News Story of the Day

Kelly argues against time limits on sex cases involving children

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly went before a Senate Committee on Tuesday to urge senators to pass legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations for felony sex crimes against children.

The bill, Senate Bill 189, passed unanimously and heads to the full Senate for consideration.

“There is no time limit for the pain and trauma endured by child victims of sex assault and there should be no time limit for our ability to reach justice for them,” Kelly told the committee, according to a press release.


LISTEN: Taoiseach says men are not blameless in Taum babies scandal

By GBFM News, March 7, 2017

Galway Bay fm newsroom – An Taoiseach has described the mass grave at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam as a ‘chamber of horrors.’

In a powerful Dail speech this afternoon, Enda Kenny said the men of the time are not blameless.


Child sex abuse victim reacts to sweeping changes in Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown

By Daniel Hamburg, March 6, 2017, WJAC

JOHNSTOWN – On Monday, Bishop Mark Bartchak of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown announced sweeping changes in the Catholic church to protect victims of child sex abuse.


EX-SECT MEMBERS TELL AP: PROSECUTORS OBSTRUCTED ABUSE CASES

SPINDALE, N.C. (AP) -- At least a half-dozen times over two decades, authorities investigated reports that members of a secretive evangelical church were being beaten. And every time, according to former congregants, the orders came down from church leaders: They must lie to protect the sect.

Among the members of the Word of Faith Fellowship who coached congregants and their children on what to say to investigators were two assistant district attorneys and a veteran social worker, the ex-followers told The Associated Press.


Indian police hunt nuns accused of aiding rapist priest

The Sun Daily, March 5, 2017

NEW DELHI: Five nuns and a doctor are on the run in India after being accused of concealing the birth of a baby to a teenager who alleges that a priest raped her, police said Sunday.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the six and for two hospital staff. They are accused of concealing the 16-year-old's delivery from authorities and hiding the baby in a Catholic orphanage at Kunnur in the southern state of Kerala.

"They deliberately hid the incident from officials," Prajish Thottathil, a senior police officer, told AFP, adding some of the accused likely also knew about the alleged assault.


What is the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation?

Irish Times, March 3, 2017

Human remains of a significant number of babies and infants up to three years of age have been found on the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway. This follows work by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation which carried out planned excavations there.


NY Wants To Expand Statute Of Limitations For Sex Abuse

March 2017, A U Bulletin 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has introduced a revised version of the Child Victims Act that would remove the statute of limitations on prosecution of abusers in public and private institutions around the state.

Cuomo’s proposal would allow adults who were abused as children to file civil lawsuits up to 50 years after the attacks occurred, and would allow victims who couldn’t bring their cases to court due to current statute-of-limitations laws to have a one-year window to do so.


Sex Abuse Survivor Quits Pope’s Commission, Citing ‘Shameful’ Resistance

ROME (Reuters) - Irish abuse victim Marie Collins said on Wednesday she had left a commission advising Pope Francis on how to root out sexual abuse of children by clergy, in a major embarrassment to the Holy See.
The work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, set up by Francis in March 2014, has been slowed down by internal disputes and resignations.

 


Is the Catholic Church guilty of crimes against humanity?

By Michael Short, February 25, 2017, The Age

The Catholic Church, which has presided over a decades-long international cover-up of countless cases, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of child rape and other sexual abuse is arguably guilty of crimes against humanity.

In Australia, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, launched in 2013, has heard much harrowing evidence that for decades child rapists have been protected by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 


Pope Francis reversed decisions to kick paedophiles out of the priesthood

Pope Francis has reduced punishments for paedophile priests who abused children as young as 12.

The leader of the world’s biggest faith wants to apply his vision of a ‘merciful’ church and has changed the punishments for a handful of priests.


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