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Welcome to The Catholic Cover Up
Saturday, July 31 2010 @ 05:18 PM EST

Priest was under investigation months before removal from school

Tuesday, July 20 2010 @ 04:15 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Sharon Smith

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - It's a situation any church or school may have to confront: an employee is accused of sex crimes against a child. The police investigation can take months to bring charges, let alone a conviction. At what point should an employer remove the accused from his or her position with children?

The Diocese of Charlotte is dealing with that same situation now.

2 Men in 2 Different Moral Universes

Friday, July 16 2010 @ 10:49 PM EST

Tag: usa

Tag: european_union

By ALAN COWELL

PARIS — As far as is known, or even likely, there is no formal link between Roman Polanski and the bishop of Bruges beyond the coincidence that both men, now in their 70s, were embroiled long ago in sexual abuse yet enjoy a measure of freedom.

But, in recent weeks, the juxtaposition of their unrelated cases has offered a starting point to ruminate on such questions as conflicting standards of moral judgment in Europe and the United States and whether celebrity, art, money or power might offer exemption from ordinary justice.

A New Angle on the Catholic Church Sex-Abuse Issue

Friday, July 02 2010 @ 01:36 AM EST

Tag: usa

A recent AP report added a new insight into the Roman Catholic clergy abuse scenario that few have been willing to consider. Under John Paul II the church was recovering from a notable loss of priests, many of whom were leaving the priesthood to get married in the 1970s.

John Paul made it harder for priests to leave the priesthood as one of several papal responses to the crisis.

Between Law And Responsibility

Friday, July 02 2010 @ 01:00 AM EST

Tag: nigeria

Nobel Laureate Wole SOYINKA alerts the nation once more on the dangers of elevating individual religious doctrines above the protocol that binds the multi-religious Nigeria together…

Without its immunity, can the Vatican survive?

Thursday, July 01 2010 @ 01:07 AM EST

Tag: usa

Tag: vatican

By Chiara Albanese

A US supreme court decision could have serious implications for the Holy See, historically protected by its sovereignty

This week the US supreme court issued a decision against the Vatican the importance of which has been compared by one lawyer to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Archdiocese official argues that safeguard audits are insufficient

Saturday, June 26 2010 @ 12:26 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin and across the country often tout their annual audits by the U.S. Conference of Bishops as proof that they are protecting children from sexual abuse by clergy.

The audits ensure a diocese has in place such safety measures as training, a code of conduct, background checks and a child sex abuse review board, all required by the so-called Dallas Charter, a 2002 document drafted by the bishops conference in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal.

Archdiocese official argues that safeguard audits are insufficient

Friday, June 25 2010 @ 12:24 AM EST

THE PRIEST SEXUAL ABUSER: CANON LAW, CRIME AND FITTING PUNISHMENT

Wednesday, June 16 2010 @ 09:46 PM EST

Tag: usa

By abyssum

Canon Law, Crimes, and Fitting Punishments
Lawyer Reflects on Pros and Cons of Even the Worst Sanctions

WASHINGTON, D.C., (http://Zenit.org).- The Church’s law provides for various punishments when her sons or daughters go astray, but in the case of priest sexual abusers, perhaps the most serious canonical punishment is not always the best one, according to one canon lawyer.

Sins of the past - child abuse in the Catholic Church

Thursday, June 10 2010 @ 12:44 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Richard Scorer in Abuse Cases

An article I've written for New Law Journal this week:

There has been worldwide publicity recently regarding child abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. In the UK, Catholic abuse cases have already featured in the media for over a decade, and the courts here have become very familiar with civil claims for child abuse.

The Catholic Church (in the form of its constituent dioceses and orders) has vigorously contested damages claims and has sought to utilise every available line of defence. How has the law developed in response to these cases, and what issues remain to be clarified?

Why the Pope is not a CEO

Thursday, May 27 2010 @ 04:45 AM EST

Tag: usa

In reality, each diocese is a separate, autonomous community of believers. Each bishop in a province is an equal. Each is a successor of the apostles. And each is the chief teaching and governing authority in his own local church. Of course, the bishop of Rome, who is also the pope, is uniquely different: He is first among brothers, and yet he also has real authority as pastor of the whole Church. But he is not a global CEO, and Catholic bishops are not—and never have been—his agents or employees.

Canon law guides church's response to clergy sexual abuse

Wednesday, May 26 2010 @ 04:48 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With roots in the Council of Jerusalem of the first century, canon law is a cumbersome but necessary set of regulations that help church officials govern the Catholic Church on issues as diverse as clergy sexual abuse and the role of baptized people within church structure.

Pope-bishop relationship key in sex abuse defense

Wednesday, May 19 2010 @ 02:55 AM EST

Tag: vatican
flag_usa

Tag: usa

By NICOLE WINFIELD (AP)

VATICAN CITY — The pope appoints bishops, issues rules bishops are supposed to follow and accepts their resignations. Bishops take a vow of obedience to the pontiff and can't switch jobs without his approval.

But is the pope their boss? Are bishops Vatican employees or officials?

Audit of Diocese of Raphoe by end of 2010

Monday, May 17 2010 @ 10:21 PM EST

Tag: ireland

An audit of child protection in the Catholic Diocese of Raphoe will be completed by the end of this year, according to the head of a child protection watchdog.

Ian Elliot of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church said he had discussed claims of cover-ups by the diocese with the former detective Martin Ridge and the local Bishop Dr Philip Boyce.

Sex Abuse Crisis: Can You Sue The Vatican?

Monday, May 17 2010 @ 03:02 AM EST

Tag: usa

The sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church has triggered an interesting legal question: can you put the Vatican on trial in the United States?

Lawyers for victims in Louisville, Kentucky are trying to do just that. But the Vatican is shooting right back, filing defense motions today arguing that bishops based in the U.S. – who have direct responsibility for their priests – are not “employees” of the Vatican.

Bishops' offer to resign may have lapsed under canon law

Friday, May 14 2010 @ 01:56 AM EST

Tag: ireland

PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent

OFFERS OF resignation by Dublin’s two Catholic auxiliary bishops may have lapsed as they were not accepted within the three-month period stipulated by canon law.

On May 24th it will be five months since bishops Eamonn Walsh and Ray Field announced that they were submitting their resignations to Pope Benedict. Their resignations on Christmas Eve followed publication of the Murphy report on November 26th last.

Limitation Hotspots

Saturday, May 01 2010 @ 02:56 AM EST

Tag: usa

In October 2007 I had the honour and pleasure of addressing the National Australian Lawyers Association conference in Hobart. My subject was “Limitation Hotspots” and this is what I had to say:

LIMITATION HOTSPOTS - WHAT’S HAPPENING IN HISTORIC ABUSE CASES

Introduction

The inherent problem with historic child sex abuse cases is that there is invariably a significant time gap between the abuse complained of and the victim initiating proceedings.

On the Catholic Church, Sex-Abuse and Time Limits

Friday, April 30 2010 @ 06:02 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Ashby Jones

Read these three words: statutes of limitations.

Read them again: statutes of limitations.

It’s hard to do, isn’t it, without getting a little bit bored. By the word “of,” we’re guessing your mind has already begun to wander to something more interesting, like why more people don’t watch Friday Night Lights and whether Steve Jobs shops for his own black turtlenecks.

EDITORIAL: Extend deadline on abuse lawsuits

Monday, April 26 2010 @ 06:16 AM EST

Tag: usa

State legislation should be approved that would, under certain circumstances, extend the amount of time that victims can sue for sexual abuse, assault or exploitation.

The original bill would have eliminated the current limit of 30 years after reaching age 18. Victims of sexual abuse and sexual crisis counselors testified at a legislative hearing that it often took decades to come to terms with the harm predators inflicted on children.

Brickbats for Pope Benedict

Tuesday, April 20 2010 @ 09:44 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Austin Ruse and Susan Yoshihara

Administrative judge plots legal assault on the papacy

Social and religious conservatives opposed the formation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) because they feared overzealous prosecutors eventually would target religious leaders such as bishops and even the pope. ICC proponents mocked such criticism and said the ICC was only for "the worst among us, war criminals like Hitler." Little did anyone know that such fears would come so close to fruition so soon after the ICC came into existence.

Sexual Abuse By Clergy Must Be Addressed By U.S. Churches & Religious Organizations, Says Texas Lawyer

Sunday, April 18 2010 @ 10:34 AM EST

Tag: usa

Churches and other religious organization must confront the problem of sexual abuse by clergy members; the negative effects of clergy abuse cannot be overstated,� says Houston attorney Brad Wyly, founder of the Wyly Law Firm, P.C.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) April 18, 2010 -- Churches of all denominations must confront the problem of sexual abuse by clergy and other religious leaders and work harder to protect victims of abuse rather than the abusers, Texas attorney Brad T. Wyly says.

Jeffrey Lena: The man who provides counsel to the Pope and Vatican

Sunday, April 18 2010 @ 10:12 AM EST

Tag: usa

By Jason Horowitz, Washington Post Staff Writer

This is a bad time for Jeffrey Lena to have quit caffeine.

In Kentucky, the 51-year-old attorney is defending Pope Benedict XVI from a deposition motion in a case involving child abuse by clergy. In a suit pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Lena argues that the court has no jurisdiction to try the Vatican for transferring a predatory priest from Ireland to Oregon. In Mississippi, he is defending the Vatican against accusations that it participated in a money laundering scheme. In New York, Lena is defending the Holy See in a commercial licensing dispute about the use of images belonging to the Vatican Museums.

Church Secrets: Memphis court documents unsealed in Catholic sex-abuse lawsuit

Wednesday, April 07 2010 @ 05:19 AM EST

Tag: usa

Offending priests were moved to avoid scandal; diocese admits mistakes, says it's responding

The Catholic Diocese of Memphis settled a priest sexual-abuse lawsuit for $2 million, but now, a year later, the case is revealing a much broader and more detailed picture of abuse and secrecy in the diocese.

Records unsealed by court order Tuesday after 12 months of legal action by The Commercial Appeal show that at least 15 priests have been accused of sexual misconduct over some four decades in the Memphis diocese.

Catholic Sex-Abuse Scandal Poised to Return

Monday, April 05 2010 @ 08:57 PM EST

By RANDY DOTINGA

As a new worldwide outcry over molestation by priests engulfs the Roman Catholic Church, a pair of lawsuits is poised to reignite the sex-abuse scandal that battered the reputation of the San Diego diocese and spurred its bid for bankruptcy.

A Marine and ex-Navy sailor are making a unique argument in court, saying their military service allows them to bypass legal hurdles and sue the diocese over the sexual abuse they say they experienced at the hands of priests in the 1970s. A judge accepted the men's argument and is allowing the two cases to move toward trial, perhaps as early as this year.

Lawsuits Against Vatican for Child Abuse Cover-Up

Monday, April 05 2010 @ 05:59 AM EST

On Sunday Bob Schieffer of CBS News commented on the child abuse scandal which is again rocking the Roman Catholic Church. Here are links to information explaining why this matter is back in the news.

Schieffer said:

The church's problem is not public relations as some of its leaders want to believe, but the cover-up of vile criminal acts.

Catholic Church shows contempt for the law

Monday, March 29 2010 @ 06:04 AM EST

Tag: new_zealand
flag_usa

Tag: usa

Tag: canada

By Gwynne Dyer, Opinion

The biblical formula "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" is generally taken to mean that people should recognise the authority of the State in secular matters, but that is not necessarily what Jesus meant by it.

It is certainly not the current practice of the Roman Catholic Church, although the rule in modern democracies is very clear: the law applies equally to everyone, even priests.

U.S. courts allow sex abuse cases against Vatican to proceed in rare legal move

Saturday, March 27 2010 @ 05:46 AM EST

By Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post Staff Writer

Since the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal exploded in the United States almost a decade ago, advocates have been trying to find a way to learn the role the Vatican played. Now they have gotten further than ever in their efforts to holding the Holy See accountable in a U.S. courtroom.

Child abuse trial set for ex-priest in September

Saturday, March 27 2010 @ 05:19 AM EST

FREDERICK, MD. � The trial for a retired Catholic priest facing child abuse charges has been set for this fall.

Seventy-three-year-old Monsignor Thomas Bevan of Cascade waived his right to a trial within 180 days of being charged, during a pretrial conference Friday in Frederick County Circuit Court. His trial is scheduled for Sept. 28.

St Stanislaus College seeks removal from civil lawsuit

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 10:17 PM EST

BAY ST. LOUIS � At least five more former students allege in affidavits filed in a civil lawsuit that they were sexually abused at St. Stanislaus College.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court by Michael D. Stevenson, who now lives in Wyoming, in 2007. It was transferred to Han*censored* County Circuit Court in 2008.

Defendants are St. Stanislaus College, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and Brother William Leimbach.

Circuit Judge Roger Clark gave the parties until Dec. 15 to settle or the case would be set for trial sometime in January.

St. Stanislaus is a day and residential school for boys in grades seven to 12 in Bay St. Louis.

Redress should be for all victims

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 07:16 AM EST

Redress should be for all victims

I endorse Professor James Smith's call for redress for the women incarcerated in Ireland's Magdalene laundries (Irish Independent, March 25).

As a survivor of the Bethany Home, Rathgar, Dublin, I am aware from continuing research that it is in the same category. Bethany is known as a Protestant evangelical maternity home associated with the Church of Ireland, though the church, of which I am member, denies any responsibility for the home itself or what went on there.

Brady seeks 'just resolution' of case

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 07:06 AM EST

CHARLIE TAYLOR

Catholic Primate of All Ireland Cardinal S�an Brady has today said he wants a "just resolution" to a legal case involving an alleged victim of the paedophile priest Father Brendan Smyth.

The cardinal said in a statement this afternoon that he had asked his legal representatives to engage with the solicitor of the complainant �with a view to progressing the case.�

The man is suing Dr Brady in his capacity as Archbishop of Armagh and as the Catholic representative in Ireland in a case that is due before the High Court. The legal action began in 1997.

Delaware diocese seeks talks in abuse cases

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 06:54 AM EST

(Reuters) - A bankrupt U.S. Roman Catholic diocese could begin mediated out-of-court settlement talks as soon as next week with alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests, according to a court hearing on Friday.

Abuse victims call for universal norms to deal with clergy sex abuse

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 06:53 AM EST

By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

ROME � Four victims of clergy sex abuse came from the United States to Rome to call on the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI to �break down the walls of secrecy� and to seek harsher, universal measures in dealing with clergy accused of the sexual abuse of minors.

Included in those rules, they said, should be that any priest or religious who has been found guilty of rape, molestation or abuse of children be removed immediately from the priesthood and that bishops in every country should cooperate with civil authorities and turn over all information they have concerning crimes by priests to police.

Judge Gives Pedophile Priest Maximum Sentence

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 06:23 AM EST

By Tom Murray

WAUKESHA - Victims and their families cried tears of relief as a Waukesha County judge handed down the maximum penalty to a member of clergy accused of habitual child abuse.

64-year-old James Blume, a former member of the Christian Brothers religious order, faced sentencing on Friday, 30 years after he took advantage of at least five young boys. "Somebody that, in their minds, could do no wrong," the prosecutor said.

Jeff Anderson, crusading lawyer on clergy sex abuse, finding new ways to get around legal roadblocks

Friday, March 26 2010 @ 06:14 AM EST

By Beth Hawkins

In many of the thousands of lawsuits he has filed over the years against the Roman Catholic Church and its clergy, St. Paul's Jeff Anderson ran up against the same seemingly impenetrable legal wall.

Because sex-abuse victims frequently endure years of misery before coming forward, by the time Anderson's clients were ready to go public with their stories, statutes of limitation � legal deadlines for filing suit � had elapsed.

But now, after 27 years of looking for alternative legal avenues, it seems Anderson has found a couple of chinks in the wall.

State bill ignores sex abuse in public-run settings

Thursday, March 25 2010 @ 07:34 AM EST

Written by Jack Sheedy

HARTFORD � Is it fair to pass a law eliminating the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse if the only institutions affected by that law are nonpublic ones, such as Catholic parishes, schools, dioceses and hospitals?

No, said many opponents of H.B.5473 at a public hearing of the state Judiciary Committee in the Legislative Office Building on March 17.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Beth Bye (D-19), would override an existing statute enacted in 2002, which affords victims of sexual abuse 30 years after reaching adulthood (age 18) to report the abuse. The new bill would make it possible to attempt to recover damages "at any time after the date of the act complained of," in the wording of the bill.

Sexual abuse lawsuit against diocese continues

Thursday, March 25 2010 @ 12:53 AM EST

Valley Morning Star

BROWNSVILLE � A judge on Wednesday denied a motion by plaintiffs seeking summary judgment in a long-running lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville over allegations of sexual abuse of parochial school students.

Manuel Ortiz Mu�oz has been accused of molesting three boys from one family and one boy from another family in 2004 at St. Anthony School, where Ortiz was a janitor.

Children's charity co-founder charged with child sex abuse

Tuesday, March 23 2010 @ 08:43 PM EST

By Christopher Smart The Salt Lake Tribune

A Wasatch County man known for co-founding the Village of Hope to aid Ethiopian orphans and adopting Ethiopian children has been charged with multiple counts of child sex abuse and child pornography.

Charges filed in Heber City's 4th District Court allege Lon Harvey Kennard Sr., 68, sexually abused two of his adoptive daughters who are now adults.

Kennard faces 24 first-degree felony counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child, 21 second-degree felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of witness tampering, said Wasatch County Attorney Scott Sweat.

Sex abuse suit names former Waterville priest

Tuesday, March 23 2010 @ 08:41 PM EST

WATERVILLE � A former Waterville priest who died nearly 20 years ago has been accused of child sexual abuse in the early 1970s.

A lawsuit filed Thursday in Yakima County Superior Court accused the Rev. Joseph Graaff of abusing a child several times in the rectory of St. Joseph�s Catholic Church of Waterville.

Brother remanded for child abuse

Monday, March 22 2010 @ 03:30 AM EST

JABALPUR, India (UCAN) � A court in Madhya Pradesh state yesterday remanded a Catholic Religious brother to 10-day judicial custody.

Malabar Missionary Brother John Kuttikatil, who was accused of child sexual abuse, had surrendered to police a day earlier.

The law of the land should always supersede the laws of the Catholic Church

Monday, March 22 2010 @ 03:12 AM EST

By Mark O'Regan

Among the myriad of words -- spoken and written -- regarding child sex abuse and the Catholic Church in recent days, one central reality should not be forgotten.

The law of the land should always supersede the laws of the Catholic Church -- or indeed any other religious denomination.

However, Monsignor Maurice Dooley, a former professor of canon law, gave vent to a still-strongly held belief among many conservative Catholics a few days ago.

"There was a principle set down by the very first pope that we must obey God, rather than men,'' he said bluntly.

In the meantime, he has been reportedly "silenced'' by his superiors and told to keep his privately held opinions to himself.

Clergy sex abuse: How involved should the State be?

Monday, March 22 2010 @ 02:27 AM EST

By Michelle Boorstein

How involved will civil authorities get in the clergy sex abuse scandals unfolding in Europe?

Many people argue that the church there, like the church in the United States, has no credibility in being able to thoroughly investigate itself and punish those involved when it comes to sexual abuse by clergy.

Swiss priest arraigned on suspected child abuse: police

Monday, March 22 2010 @ 02:25 AM EST

A Swiss Catholic priest has been held on suspicion of sexual abuse against children, police and media said Monday, amid child sex abuse scandals at churches in several European countries.

Regional police in canton Thurgau said in a statement that a Catholic priest in the village of Aadorf had appeared before a local court last Friday on suspicion of sexual offences.

Priest's abuse victims didn't want to be ID'd

Monday, March 22 2010 @ 02:24 AM EST

By Jim Warren - jwarren@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT � Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Larry Cleveland said Monday that he elected to accept a former Lexington pastor's plea on reduced charges in a sex-abuse case mainly because of the trauma for the victims if they had been required to testify at a trial.

The Rev. Joseph Muench, 59, once pastor at Lexington's Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary parish, could spend as little as a year in prison under a plea agreement reached last week.

Muench was accused of "subjecting another person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion," according to an indictment returned in October. One victim in the case was older than 18 and another was 16 when the incidents occurred, according to court filings.

Devolution 'may help abuse probe'

Monday, March 22 2010 @ 01:28 AM EST

The devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly could help deliver a cross-border inquiry into child sex abuse in Ireland, it is claimed.

As MLAs debated the political structures, and budget of more than �1 billion, to be established as part of the shake-up, the SDLP's Conall McDevitt said the transfer of law and order powers could be used to tackle child abuse.

Abuse victim's legal case dragging on for 13 years

Sunday, March 21 2010 @ 03:37 AM EST

By Jim Cusack

CARDINAL Brady has been fighting a compensation case brought by one of Brendan Smyth's victims since 1997, the year after he became Catholic Primate of All Ireland.

The victim was raped and brutalised by Smyth for five years between 1970 and 1975 when she was a girl, court documents state. She never made any complaint at the time, out of fear. She subsequently emigrated but continued to suffer severe mental distress and physical disorders throughout her life, including the 13 years that her case has been stalled in the High Court.

Swiss Catholic Church investigating 10 abuse cases

Sunday, March 21 2010 @ 03:28 AM EST

(Reuters) � The Swiss Catholic Church is investigating around 10 allegations of abuse by clergy, including some acts committed since 2001, making Switzerland the latest country to be hit by a wave of scandal sweeping Europe.

In a pastoral letter on Saturday, Pope Benedict apologized to victims of child sex abuse by clergy in Ireland and ordered an official inquiry there.

Austrian victims of child abuse plan class action against Church

Sunday, March 21 2010 @ 03:14 AM EST

AUSTRIAN victims of maltreatment or sexual abuse by Catholic clergy are considering a class action against the Church, the daily Der Standard reported.

Viennese lawyer Werner Schostal told the paper the victims had created an association "Victims against Church violence" to enable them to take legal action and demand up to 80,000 euros ($118,000) in damages per victim.

Former Good Shepherd priest pleads guilty in sex abuse case

Friday, March 19 2010 @ 04:33 PM EST

By Kevin Wheatley

Rev. Joseph Muench, the former associate priest at Good Shepherd Church who was indicted on sexual abuse charges Oct. 21, has pleaded guilty to amended charges in his sexual abuse case.

Muench, 54, of Lexington, pleaded guilty Thursday to amended charges of first-degree unlawful imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit sexual abuse in the first degree, his plea agreement says.

Irish priest defends sex abuse cover up

Friday, March 19 2010 @ 06:21 AM EST

SHAWN POGATCHNIK

A Catholic bishop in Ireland has ordered a priest to remain silent over his views that church officials should not tell police about child abusers within the priesthood.

Bishop Dermot Clifford says Monsignor Maurice Dooley, an expert in Catholic canon law, must not speak publicly again about his understanding of the church's rules on confidentiality.

Another local priest accused of sex abuse

Friday, March 19 2010 @ 06:07 AM EST

By JEFF TUCKER THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

A new lawsuit filed Wednesday against the Catholic Diocese of Pueblo alleges the former director of youth services for the diocese was a sexual predator.

The suit, filed by former Puebloan John Yengich, claims that Rev. Daniel Maio sexually abused him dozens of times from 1968 to 1969.

When Child Sexual Abuse Calls Out for Civil Justice

Friday, March 19 2010 @ 05:57 AM EST

Today we focus on an issue that is extremely disturbing and sad � the sexual abuse of children. The civil justice system has become an extremely important vehicle for abuse victims to obtain justice.

It�s something to remember when politicians start talking about enacting legal obstacles that would prevent injured people from getting into court, or limit their compensation - i.e., �tort reform.�

Clifton Ingram help win landmark child abuse ruling

Friday, March 19 2010 @ 05:28 AM EST

A Wokingham solicitors firm representing a man abused by a Catholic priest as a boy has helped to secure a �milestone� ruling overturning a decision that the church is not liable for the child abuse.

Clifton Ingram LLP has been acting as solicitors for the client, who was a young boy when he was abused by a Roman Catholic priest in the late 1970s.

On Tuesday a decision was made at the Court of Appeal that overturned a High Court decision made in 2009.

Civil settlement on abuse claims raises questions

Friday, March 19 2010 @ 05:26 AM EST

Another Irish Catholic bishop is under pressure in relation to the handling of child abuse allegations.

Seamus Hegarty, the Bishop of Derry, was one of three clerics named in a confidential civil settlement after an eight-year-old girl said she was abused over a 10-year period from 1979.

The alleged victim's father has told the Belfast Telegraph newspaper that her family had not gone to the police at the time because "it was not the culture" in Derry to do so.

Sex Abuse Victim Wants More Time

Thursday, March 18 2010 @ 07:25 AM EST

By DOUG GREENE

He's told his wife about it but his neighbors don't know, He still doesn't want his identity known and he's never spoken publicly about being a victim of child molestation, until now.

"The Statute of Limitations serves to victimize me again," he said. "Not allowing someone who is 48 and 3 months to seek justice? I'm not too sure what the difference is between someone being 47 and 48 If you're abused you've been abused."

Bill: No Statute Of Limitations In Child Sex Abuse Cases

Thursday, March 18 2010 @ 07:12 AM EST

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING The Hartford Courant

HARTFORD �
Attorneys and advocates on Wednesday called for lawmakers to make Connecticut the fourth state in the nation to eliminate the civil statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases.

The current cutoff age in Connecticut is 48, set by the legislature in 2002. Lawmakers at the time said that a victim should have 30 years to file a claim after reaching the age of 18.

Danish rights group urges Catholic secrecy review

Thursday, March 18 2010 @ 05:45 AM EST

In Denmark, the latest country mired in the sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests, a children's rights group has called for a review of the controversial church secrecy rules.

The government-funded National Council for Children has reportedly urged the reappraisal of secrecy clauses to ensure that alleged cases of child abuse are investigated.

Bond request denied in priest abuse case

Thursday, March 18 2010 @ 05:31 AM EST

(CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A judge refuses to lower a $1 million bond for a Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a Saint Charles boy.

Alejandro Flores is charged with assaulting the boy over a 5-year period that started when the child was 8.

�35,500 compensation for Father Clonan abuse victim

Thursday, March 18 2010 @ 12:30 AM EST

A CHILD abuse victim of a Coventry priest has been awarded �35,500 compensation after a court ruled the Catholic Church is liable for what happened to him.

The victim, who has learning difficulties and is in his 40s, was abused by Father Christopher Clonan as a young teenager when he was a member of a youth club run by the priest at Christ the King Church, in Westhill Road, Coundon.

Former Fairbanks pastor charged with sex abuse of minor

Wednesday, March 17 2010 @ 02:38 PM EST

FAIRBANKS�The former pastor of a Fairbanks church has been accused of carrying on a months-long sexual relationship with a teenage girl.

A grand jury last week indicted S. Anthony Justice, 31, on 12 counts of sexual abuse of a minor, a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Man wins compensation for sex abuse �not connected to Church�

Wednesday, March 17 2010 @ 02:32 PM EST

A man who was abused by a Roman Catholic priest more than 30 years ago won �32,500 damages yesterday even though he was not a member of the church congregation.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the Church could not escape liability on the grounds that the man was not Roman Catholic and the abuse occured outside church duties.

Priest accused of sex abuse collapses in court

Wednesday, March 17 2010 @ 06:42 AM EST

A Catholic priest charged with molesting a St. Charles boy collapsed Wednesday during a court hearing in which prosecutors disclosed new details about his sex life.

Alejandro Flores, 37, of Shorewood, was in front of Kane County Judge T. Jordan Gallagher for a bond reduction hearing when he began swaying and told the court he was not feeling well.

Seconds later, Flores' legs buckled, and he slowly collapsed to the floor as courtroom security and attorneys rushed to his side. Gallagher emptied the room and postponed the hearing for a day.

German Law Likely to Cap Damages in Priest Scandal

Tuesday, March 16 2010 @ 02:27 PM EST

BY VANESSA FUHRMANS AND DIONNE SEARCEY

Germany's expanding church sexual-abuse scandal could lead to criminal prosecutions, but it is unlikely to trigger damages of the magnitude that left parts of the U.S. Catholic Church financially crippled.

Albany: Pass The Child Victims Act (A.2596)

Tuesday, March 16 2010 @ 01:05 AM EST

The Child Victims Act (A.2596) was pulled from the legislative calendar on June 23, 2009 as Assembly leaders found they did not have enough votes to pass it. This bill would have extended the statute of limitations from 5 to 10 years for childhood sexual-abuse victims to bring cases against their abusers.

A.2596 would have also created a one year window from the time the bill was enacted that would have allowed anyone to file a claim alleging sex abuse, no matter how old the victim now was or how long ago the alleged act occurred. After the one year period ended, the statute of limitations period would have reverted to the expanded 10 year period.

International Probe Targets Secretive Catholic Group

Sunday, March 14 2010 @ 03:54 AM EST

As sex abuse scandals rock the Vatican, the results of an investigation into a rich, ultra-conservative and secretive Roman Catholic order founded by a priest accused of pedophilia and incest are due to be filed in Rome on Monday.

The sordid story of the Legion of Christ, whose late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, was a close ally of Pope John Paul II before being forcibly retired by the Vatican in 2006, is a microcosm of the crisis currently enveloping the church.

Cardinal Brady is sued by victim of serial abuse priest

Sunday, March 14 2010 @ 03:47 AM EST

By JIM CUSACK

Cardinal Sean Brady is being sued in his personal capacity by a victim of serial paedophile rapist, Fr Brendan Smyth, who is claiming the primate was one of three priests who interviewed her in 1975 about her five-year long ordeal and then failed to ensure it was reported to the civil authorities, including the gardai.

The cardinal was present at two meetings at which clergy interviewed victims of Fr Brendan Smyth in 1975. At both meetings the victims, a young woman who Smyth had abused for five years and a boy who was also abused, were made to sign oaths saying they would not discuss their meetings with anyone other than authorised clergy.

Vatican to Drop Statute of Limitations for Pedophile Priests

Saturday, March 13 2010 @ 03:04 AM EST

By Flavia Krause-Jackson

March 13 (Bloomberg) -- The Vatican�s chief prosecutor will remove the statute of limitations for priests accused of child molestation and said today it was �false and calumnious� to accuse Pope Benedict XVI of a cover-up.

�Practice has shown that the limit of ten years is not enough in this kind of case,� Monsignor Charles Scicluna, promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, said in a Vatican-approved interview with Avvenire.

Wyoming law toughens penalties for child sex abuse

Friday, March 12 2010 @ 08:04 PM EST

CHEYENNE, WYOMING - A new state law creates a mandatory sentence of at least 25 years in prison for perpetrators age 21 or older who sexually assault a victim under the age of 13.

Dutch report on clergy abuse expected in April

Thursday, March 11 2010 @ 08:48 PM EST

By Jonathan Luxmoore Catholic News Service

WARSAW, Poland -- An independent church inquiry into alleged sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in the Netherlands will submit its report by late April, according to a spokesman for the Dutch bishops.

"Although we don't yet know how the investigations will be carried out, and which organizations will be asked to help, we know the inquiry will be independent and vigorous," said Bert Elbertse, communications director for the Dutch bishops' conference.

Former New Orleans cleric indicted on sex abuse

Thursday, March 11 2010 @ 03:47 AM EST

New Orleans - The New Orleans Archdiocese is preparing to alert parishioners about a cleric indicted on charges of sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy.

The priest hasn't worked in New Orleans for decades but some say he could still have victims here.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests held a press conference about the case Wednesday morning.

Germany to toughen law to prevent child abuse

Thursday, March 11 2010 @ 03:35 AM EST

Germany says it will impose stricter rules on educators in reaction to the country's spiraling child abuse scandal in schools, including many linked to the Roman Catholic Church.

Families Minister Kristina Schroeder told the Wiesbadener Kurier daily Wednesday that local authorities will be allowed to ask for a thorough police check on all applicants who are going to work with kids.

Corpus Christi Diocese Hit With Priest-Abuse Suit

Thursday, March 11 2010 @ 03:23 AM EST

By Craig Malisow,

A Corpus Christi man is suing the Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi for sexual abuse he says he suffered at the hands of a priest who died in 2008.

Identified only as "John Doe," the plaintiff says Thomas Meaney began abusing him in 1971, when he was 17. Per the lawsuit, filed last week, the plaintiff has a history of mental illness and was released from Austin State Hospital shortly before the abuse started.

Kansas Bill Mandates Hefty Damages to Crush Child Porn

Thursday, March 11 2010 @ 12:44 AM EST

Kansas lawmakers are considering an innovative way to fight child pornography that has begun catching on in several state legislatures.

A new bill introduced in the state Senate Judiciary Committee last month would unleash lawyers on the producers, promoters, and consumers of child pornography and empower them to collect hefty damages on behalf of victims.

Kansas� Senate Bill 549 would allow victims to sue each of their offenders for at least $150,000 in damages until they turn 21, or within three years after the completion of a criminal case.

CDA stalwart to lead Catholic abuse research

Wednesday, March 10 2010 @ 02:33 PM EST

Former parliamentary chairman and CDA member Wim Deetman is to chair an independent investigation into reports of sexual abuse at a number of Catholic boarding schools.

The far-ranging investigation was ordered by Catholic bishops on Tuesday following mounting reports of abuse by priests at schools and seminaries in the 1960s and 1970s.

Authorities ask more victims to come forward in sex abuse case

Wednesday, March 10 2010 @ 02:27 PM EST

by Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. � Hennepin County authorities are asking the public to help them identify any additional people who might have been sexually abused by a former police captain.

William Allan Jacobs, 66, of Deephaven, is charged with criminal sexual conduct for a series of alleged incidents with only one person -- a teenage boy. But on Wednesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said authorities think there are more victims.

Teacher sex-abuse case to continue after ruling

Wednesday, March 10 2010 @ 01:10 AM EST

A Cass County judge has denied the initial attempts to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that a former Shanley High School teacher sexually abused a 14-year-old student there in the 1970s.

The lawsuit filed last fall by David Gaffaney accuses Brother Raimond Rose, a member of a Chicago order called Christian Brothers of the Midwest, of abusing him while he was sleeping on a school-sponsored trip to Orlando, Fla., in 1977.

Audit of child sex abuse allegations to start within weeks

Wednesday, March 10 2010 @ 01:07 AM EST

An audit of child sex abuse allegations in every Catholic diocese in the country will begin within weeks and is expected to take around two years to complete.

Bishops agree to independent abuse inquiry

Wednesday, March 10 2010 @ 12:30 AM EST

Catholic bishops have agreed to an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse at boarding schools across the country.

Father Murray Moffat to face trial on child-sex charges

Monday, March 08 2010 @ 02:16 AM EST

By a Broken Rites researcher

An Australian court has ordered a Catholic priest, Father Murray Alexander Moffat, to face trial over allegedly sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.

Father Murray Moffat belongs to the Archdiocese of Brisbane, which includes the Brisbane metropolitan area, plus some surrounding regions. He has served in Brisbane parishes for 37 years. Before appearing in court, he was in charge of Mary Mackillop Parish in Birkdale, Brisbane. The archdiocese has said that Moffat is still a priest of the archdiocese and is merely on leave pending the outcome of the court proceedings.

Pope's brother oblivious to choir sexual abuse

Monday, March 08 2010 @ 02:15 AM EST

Pope Benedict XVI's brother told an Italian newspaper over the weekend he was never aware of sexual abuse in the famous boys choir in Regensburg that he headed for nearly three decades.

"I never knew anything," Georg Ratzinger told Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "The incidents that are being talked about go back 50 or 60 years to the 1950s. It was another generation than when I was there."

Father Robert Fuller is jailed for internet child-sex offences

Monday, March 08 2010 @ 02:13 AM EST

By a Broken Rites researcher

A 54-year-old Australian Catholic priest, Father Robert Fuller, was jailed in Sydney on 24 February 2010 after he admitted seeking a 13-year-old girl, via the internet, for sexual purposes. The incidents occurred recently � in July and August 2009.

Father Fuller used a webcam to show himself masturbating during online chat sessions with somebody who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, a court was told.

Lawmakers want to limit sex abuse lawsuits

Monday, March 08 2010 @ 02:12 AM EST

Peter Harriman � pharrima@argusleader.com

In an effort to close the door on what he sees as frivolous class-action lawsuits, Chamberlain lawyer Steve Smith crafted a piece of legislation passed by the South Dakota Legislature that opponents say unfairly limits the ability of child sexual abuse victims to recover damages from the institutions that employed their abusers.

Lawyers for Mexican family alleging priest sex abuse resign case, citing demand for money

Monday, March 08 2010 @ 01:28 AM EST

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO , Associated Press

MEXICO CITY - A Mexican lawyer said Monday he has resigned from handling the case of a woman and her sons who claim the males were sexually abused as boys by the founder of a conservative Roman Catholic religious order.

Lawyer Jose Bonilla said he and a team of other lawyers who had represented the family would no longer do so, after one of the sons acknowledged he had asked the order for $26 million to keep quiet about the case.

Sex scandals come home for the Vatican

Sunday, March 07 2010 @ 04:15 AM EST

by John L Allen Jr on Mar. 05, 2010

As sexual scandals of various sorts have washed through the Catholic church around the world, the Vatican has typically tried to play a subordinate role � treating them as matters of grave concern, to be sure, but ultimately something for which local bishops must take the primary responsibility.

Two developments this week, however, bring those scandals home for the Holy See. One involves two lay Vatican employees fired after reportedly being caught up in a gay prostitution ring, the other turns on reports of abuse by priests connected to a German choir once directed by the pope�s brother.

N.Y. governor approves funding to fight Orthodox sex abuse

Sunday, March 07 2010 @ 03:06 AM EST

NEW YORK (JTA) -- New York Gov. David Paterson approved a plan to give $500,000 in state money to help identify and treat sex abuse victims in New York�s Orthodox Jewish community.

Paterson backed the expenditure from the state's Department of Children and Family Services to set up an organization called Shomrei Yeladim, Hebrew for �guards of the children,� The New York Jewish Week reported last Friday.

Bavarian justice minister calls for longer statue of limitations in sex abuse

Saturday, March 06 2010 @ 03:17 AM EST

The Bavarian justice minister's call to lengthen the statute of limitations for sex abuse cases came alongside new revelations that a private school in Hessen had ignored students' reports of abuse.

The ongoing and ever-deepening scandal over physical and sexual abuse in German Catholic institutions has led Bavarian Justice Minister Beate Merk to call for a lengthened statute of limitations for sex abuse cases.

Placing a Statute of Limitation Revictimizes the Offended

Saturday, March 06 2010 @ 03:12 AM EST

Child sexual abuse is a crime. Unfortunately the law has placed a statue of limitations for victims to report it, but there is a way the community can make a difference.

Labor and Liberals: Investigate Sex Abuse in Catholic Church

Thursday, March 04 2010 @ 02:49 PM EST

Both the Labor and the Liberal Parties have requested an independent investigation of the many alleged cases of sexual abuse in Roman Catholic institutions over the last decades.

SNAP blasts proposed South Dakota law to limit legal responsibility of institutions that hire/hide child sex crimes

Thursday, March 04 2010 @ 04:45 AM EST

Support group slams �pro-pedophile� measure those who hire and shield molesters would escape justice

Victims maintain proposal would make SD �most predator-friendly� state

Bill gives institutions �an incentive to be risky, deceitful, callous,� SNAP says

A national support group for abuse victims is blasting a proposed South Dakota measure that limits the legal responsibility of institutions that hire or hide child sex crimes.

Utah Law Would Shield Pedophiles

Thursday, March 04 2010 @ 03:00 AM EST

Paul A. Drockton �

In a classic "misdirect" that claims to benefit victims, the State of Utah is considering a law that would make interviews with victims of abuse off limits to the media, including this site. With a legal system that continues to protect the perpetrators at the expense of the victims, Utah is seeking to take away the only tool left for dealing with these Satanic and Psychopathic Deviants, public exposure and humiliation of the perpetrators.

Sexual Abuse Suit Names Priest, Archdiocese

Wednesday, March 03 2010 @ 03:06 PM EST

by Allan Appel

Sitting before the news cameras in his lawyer�s downtown New Haven office, Brooks Thopsey relived a painful moment 20 years earlier, inside a church. He was lifting his arms, changing into his altar boy�s robe, when a priest he and his family had trusted made a direct frontal sexual attack on him, he said.

Thopsey (pictured) recalled the tale Wednesday morning during a press conference to announce that he has filed a a civil suit against the former pastor of St. Theresa�s Church in Trumbull, John Castaldo. Also named as defendants are the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport and its former bishops, including Edward Egan, since promoted to Archbishop of New York.

Sexual Abuse Suit Names Priest, Archdiocese

Wednesday, March 03 2010 @ 04:26 AM EST

WI police chiefs weigh in on clergy sex abuse complaints

Wednesday, March 03 2010 @ 03:01 AM EST

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: March 3, 2010 |(14) Comments

The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association has weighed in on the public debate between Milwaukee�s Catholic archbishop and the Eau Claire police chief over the proper handing of clergy sex abuse complaints involving child victims.

Retired priest faces sex assault charges

Tuesday, March 02 2010 @ 04:49 AM EST

CHATHAM -- A retired priest is charged after complaints of sexual assaults that took place about 40 years ago.

An investigation was launched in November after a man came forward with allegations of molestation against retired priest Piotr Sanczenko, said Insp. George Flikweert, head of the Chatham-Kent police major crime unit.

"During the course of our investigation, we learned of a second (alleged) victim," he said.

Staton hails proposed child sex abuse bill

Monday, March 01 2010 @ 05:18 AM EST

By Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON � Former House Majority Leader Rick Staton returned Monday to the Capitol with words of praise for a new child abuse proposal in the Senate.

Staton was part of a contingent honoring �Wyoming County Day� but sat in on a Senate Judiciary Committee session to hear work on an amended child sex abuse bill.

Under the legislation, sponsored solely by Judiciary Chairman Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, anyone who allows sexual abuse of a child can be held criminally responsible.

http://www.register-herald.com/local/...abuse-bill

Retired Ont. priest arrested on 40-year-old sex assault charges

Monday, March 01 2010 @ 05:16 AM EST

Windsor Star

WINDSOR, Ont. -- Police in Southern Ontario have arrested an 83-year-old retired Windsor, Ont., priest for the alleged repeated sexual assault of two young boys about 40 years ago.

Police in Chatham-Kent said the victims recently told police about "various incidents" that occurred when they were under 12-years-old. The sexual abuse allegedly occurred when the priest served at Our Lady Victory Church in Chatham, Ont., from 1963 to 1973.

Convicted priest (75) pleads guilty to further sex assaults

Saturday, February 27 2010 @ 08:24 AM EST

A JUDGE said yesterday he wanted to hear from a more senior member of the Franciscan order before passing sentence in relation to sex abuse at Gormanston College in the 1970s.

Convicted sex offender Fr Ronald Bennett (75) gave a schoolboy �sex education lessons� during which he told him how to seduce girls before removing his trousers and underwear, a circuit court judge was told yesterday.

Sexual abuse in the church � why victims oppose a statute of limitations

Saturday, February 27 2010 @ 07:59 AM EST

Norbert Denef was sexually abused by a Catholic clergyman while an altar boy. The abuse happened during the 1960s, but criminal charges could no longer be brought after a time period of 10 years had elapsed.

Norbert Denef has been fighting for years for an extension to the statute of limitations on child molestation. He has now taken the case to the European Court of Human Rights�.

]

Bill to end sex abuse statute of limitations

Friday, February 26 2010 @ 08:26 AM EST

HARTFORD

SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press

Connecticut lawmakers are considering whether to eliminate the 30-year statute of limitations on civil lawsuits filed in child sexual abuse cases.

Proponents of the idea said Friday they've been motivated by stories from constituents who were abused as children decades ago, including patients of Dr. George Reardon, a Hartford doctor who is believed to have victimized hundreds of children beginning in the 1950s.

Former Priest Extradited To Face Child Abuse Charges

Friday, February 26 2010 @ 04:58 AM EST

By Shawn J. Soper, News Editor

OCEAN CITY � A former Catholic priest charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse and assault on a minor in Ocean City is behind bars in Snow Hill this week after finally being extradited to Worcester County from North Carolina.

The Ocean City Police Department last year received a complaint about the sexual abuse of a minor. The alleged incidents were to have taken place in Ocean City between 1977 and 1983 and involved a former priest, later identified as Michael Lowell Barnes, 64, of Haywood County, N.C. At the time of the alleged abuse, the victim was a minor child.

Judge denounces `cruel' celibacy of Catholic priests

Thursday, February 25 2010 @ 08:58 PM EST

A JUDGE has implored the Catholic church to end the "cruel" practice of celibacy for priests, implying it may encourage some priests to commit lewd acts against children.

The suggestion received a sharp rebuke from Catholics, including those breakaway groups that oppose celibacy for Catholic priests, who said there was no evidence that celibacy encouraged criminal behaviour.

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