After Rev. Bartley A. Sorensen, pastor at St. John Fisher Catholic Church in Churchville, Pennsylvania was arrested December 10th and charged with possession of child pornography, a bishop called on the congregation to report any suspected sexual abuse by the priest to a Catholic hotline. Incredibly he made no mention of calling the police.
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As feared, Rev. Uriel Ojeda has been deemed a flight risk, and the court today delayed Rev. Ojeda’s bail hearing until January. In our blog on December 1, 2011, I wrote of the hope that this predator not be permitted to flee the country to Mexico, as no less than six other priests facing credible allegations of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Sacramento have done. Here we see the very same risk. The courts should ensure that Rev. Ojeda is not permitted to flee the country and is made to face the allegations of child molestation of which he is accused.
A young priest in California’s Sacramento Diocese was arrested yesterday for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Father Uriel Ojeda is only 32 years old. The survivor’s family reported the abuse to the diocese, which did the right thing when it immediately contacted police and child protection. With this case we again see that the problem of priest sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and elsewhere is not limited to certain types of perpetrators, and is, unfortunately, not something that came and went with the 1970s. Catholic bishops and leaders would prefer us to “blame Woodstock”…
We commend this brave survivor with whom we stand, John Doe A, for being the first to speak up and out in bringing a civil lawsuit against his abuser, Jerry Sandusky, and the institutions that enabled Sandusky, Penn State University and The Second Mile. By bringing this lawsuit, this courageous survivor is bringing hope, healing and power to other Sandusky victims who may be living in silence, shame or fear. This lawsuit represents an effort to expose institutional failures in child protection.
When it comes to child protection and childhood sexual abuse, Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University’s quick defense of and rebuke of the courageous victims is fundamentally wrong. Boeheim’s comments immediately dismissing the victims reflect his own and our society’s general lack of understanding and ignorance regarding childhood sexual abuse. Society is quick to rally around an offender without knowing more than just his or her public persona as a trusted person who is also in denial.
When it comes to child protection and childhood sexual abuse, Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University’s quick defense of and rebuke of the courageous victims is fundamentally wrong. Boeheim’s comments immediately dismissing the victims reflect his own and our society’s general lack of understanding and ignorance regarding childhood sexual abuse. Society is quick to rally around an offender without knowing more than just his or her public persona as a trusted person who is also in denial.
The long history of sexual abuse by priests and their concealment and protection by the Chicago-Detroit Providence of Jesuits continues to unfold. Through the 1950’s and 1970’s, St. Ignatius High School, a Jesuit Preparatory School in Cleveland, Ohio, was a safe haven for priests perpetrating sexual violence against children. To date, more than 33 survivors have come forward with complaints of sexual abuse or improprieties that occurred while they attended the institution. The number of accused perpetrators operating under the ecclesiastical cover of St. Ignatius High School …
We are no strangers to the institutional failure of Jesuit leaders in Chicago and nationwide. The Jesuits (also known as the Society of Jesus) routinely conceal predator offenders and protect their priests and put them before the safety of children.Yesterday we learned of charges against another Jesuit priest after he was arrested in Chicago by the FBI. Father Richard James Kurtz is charged with sexually assaulting a boy 10 years ago in Colorado.
This week saw yet another venerable collegiate institution, The Citadel, go public with the fact that it failed to report allegations of child sexual abuse to law enforcement. On Tuesday, November 15, 2011, the president of the military college announced that it did not inform the police about sexual abuse allegations it received from a former Citadel Summer Camp attendee in 2007. The report alleged that, in 2002, Camp Counselor Louis Neal “Skip” ReVille engaged a group of young boys in group masturbation and the viewing of pornography…
Amidst an increased nationwide focus on accountability for child sexual abuse, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph stands as a prime example of an institution’s failure to put its house in order. Today, in lieu of another indictment on misdemeanor charges for the willful disregard of Father Shawn Ratigan’s production of child pornography and exploitation of children, Bishop Robert Finn entered into a compliance agreement with the Clay County Prosecutor. This agreement provides the Clay County prosecutor unique oversight of the Diocese and its handling of child abuse…
In the wake of the scandal at Penn State University, the public dialogue has suggested that Americans are both shocked by the incidents of sexual abuse and appalled by the extensive cover-up perpetrated by top officials at the University. There is now increased awareness that predators will utilize the very institutions designed to help protect and save vulnerable children to gain access to and abuse children.This week that violation of trust has shifted to Minnesota.
News outlets and commentators have been quick to remark on the story out of Penn State. Many have yet to address the most critical issue- the children who were abused by Sandusky. While we certainly agree that the recent scandal exposes gaps in accountability and demonstrates institutional failure, the focus now must be on the kids. Survivors of abuse by Sandusky must know that what happened to them was not their fault. They should not have to suffer in secrecy, silence and shame. Joe Paterno and those at Penn State who did not report despite suspicions about Sandusky’s relationships
The High Court in the United Kingdom ruled yesterday that the Catholic Church can be liable for sexual abuse committed by its priests. This ruling, for which we are very grateful, will give great hope to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in the United Kingdom. The High Court’s decision allows the case against the Diocese of Portsmouth that we wrote about this summer to move to trial. The case involves a woman known as “Miss E” who says she was sexually abused by Father Wilfred Baldwin at The Firs, a children’s home in Waterlooville.
The parallels between the cover-up of an authority figure sexually abusing children at Penn State University and the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church are clear and disturbing.This weekend, Jerry Sandusky, former defensive coordinator of Penn State’s storied and successful football team, was arrested following a grand jury investigation into Sandusky’s sexual abuse of young boys. The grand jury indictment includes over 40 criminal counts involving the sexual abuse of eight boys between 1994 and 2009. According to the grand jury report, the University’s athletic director, Tim Curl…
Today a young survivor takes a courageous stand for herself and on behalf of other kids as she again confronts her abuser and holds him accountable in court. Jane Doe 134’s case, which was originally filed in Federal Court, was re-filed today in Minnesota State Court in Becker County in order to add a new defendant. Jane Doe 134 was 11 years old in 2007 when Gerald Derstine groomed and began to sexually abuse her when she was a camper at a retreat center in Northern Minnesota. Derstine continued to abuse her every summer in his office on the retreat property until 2009. The camp, Strawberry La…