News Story of the Day

Michael Boyle on Catholic Sexual Abuse Crisis: How It Happened, What Can Be Done — "Dysfunctional and Sick Culture Playing Out One Strand of Its Sickness and Dysfunctionality"

Posted by William D. Lindsey, February 19, 2017, Bilgrimage

'd like to recommend to you Michael Boyle's four-part series on how the sexual abuse crisis happened in the Catholic church, and what's to be done about it. As Michael says in the first installment in this series at his Sound of Sheer Silence blog, he was motivated to write these postings in response to the release of the Australian Royal Commission's report about clerical sexual abuse, which shows one in five members of some Catholic religious communities including the Marist Brothers and Christian Brothers allegedly involved in child sexual abuse.


Former NM priest hit with $16M judgment

By Olivier Uyttebrouck, February 17, 2017, Albuquerque Journal

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A judge handed down a $16 million judgment this week against a former New Mexico priest for failure to respond to a lawsuit filed by a man who alleges he was sexually abused by Arthur Perrault in the early 1990s.

Second Judicial District Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd handed down the default judgment Thursday after she found that Perrault had been properly served with the civil lawsuit, but failed to defend himself against the allegations.

 


Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests starting local chapter

By Dave Sutor, February 17, 2017, Tribune Democrat

A well-known advocacy group for child sexual abuse victims is setting up a chapter in the Altoona–Johnstown area.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests plans to hold its first confidential support meeting in Ebensburg on Feb. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. 

SNAP is establishing its local group in response to the ongoing abuse scandal within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown.

       

Australian Catholic Church paid $213 million to child sexual abuse victims

February 16, 2017, Deutsche Welle

The country's Catholic Church has paid more than quarter of a billion Australian dollars to child sexual abuse victims. An inquiry concluded that, while thousands of claims were made, many victims had not come forward. 

An average of 91,000 dollars each was paid to thousands of victims who came forward with claims to the church, an inquiry was told on Thursday.


Woman settles sex abuse suit against Spring Grove Jehovah's Witnesses

By , February 15, 2017, York Daily Record

The lawsuit was settled on Monday in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

A woman has settled a lawsuit against the Spring Grove Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and two of its supporting organizations, which alleged that elders failed to report instances of sexual abuse to law enforcement to protect their own reputation.


Former priest sentenced to 30 years for child pornography

By Submitted News, February 13, 2017, Sussex Living

A former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and ordained Catholic priest was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for charges involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III of the District of Delaware.


'Network Of Child Abusers' In Church Group Preyed On Boys During Camping Trips

By Eoin Blackwell, February 13, 2017, Huffington Post

An Anglican Church-founded youth group was used by a "network of sexual perpetrators" who knew of each other's offending while they abused children for more than a decade, a new report says.

The Child Sex Abuse Royal Commission report found the Church of England's Boys' Society's (CEBS) only formal response to the sex abuse was to strip awards given to certain offenders, while the body's national council decided against an apology in 2009.

 


Man recounts alleged sexual assault by priest in Kennebunkport


Church laws deliberately misused to cover up sex claims: Royal Commission

By Rachel Browne, February 9, 2017, The Sydney Morning Herald

Catholic church authorities deliberately misused their own legal code to excuse claims of child sexual abuse and protect alleged perpetrators, according to testimony before a royal commission.

The fourth day of an inquiry into the Catholic church's approach to child sexual abuse heard that canon law has been used to justify the cover-up of alleged crimes.


How does a canonical trial work?

By Krystal Paco, February 08, 2017, Kuam

Archbishop Anthony Apuron is reportedly being tried in the Vatican for allegations of child sex abuse, but he was spotted in Fairfield, California just last month. What's the deal? One expert gives us a better understanding of protocol in Rome.

What can we expect from the ongoing canonical trial in Rome for Archbishop Apuron? Nothing.


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