News Story of the Day
Father Laurence Soper of Ealing wanted over sex abuse
Police are hunting a former abbot from London over a string of sex offences dating back 20 years.
Father Laurence Soper, 80, abbot of the Catholic Ealing Abbey from 1991 to 2000, is wanted over child abuse. The crimes date back to when he taught at St Benedict's School, a private Catholic school at the west London institution.
Group to help victims of sexual abuse
SAINT JOHN - A man who says he was sexually abused as a child is setting up a support group to help abuse survivors.
Dave Mantin is working to set up a local chapter of SNAP, which stands for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. It would be the first SNAP group in the Maritimes.
Advocacy for alleged abuse victims brought retaliation from diocese, lawsuit claims
After a worker raised questions about a priest sexual abuse case, the Kansas City diocese disabled her email, took away her laptop and confiscated her business cards, a lawsuit claims.
That eventually made it impossible for her to do her job, forcing her to resign, the former worker claims in the lawsuit filed Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court.
Msgr. Lynn got standing ovation at Chaput dinner, say those at event
Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former church official awaiting trial for allegedly protecting sexually abusive priests, drew words of encouragement from Philadelphia's new archbishop and a standing ovation from scores of priests at a private gathering last month, according to people familiar with the event.
During the invitation-only dinner for Archbishop Charles J. Chaput at a parish hall in Montgomery County, Chaput singled out Lynn in the crowd and noted how difficult the ordeal has been for him, according to one priest who attended and two people briefed by others at the gala.
Series of failures delayed sex abuse case at kids' shelter
The two-story, beige-brick shelter in north Houston was supposed to be a haven for immigrant children and teenagers, a place with teddy bears and bins of toys that they could temporarily call home while they were stranded in a foreign country, separated from their families.
Still Going On: Catholic Charities in Houston under Federal Investigation for Failure to Report Sexual Abuse of Minor
And just when I think I can't read anything more stomach-churning about the cover-up of sexual abuse of minors in Catholic institutions, this story comes along: the Houston Chronicle reported this past week that Catholic Charities of Houston-Galveston is under investigation by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) for filing false reports about a case in which a boy at St. Michael's Home for Children was allegedly sexually assaulted repeatedly while under the home's care. The assaults are said to have involved the sexual abuse of this resident by other minors in the home's care.
Church abuse inquiry to be launched
A major inquiry into the abuse of children in institutions run by the Catholic Church and the state is to be launched in Northern Ireland, it has been announced.
The Stormont Executive confirmed the probe will be phased-in over the next two years and will be armed with the power to compel the release of records plus the co-operation of witnesses.
Children's shelter tried to cover up assault, feds claim
Senior management with Catholic Charities attempted to mislead federal officials about a sexual assault at St. Michael's Home for Children, doctoring incident reports and failing to seek medical treatment for the child victim for days, according to a federal report.
Minister stands firm on abuse plans
MINISTER FOR Children Frances Fitzgerald is “not for turning” when it comes to putting the State’s Children First child protection guidelines on a statutory footing, she said yesterday.
Abuse scandal, rows blight pope’s image
Pope Benedict XVI's election sparked joy in Germany, but the Church's reaction to a sex abuse scandal and a series of controversies have dented his image ahead of his first state trip home.