuse scandal first broke.

“One of the things that clergy abuse survivors helped do almost a decade ago in Boston is open the door for survivors around the world to speak about their abuse,’’ he said.

Another victim, Bernie McDaid, 55, of Peabody, also commended Brown and said his revelation suggests attitudes about child sex abuse are changing.

“The fact that a politician of this caliber is coming out publicly . . . it just shows that it’s safer now in society to talk about this,’’ said McDaid, who was abused by a priest when he was between the ages of 11 and 13 as a student at a Catholic school in Salem.

Bergeron and McDaid, who were abused by the same priest, are cofounders of the group Survivor’s Voice, which advocates for victims of child sex abuse.

Jetta Bernier, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Children, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping abused and vulnerable children, said she has long regarded Brown as a supporter of legislative efforts to curb sexual abuse.

About five years ago, he was among supporters of a bill that extended the period of time in which a victim of sex abuse could file charges against a perpetrator. Around the same time, he called sexual abuse the “number one public safety issue affecting us here in the Commonwealth,’’ at a press conference with several lawmakers and then-Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, according to the State House News Service.

Bernier said the extended reporting time measure is now law, and as a result victims have up to 27 years past their 16th birthday to bring charges. She said Brown’s Senate office recently cosponsored a federal bill that would, among other things, limit the ability of those convicted of sex abuse from working in a variety of settings. Brown’s office, she said, has asked her group for input on that initiative.

For his work at the state level, Brown earned the Spirit of Compassion Award in 2008 from the advocacy group Community VOICES, which works on behalf of sex abuse victims, according to executive director Laurie Myers. She said word of Brown’s own abuse came as a surprise.

“It was shocking news, really,’’ she said. “I’m sure the reason why he’s sharing it is because he’s strong enough to do that. He’s amazing, he really is.’’

Other advocates said yesterday that they hope the Legislature will go even further in rolling back the statute of limitations and other protections for child predators.

“Hopefully, Senator Brown’s revelation will send a message to the Legislature, which will serve as a wake-up call with regard to the statute of limitations and the need to abolish it,’’ said attorney Mitchell Garabedian of Boston, who has represented hundreds of victims of child sexual abuse in civil lawsuits.

Barbara Talkov, executive director of the Children’s League of Massachusetts, a statewide coalition of child advocates, said someone of Brown’s stature going public also sends a powerful message to young people who have suffered abuse more recently.

“It takes a lot of courage of go public — even if you’re writing a book, too, you’re still going public,’’ she said. “More kids and teenagers will see this, too. Here’s someone who is a public figure, well respected, and he’s not afraid to talk about it.’’

Anne Barrett Doyle, codirector of the website bishopaccountability.org, which publishes information on priests accused of sex abuse, said she hopes Brown will be the elected official from the Massachusetts delegation who emerges as a leading voice for victims in Washington.

“He’s helping an untold number of victims, especially men,’’ she said. “I think it’s really courageous of him to reveal that. . . . If he can help make institutions more responsible and more protective of children, that would be an amazing legacy.’’

Michael Levenson and Patricia Wen of the Globe Staff contributed to this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at tandersen@globe.com.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/a...childhood/ ...

Alleged sex abuse victim goes public with complaints

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:49:21 +1100

Tag: usa

By Sasha Aslanian, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — A man who's suing the Catholic Church over sexual abuse broke his silence Tuesday to publicly chastise the Catholic Church for attempting to recover legal costs from him, after his case was thrown out on a technicality

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Jim Keenan, 43, of Savage, alleges he was abused by Father Thomas Adamson in Burnsville when he was in the 8th grade. A judge threw out Keenan's case because the statute of limitations had passed, and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed a motion to collect $64,000 in legal fees. He said that request prompted him to speak out.

"You can only stand around, get pushed around, bumped around before saying 'You know, this isn't OK.' I'm not a silent guy trying to do this. I came forward to put a face to it," he said.

Keenan is appealing the case, and said he's refused to settle unless the Church releases the names of other priests accused of abusing children.

"I spent 14 hours ... in mediation," Keenan said. I thought it would take about 2 hours. I thought I'd walk in and go, "Really, what I really want you guys to give me all the names and give me all the names that you know and to change your policy."

The archdiocese said not all abuse allegations are credible, and some victims may not want the information released. It also says playing to seek a delay in its motion to recover court costs after learning Keenan had filed for bankruptcy.

Tag: minnesota

Minnesota USA

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Abuse survivors hurt by words

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:17:42 +1100

Tag: canada

By ERICA BAJER, THE DAILY NEWS

Cruel words and dirty looks continue to tear open the emotional wounds Lou Ann Soontiens suffered as a result of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Father Charles Sylvestre.

In the years since she first spoke out about the molestation, rape and forced abortion the pedophile priest inflicted on her, she's been repeatedly wounded by words.

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Soontiens said she's been the target of nasty looks, snide comments and misplaced blame.

"Coming forward was hard enough, we don't need the backlash," she said, noting she's heard similar stories from other survivors. "We were victims, people shouldn't shun us."

Sylvestre, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to abusing 47 girls, died three months into his three-year prison sentence.

Soontiens said one of her neighbours calls her names such as "trash" and has angrily confronted her about taking money from the church.

Last year, she received one of Canada's largest monetary settlements -- $1.75 million -- from the Roman Catholic Diocese of London.

She would give it all back in return for her stolen innocence.

"No amount of money is going to take away what happened to us," she said. "They are calling us names and they don't know what we went through. We're not money-grabbing *censored*es."

Soontiens said people don't understand the majority of money used for settlements doesn't come from the collection plate. Insurance companies are heavily involved in the litigation and bear most of the financial brunt, she said.

She pointed out that she didn't come forward and disclose the abuse she suffered -- she was contacted by investigators when another abuse victim reported the crimes.

Joanne Sullivan, another woman abused by Sylvestre, said few people in her community know she was part of the case.

The Blenheim woman hasn't been called names or ridiculed.

But she has been hurt by insensitive remarks.

Sullivan said some people who know she's in the midst of suing the diocese make rude comments about her future financial security.

"It's only a small number at work," she added.

Sullivan echoed Soontiens comments, noting "I'd rather not have (the abuse) happen to me.

"I'm not looking for a payday. It's not like winning the lottery."

The price abuse victims have paid is far higher than any monetary compensation, she said.

Mark Adkinson, director of communications with the diocese, said it's unfortunate that abuse victims face backlash in the community.

"These people are victims and they have a right to compensation," he said.

Parishioners shouldn't blame the victims.

"They should express sorrow that abuse occurred," he said, adding the victims should be offered prayers of healing.

Sylvestre and the diocese have accepted responsibility for the abuse, he said.

"He admitted he was guilty and we admitted he was at fault and the diocese was at fault," Adkinson said.

He stressed the diocese works hard to ensure victims are given "fair and reasonable compensation." The diocese only foots the bill for compensation above what it's insured for, he said.

So far, the diocese has settled with 65 women abused by Sylvestre during three decades when he worked at parishes in Chatham, Pain Court, Windsor, Sarnia and London.

Adkinson said there's approximately a dozen outstanding claims left to negotiate.

Rob Talach, of Ledroit Beckett Litigation Lawyers in London, worked on Soontiens civil case.

He was outraged to hear she is facing backlash.

"Lou Ann did nothing wrong, she was a child," he said. "How do you put a price tag on the brutal sexual crimes she suffered?"

He said people who call her names and judge her for speaking out are accessories after the fact.

"The people who frown on her now are the type of people who allowed it to happen in the first place," he said. "People knew, suspected and turned a blind eye. The church protected and enabled Sylvestre for more than 30 years."

Talach said he's heard from other victims who have also been upset by comments.

He recalled one woman who overheard her co-workers making disparaging remarks about Sylvestre's accusers over coffee in the break room. They didn't know that as a girl she was preyed upon by the pedophile priest.

"There's no more of an evil act by a bystander than that behaviour," he said. "It's offensive on all levels and it's dangerous."

Talach said the mentality of those who blame victims for coming forward does nothing but keep people silent and perpetuate abuse.

Sullivan said it was a difficult decision to speak publicly about what she went through as a little girl.

But, she believes victims should speak up in order to raise awareness.

"People need to be able to put faces and names to the issue," she said.

Talach and Adkinson said coming forward is courageous and it's important that society encourages victims to disclose abuse.

"People should not feel any pressure to not come forward," Adkinson said, adding he hopes the experiences of some of Sylvestre's victims doesn't deter others from reaching out and speaking up.

Irene Deschenes, who played a key role in bringing Sylvestre to justice by continuing to speak out about the abuse, said she's never been verbally harassed.

However, she's been hurt by naive comments made by people who don't understand the issue.

"Often, they don't intend to be thoughtless," she said. "It's an opportunity for me to increase awareness and educate."

Deschenes was the first of Sylvestre's victims to lift the publication ban from her name so the community would know who she was. More than a dozen other women involved in the case also unbanned their names.

"I was keeping someone else's secret," Deschenes said. "I have no shame or guilt."

Michelle Schryer, executive director of the Chatham-Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, wasn't surprised to hear Soontiens is experiencing backlash.

"From the beginning of time, sexual assault victims have been blamed for their own victimization," she said. "Whenever anyone speaks out publicly, there will be criticism and ridicule and personal attacks.

"Not everyone supports survivors."

However, she pointed out the Sylvestre case educated a lot of people in this community about abuse and the toll of sexual violence.

"A lot of the initial disbelief was put to rest," she said. "A lot of people in our community got it."

Soontiens said she doesn't regret sharing her story with the community.

She said if she can help one person, it's worth it.

"I don't want this to happen to anybody else," she said.

ebajer@chathamdailynews.ca

Tag: london

Tag: diocese-of-london

London Canada

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Priest abuse source of 'endless years of pain'

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:23:14 +1100

Tag: canada

By Gavin King

THE man at the centre of a lawsuit against the Catholic Church yesterday vowed to follow his legal claim "all the way through" in a bid to end decades of pain he suffered after repeated abuse by a Far Northern priest.

The Cairns man, now 38, yesterday told The Cairns Post he suffered severe depression before seeking professional counselling to come to terms with the abuse he suffered at the hands of Father Joseph Sultana.

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"This matter has been pushed aside for so long, I’ve held it back for 30 something years," he said.

"It's been many, many endless years of pain and tragedy.’’

It comes as the Catholic Church moves to distance Queensland's highest ranking priest John Bathersby - now the Archbishop of Brisbane - from ever having knowledge of abuse claims against Father Sultana.

Archbishop Bathersby was ordained Bishop of Cairns in March 1986, about three-and-a-half years after the Cairns man said he told another priest - Father Patrick Mc-Kenna - about the abuse by Father Sultana.

Father Sultana remained as a serving priest in the Diocese of Cairns, including the parishes of Ravenshoe and Dimbulah, for the entire duration of Archbishop Bathersby's time as Bishop of Cairns between March 1986 and December 1991.

In a statement to The Cairns Post, Bishop of Cairns James Foley said Archbishop Bathersby did not receive any sexual abuse complaints about Father Joseph Sultana during Archbishop Bathersby’s tenure as bishop in Cairns.

The Cairns man launched the personal injury civil claim in the Supreme Court against the Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for the Diocese of Cairns and the Corporation of the Sisters of Mercy for the Diocese of Cairns.

In his sworn affidavit, the man said he was repeatedly abused while he was a student and altar boy at St Joseph's School and Church at Atherton by Father Sultana between March 1979 and November 1982.

He said the church failed to report the matters to police or remove Father Sultana from contact with children when they were alerted to the allegations of abuse.

The Cairns Post has learned that the Catholic Diocese of Gozo in Malta, where Father Sultana is believed to have moved to in 1997 or 1998, is investigating if he is still residing there.

Bishop Foley said he had spoken to other priests and nuns who all denied ever being aware of any sex abuse complaints against Father Sultana.

The Cairns man, who said he still has nightmares about the abuse by Father Sultana, yesterday said he was "strong and determined" to fight his legal claim.

"I'm determined to follow it all the way through and I hope it brings other kids forward," he said.

Tag: cairns

Cairns Canada

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British woman tells of priest rape ordeal

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:10:07 +1100

Tag: england

A British woman spoke out about her rape ordeal at the hands of a priest, during a protest by clergy sex abuse victims near the Vatican.

Sue Cox, 63, from Warwickshire, was among around 100 survivors from a dozen countries, including Italy, the US, Ireland, the Netherlands and Australia, at yesterday's candlelit protest.

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Italian paramilitary police blocked a boulevard leading to the Vatican to prevent marchers reaching St Peter's Square, but later allowed two protesters to leave letters from victims at the Holy See's doorstep.

The two also left a dozen stones near the obelisk in St Peter's square to mark a symbolic path so other survivors might know they had company in their suffering.

At a briefing before the march, Ms Cox was among participants who stood up one by one to tell how their lives had been destroyed by the abuse they suffered as children.

"For 50 years I thought I was the only person in the entire world that had been abused by a Catholic priest," she said.

Ms Cox clarified herself "raped by a Catholic priest, not abused, because what he did was rape me and rape is different".

"It's taken 50 years for me to find my voice. But now I've found it, I want to continue to speak on behalf of people who maybe aren't able to speak or have not yet been able to face the fear and the guilt and shame that survivors feel."

Ms Cox said she was raped in her bedroom when she was 13 by a priest who had been filling in for her parish priest and had been staying at her parents' home.

She said her mother saw immediately what had happened but did nothing and instead told Ms Cox to pray for the priest.

"I felt sacrificial," she said. "I wanted to die."

By 15 she was an alcoholic and by 17 she had entered into a violent marriage. But by 30 she was clean and now at 63 is confronting what she calls the final piece of her recovery - "the hardest bit" - speaking out about her abuse.

The candlelit protest was the first significant demonstration in the shadow of the Vatican by people who had been raped and molested by priests as children.

Organisers said it would be repeated until the Holy See took decisive action to ensure children were safe.

"Today what began as quiet whispers are whispers no more," organiser Gary Bergeron told the crowd, which included about 55 Italians from a notorious Catholic institute for the deaf in Verona where dozens of students said they were raped by priests.

Organisers had tried to stage the march on Vatican soil but were forced to hold it nearby after the Holy See denied permission. It is standard Vatican practice to ban non-Vatican-sponsored events from St Peter's Square.

The protest kicked off with the unexpected arrival of Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi, who said he had wanted to greet the organisers and had prepared a statement he hoped to read.

But he beat a hasty retreat to his office after a protester shouted "Shame, shame" in Italian. Mr Lombardi said later he left when he saw "it wasn't going to be easy" to meet the organisers.

Mr Bergeron met Mr Lombardi later inside his Vatican office and told him that abuse survivors had been "waiting a lifetime to be able to stand up and speak out".

After the demonstration Mr Bergeron accompanied several other survivors to speak with Mr Lombardi and tell them their stories. They said they asked him to pass on their request to speak to other Vatican officials.

The event, which aimed to show survivors worldwide that they were not alone, was organised by Mr Bergeron and fellow American Bernie McDaid, who were abused by the same Boston priest from the sixth grade.

The two became some of the most prominent victims to speak out in the United States after the clerical abuse scandal erupted in their native Boston in 2002 and Mr McDaid was the first victim to meet Pope Benedict XVI when the pontiff visited the US in 2008.

Mr Bergeron and Mr McDaid organised the rally after the scandal erupted again on a global scale earlier this year, with revelations of thousands of victims in Europe and beyond, of bishops who covered up for paedophile priests and of Vatican officials who turned a blind eye to the crimes.

They are campaigning to have the United Nations designate systematic sexual abuse of children as a crime against humanity.

Mr Lombardi said he had intended to read a statement to the protesters saying he hoped they could the Roman Catholic church as an ally in the broader fight to end child sex abuse.

"Of course, we must continue to do more. And your cry today is an encouragement to do more," he said. "But a large part of the church is already on the good path.

"The major part of the crimes belongs to times bygone. Today's reality and that of tomorrow are more beckoning. Let us help one another to journey together in the right direction."

Tag: warwickshire

Warwickshire England

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Victim reveals Sussex vicar sex abuse ordeal

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 05:34:55 +1100

Tag: england

A victim who was repeatedly abused by a vicar has spoken anonymously to BBC South East Today to raise awareness of child protection issues.

Mark, whose full name has not been used to protect his identity, said he believed his abuser was part of a paedophile ring of priests and claims that he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by deceased vicar Roy Cotton.

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Cotton was allowed to work at East Sussex churches after receiving a conviction for child abuse in the 1950s.

Anyone who has been affected by Mark's story or who was abused as a child and is looking for support can contact the charity NAPAC, the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, whose website is www.napac.org.uk

Tag: sussex

Sussex England

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11656123 ...

Clergy sex abuse victim speaks publicly for first time

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:19:44 +1100

Tag: usa

He’s upset about admitted predator who still works as a priest

In July, he filed lawsuit as “John Doe;” now he’s disclosing his identity

And he’s writing to the Pope: “stop making promises, start fulfilling them”

His case uses novel approach & little-known state code to address cover up

If he wins, victims who got church-paid therapy may have new legal options

Then, dozens of other cases could be brought forward against California churches

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What:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, a clergy sex abuse victim will
-- disclose his name and discuss his "first of its kind" predator priest & cover up lawsuit,
-- show evidence that the admitted molester who hurt him is in a parish even now,
-- beg Sacramento’s bishop to help get his predator out of ministry now, and
-- give copies of a letter he’s sending to the Pope, prodding him to stop letting this priest (and other child molesting clerics) move across borders and continue functioning as priests.

With other victims, he will also urge anyone who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes to call police, get help, expose predators, protect kids and start healing.

When:
Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 11:00 a.m.

Where:
Outside the Sacramento Catholic diocese headquarters (“chancery”), 2011 Broadway, Sacramento, CA

Who:
Several individuals who were molested by clergy including a California man who is speaking out for the first time and has a pending civil lawsuit and a Missouri man who heads a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

Why:
An alleged predator priest, Father Antonio Pinal (a.k.a. Fr. Costellano Jose Pinal) who worked in the Sacramento diocese, is now living and working for the church in Cuernavaca, Mexico (according to two written diocesan sources that will be handed out). One of Pinal’s victims, Juan “Ricardo” Torres, is upset and worried about the safety of children in that area. So he is appealing to Pope Benedict and Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto to oust Pinal from the active ministry now and from the priesthood eventually. Torres also wants Soto to work harder to find and console other Pinal victims, and urge them to call police so that Pinal might be prosecuted and jailed.

http://www.diocesisdecuernavaca.org.mx/

http://alpuyecapp.ning.com/profiles/p...325nms9m6o

Several months ago, Torres filed an unprecedented new civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit against the Sacramento Catholic diocese. It utilizes a little-known state insurance code provision to charge church officials with negligence, negligent retention/supervision and failure to warn, sexual battery, fraud, and fraudulent concealment/intentional non-disclosure.

One of Pinal's victims reported to a Catholic pastor in 1988 that Pinal sexual abused a child a Catholic pastor.. Two diocesan representatives (including then-Bishop Francis Quinn's lawyer) met with that victim and assured him that Pinal was going to be watched very closely and kept away from children. The church officials sent the victim to a church-chosen psychiatrist and paid for the therapy.

But in 2002, without ever notifying the victim, a diocesan lawyer disclosed the victim's identity to a Butte County prosecutor and gave him a 1991 letter from Pinal to Quinn. In that letter, Pinal asked Quinn if Pinal had clearance to return to the United States.

Torres’ lawsuit charges that the diocese never reported Pinal to law enforcement until 2002, even though it had known of his criminal sexual misconduct some 13 years earlier. As a result, Pinal quietly returned to Mexico later in 1989, where he still works as a Catholic priest.

The lawsuit states that under the California Insurance Code, church officials were required to provide the victim with a written notice of when his statute of limitations would expire, because it had made an advanced payment (for therapy). Because the diocese never did this, the victim can take legal action even now, years after the actual crimes.

This is believed to be the first case for child sexual abuse filed under this insurance code section in California.

Pinal worked at Catholic churches in at least five northern California towns: Gridley, Biggs, Live Oak, Winters, and Esparto. He was ordained in 1980.

In 2003, according to BishopAccountability.org, "Pinal was charged with two counts of forcible sodomy in 2003, but the charges were dropped when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a new California law that would have allowed prosecution of child sexual abuse cases beyond the prior statute of limitations."

Torres is represented by Sacramento attorney Dr. Joseph C. George (916) 442-7100; (916) 802-7949 (cell).

A photo of Pinal is available at BishopAccountability.org

http://www.bishopaccountability.org/a...o_Jose.htm

Contact: David Clohessy 314 566 9790 cell (SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Crystal Shaw 916 670 5595

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
www.snapnetwork.org

http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_press...t_time.htm ...

Nun abuse

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:37:22 +1100

NUN ABUSE: A Survivor's Message for the Vatican

Email Comments 321 I remembered back to this past spring. I'd just hung up the phone. It was late and the conversation with yet another clergy abuse survivor had zapped my strength and spirit as they'd recounted to me the horrors of their youth. I looked to the clock and knew I should be heading to bed because tomorrow was Easter. Easter. The celebratory feast day that millions of Catholics would spend rejoicing and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

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I also knew that the survivor I'd just spoken with would not be attending Church tomorrow; instead the victim of clergy abuse would struggle to get out of bed and spend most of the day weeping ...

Just as I know; Jesus weeps.

Frustrated and deeply saddened by my inability to help a sufferer more, I'd placed a kettle of water on the stove, sat down, grabbed a pen and pad and did only what I felt capable of doing: To ask. Ask for accountability and apology needed for healing for the survivor I'd just hung up with, and for all those who are still suffering and seeking.

A Letter of Apology and Accountability Request.

I was deeply troubled when I read that Pope Benedict XVI was "weary and sad." I, too, am weary and sad. I've been answering calls, letters and e-mails from countless victims of child abuse by the clergy for over a year now -- calls, letters and e-mails that the pope and the Catholic Church's hierarchy should be answering. So I thought I would send a polite reminder: Apologies and accountability are due.

I am a survivor of clergy abuse. Abandoned to a Catholic orphanage as an infant, for nearly a decade I was exposed to unspeakable abuses by Catholic nuns and a Catholic priest. It was only in the last year that these horrific abuses were publicly exposed after I was finally able to write about the long nightmare inflicted by those who hid behind His cloak to mask their evil deeds -- deeds the Roman Catholic Church concealed while enabling decades of child abuse by predator clergy.

I wanted to forgive them and I did forgive; however, I wonder and I am often asked: How can you offer forgiveness to those who hide behind their righteousness, behind ill-conceived surety of their place in heaven and on Earth, those who have not asked for forgiveness because they do not think they need forgiveness? Those who have denied the damage to suffering souls, these children who remain as children, and who will forever be held hostage in childhood until that child is healed.

I sit in Kentucky with a voice, among tens of thousands of victims globally who speak through me, all awaiting an apology and an admission of accountability from the pope and the Church's hierarchy.

We've waited, sometimes for decades. People like the CEO, also a former orphan and victim of clergy abuse who has to lock himself in his office because he's having a "bad day." His "bad days" happen when the memories of physical and sexual abuse become too strong for him to function as a regular working adult. He writes to me hoping I can offer him strength, hoping I can make sense of crimes committed against him as a child that were the most heinous crimes committed in history.

Then there is the former priest who writes to tell me of rape by his "own." There's a nun, too. There is also the woman who suffers from crippling PTSD because of her abuses by clergy. She writes that she may not be contacting me for a while because she will probably be back in a "dark place" and she will have to seek mental health institutional care for her "latest bout" -- a bout directly caused by predator clergy. She prays she'll be strong and not be tempted again to commit suicide, as she's tried so many times before. Another voice in the darkness reaching out to one woman. Voices who should take strength and comfort from the Church for their darkness -- a darkness caused by the Church.

There's also the daughter (one of five). Her mother, now deceased, a childhood resident of a Catholic orphanage, was severely abused and raped by clergy. The daughter says her mother's former clergy abuse touched everyone in her family and continues to cause trauma and discord so intense they have all sought counseling.

And lest I forget, there's the strong advocate for victims of clergy abuse I've been privileged to know. He was not abused, but sadly, he is now "religious empty," this man from a strongly connected religious background. I worry about him and his children.

Pope Benedict XVI and the church's hierarchy have created a scatter bomb. Abuse. The abuse of one does not just stop with one, its shrapnel scatters and piercers, and affects and harms their families, friends, co-workers, and society and on and on. The Church must be willing to publicly help these deeply wounded, still-suffering victims and survivors. Remove the shrapnel, start the cleansing by reaching out to survivors, answering and also disclosing the records of predator clergy that have been protected by the Roman Catholic Church for decades.

My name is Kim Michele Richardson. I am waiting, along with all those voices around me.

This post is an excerpt from The Unbreakable Child, a story about forgiving the unforgivable, by Kim Michele Richardson, to be released Oct. 1, 2010 by Behler Publications.

http://christianchildabuse.blogspot.c...abuse.html ...

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