http://boz.religionnews.com/2014/01/31/church-gets/
A church that gets it!
Immediately call the police:
Focus on loving and serving survivors
Be teachable:
Sol Reform
JoinedPosts by Sol Reform
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'Jehovah's Witness elders who participated in this shameful activity should immediately remove themselves from any position of authority in the church,apologize to victims, ...' Snap Media Statements
by Sol Reform inhttp://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_jehovah_s_witness_allow_predator_to_grill_victim.
ireland--jehovah's witness allow predator to "grill" victim jehovah's witness elders allowed convicted predator to "grill" victims; victims respond.
http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/crime-desk/donal-macintyre-s-crime-cafe/jehovahs-witness-elders-allow-paedophile-to-grill-his-victims.
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'Jehovah's Witness elders who participated in this shameful activity should immediately remove themselves from any position of authority in the church,apologize to victims, ...' Snap Media Statements
by Sol Reform inhttp://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_jehovah_s_witness_allow_predator_to_grill_victim.
ireland--jehovah's witness allow predator to "grill" victim jehovah's witness elders allowed convicted predator to "grill" victims; victims respond.
http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/crime-desk/donal-macintyre-s-crime-cafe/jehovahs-witness-elders-allow-paedophile-to-grill-his-victims.
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Sol Reform
Jehovah's Witness charity accused of letting paedophile quiz victims Governance
| David Ainsworth | 27 May 2014
The Charity Commission has said it has “ongoing serious concerns” about a religious charity accused of organising a meeting where a convicted paedophile was allowed to interrogate his victims.
The Manchester Evening News reported that Jonathan Rose, 40, a Jehovah’s Witness elder of New Moston, Manchester, was jailed for nine months for abusing two women when they were young girls.
The paper reported that after his release the Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses conducted a series of “disfellowship” meetings to decide whether Rose should remain a member of the organisation, in which the women were required to recount their ordeal.
At one meeting, Rose was present and allowed to ask questions.
“We have ongoing serious concerns about the Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehova’s Witnesses in connection with its policies and procedures for the protection of vulnerable beneficiaries,” a Charity Commission spokeswoman said.
“We are engaging with the charity’s trustees about our concerns.
“We cannot comment further at this stage.”
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Billy Graham's Grandson Responds to Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit
by Sol Reform inhttp://www.christianpost.com/news/billy-grahams-grandson-responds-to-sovereign-grace-ministries-lawsuit-97590/#mo4kztfo5tujfsbu.99.
billy graham's grandson responds to sovereign grace ministries lawsuit6 share.
(photo: sbts via the christian post)c. j. mahaney, president of sovereign grace ministries, speaks at southern baptist theological seminary in louisville, ky., on thursday, feb. 10, 2011.by anugrah kumar , christian post contributorjune 8, 2013|2:33 pm.
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Sol Reform
A Victim’s Family Provides a Startling Counterpoint to CJ Mahaney’s Statement
Posted on Fri May 23, 2014 by dee Crying Child-USAF On May 22, 2014
CJ Mahaney released a statement about the pending civil lawsuit brought against him and others. This statement was made following the reports of the testimony given by his brother in law, Grant Layman, during the Nate Morales trial. In his statement, Mahaney said the following:
I’m saddened, too, by the confusion and damage that has resulted from public comments and speculation about these events.
It is the opinion of TWW that damage has also occurred to the victims and their families as the numerous allegations of child sex abuse and cover up within Sovereign Grace Ministries have been met with apparent disdain by some religious leaders. For those readers who are not aware of the details of this controversy, we heartily recommend that you visit the well written SGM Crisis Timeline at this link.
Also, in the subsequent statement from the family, you will read of Wallace's Story and Noel's Story. At the request of the family, we direct you to this link at Sovereign Grace Survivors. You will be able to read those stories along with others. It is the hope of TWW that the full truth in this matter will be brought to light. Today, TWW was apprised that documentation, along with a statement by a victim's family, was available to provide a counterpoint to the statement made by CJ Mahaney.
It is our hope that the evidence, on both sides, will one day be presented before an objective audience. It would seem to us that all parties of good faith and conscience would desire the same. TWW believes that celebrity Christian leaders have the backing of other well known leaders. Furthermore, these personalities have a plethora of grass roots fans.
Who provides a voice for the victims and their families who are often marginalized and/or shunned by the very churches in which they sought hope and comfort? believe that blogs are providing information that might have been ignored by those who control the microphones.
Within these blogs, supportive communities have arisen to support those who have struggled.
As always, TWW stands with the victims of child sex abuse and their families.
Please join us in daily praying for those who have been abused, let down and left hurting. May the God of all comfort be with them.
A Statement by Wallace and Happymom
I have never conspired to protect a child predator, and I also deny all the claims made against me in the civil suit”. CJ Mahaney
In response to CJ Mahaney’s recent statement, we offer this rebuttal.
- We met with CJ in January 2009 to discuss our daughter's molestation and how Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax had handled it.
- There were 3 meetings with CJ and we have emails to verify this.
- He also sent us an article, When Child Sex Abuse Occurs: Considerations for Pastors.
- Details of our family's meetings are in “Wallace’s Story” April 8, 2011.
- CJ mentioned in one of his emails that he found Noel’s story “heartbreaking”. Her story was made public on December 31, 2008.
- Kenneth Maresco (CLC pastor) was also involved with 2 separate meetings that we had with Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax.
- Both men were well informed on the situation regarding the Fairfax church.
Please the keep victims and victim's families in your prayers. Wallace & Happymom
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Has the Jehovah's Witness computer data base number totaling 23,720 child molesters on file in Patterson, New York created a public nuisance by keeping the names secret ?
by Sol Reform inhas the jehovah's witness computer data base number totaling 23,720 child molesters on file in patterson, new york created a public nuisance by keeping the names secret ?.
that question, is basically before the court,regarding roman catholics.. .
in the first lawsuit under a new minnesota law that allows victims of child sexual abuse to bring claims decades later, accuses the archdiocese of saint paul and minneapolis and the diocese of winona of negligence for allowing a known pedophile to continue working with children for years.. the plaintiff, identified as "doe 1," seeks a court order to force the church to release an internal list of "credibly accused child molesting priests," and accuses the church of creating a public nuisance by keeping the names secret.. .
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Sol Reform
Vatican to be sued.
http://www.startribune.com/local/260547781.html?page=1&c=y
Minnesota Child Victim's Act generates nearly 40 lawsuits, church reforms
Article by: JEAN HOPFENSPERGER , Star Tribune Updated: May 24, 2014 - 11:03 PM
Older misconduct cases may not have ever surfaced without Child Victim’s Act.
One year after the Minnesota Child Victim’s Act was passed by the Legislature, the Catholic Church in Minnesota has been hit by a legal cyclone.
A woman who stepped forward this year to report abuse because of the law change was photographed recently in attorney Jeff Anderson’s St. Paul office. Photo: GLEN STUBBE • [email protected], Star Tribune photo galleries
One year ago this month, Minnesota opened its courtroom doors to alleged victims of child sex abuse that occurred decades ago — a step that has rocked the Catholic Church as never before. More than 40 lawsuits have been filed since then under the new Minnesota Child Victim’s Act, implicating at least 30 Catholic priests in sex crimes against children.
The lawsuits claim the church has mishandled, or covered up, serious abuse charges in every diocese in the state. Five of the six Minnesota dioceses have since made public the names of long-secret priest offenders, revealing more than 100 names to date. For those who have bottled up memories of clergy abuse for decades, too nervous or fearful to report it, the law has spurred some to step forward, said Christy, a St. Paul mother who sued her abuser last year. “It’s like a weight lifted from my shoulders,” said Christy, who did not want her last name used.
Christy said she didn’t have a clue that her priest had been accused of molesting others before. Only after hearing news reports about the church’s pattern of moving offenders from church to church did she Google his name and discover she was not alone. “That’s when I decided to sue,’’ she said. The new law lifts the civil statute of limitations for child abuse cases, opening a three-year window for people to sue over older cases such as Christy’s. For nearly 20 years, Minnesotans sexually abused as children had until age 24 to sue their abusers.
Child advocates, however, argued that some victims took decades to come to terms with their trauma, and that the time limits for filing claims thus needed to change. Minnesota is the fourth state to approve a temporary window for filing older lawsuits. Similar legislation is pending in three other states, said Marci Hamilton, a New York law professor and national advocate for such changes. California witnessed more than 1,100 lawsuits during its one-year window, Hamilton said.
About 170 lawsuits were filed in Delaware and about 75 in Hawaii during their two-year windows. Minnesota, in many ways, has followed the trajectory of its predecessors. Clergy have been charged with offenses ranging from one-time molestation to repeated rape lasting years. The incidents happened from the 1970s to just a few years ago. ‘A pace never before seen’
“But in Minnesota, we’re moving at a pace, at a depth, at a breadth never before seen in other states,” said St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson, the lead attorney who has filed clergy sex abuse lawsuits in the three other states too.
Instead of filing lawsuits on behalf of one victim against one clergy member, Anderson has filed “nuisance claims” in Minnesota. Lawyers argue the church’s pattern of handling abusive priests, often moving them from parish to parish, constitutes a public nuisance. That allows them to petition the court for a broad array of information on priests and practices across a diocese.
As a result, the Twin Cities archdiocese alone is producing 40,000 documents for the court. Top church officials were required to submit to questioning, including Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Archbishop Harry Flynn. Add a whistleblower — former archdiocese canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger — and intense media scrutiny, and the past year has seen a storm of controversy that even the law’s sponsors did not predict. Rep. Steve Simon, DFL- St. Louis Park, a key author of the Child Victim’s Act, said he never anticipated such a chain of events. “I didn’t know that within a year, there would be so much attention to so many claims,” Simon said.
Church: Law is mistake
The archdiocese, which opposed opening the statute of limitations, still believes time limits “are an important part of ensuring that the civil justice system remains fair to all parties,” Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens said in a written statement.
“We accept and embrace responsibility when we have made mistakes, and will continue to work with courts, victims and attorneys to pursue justice for all parties during this three-year period,” Cozzens said.
Likewise, the Rev. Karen Bockelman, retired Lutheran chair of the Minnesota Religious Council — which lobbied against the bill — still believes the law is too broad and reaches too far back. It makes defense difficult, she said.
“Documents have been lost,” said Bockelman. “Memories have faded. People have died. The insurance company no longer exists.”
Looking forward, the Vatican is likely to become part of the equation. Anderson, who sued the Vatican in 2010 in a Wisconsin case, is likely to do the same here.
“Will the Vatican be sued?” he asked. “Yes. How soon? I can’t say.”
Beyond the civil cases, where punishment does not entail jail time, some abusers will face criminal charges, said Patrick Wall, an investigator at Anderson’s law firm. County attorneys can press charges up to three years after abuse is reported to them. More activity in court Last week, for example, the Dakota County attorney filed charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against Francis Hoefgen, a former St. John’s Abbey monk now living in Columbia Heights, for allegedly abusing a boy from 1989 to 1992.
His arrest followed the victim’s lawsuit filed last year. Meanwhile, more schools, nonreligious organizations and individuals are likely to be summoned to court, said Anderson. Donors pull back support Three lawsuits have been filed against former drama teacher Lynn Seibel at Shattuck-St. Mary’s boarding school, said Anderson, as well as three against a former Bemidji public schoolteacher who committed suicide last year.
The Catholic Church, meanwhile, has faced financial repercussions, as some donors have balked at continuing their fiscal support. The Twin Cities archdiocese released an audit of the chancery in February showing a $3.9 million deficit. But the report stated, “The financial condition of the archdiocese is solid,” even with the liability stemming from the recent wave of lawsuits. Meanwhile, alleged victims of clergy sex abuse continue to step forward.
Christy, for example, said she was sexually molested by the Rev. Robert Thurner, now 88. Transferred to her church after admitting to abuse in his Hopkins parish, Thurner became a family friend, invited to dinner at her parents’ home, where the abuse occurred, she said. Christy said the incident led to years of confusion and shame and feelings of helplessness. The new law changed that. Said Christy: “Now I feel like I’m in control for once.”
Simon calls the past year “an occasion to reflect on what went wrong” and to learn from it. “It’s a painfully teachable moment,” the representative said. “And it’s about healing for a lot of people who for a long time were ignored or dismissed or worse. They are finally getting their justice.”
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Billy Graham's Grandson Responds to Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit
by Sol Reform inhttp://www.christianpost.com/news/billy-grahams-grandson-responds-to-sovereign-grace-ministries-lawsuit-97590/#mo4kztfo5tujfsbu.99.
billy graham's grandson responds to sovereign grace ministries lawsuit6 share.
(photo: sbts via the christian post)c. j. mahaney, president of sovereign grace ministries, speaks at southern baptist theological seminary in louisville, ky., on thursday, feb. 10, 2011.by anugrah kumar , christian post contributorjune 8, 2013|2:33 pm.
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Sol Reform
CJ Mahaney on scandal: 'I have never conspired to protect a child predator'
Published 23 May 2014 | Carey Lodge Email Print More Sharing Services Share Wikipedia
C. J. Mahaney has been involved in an ongoing lawsuit regarding the cover up of sexual abuse at Covenant Life Church. CJ
Mahaney has broken his silence on the two-year sex-abuse scandal that has rocked Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM), a coalition of 80 Reformed evangelical churches. SGM and its leadership have been embroiled in controversy for some time following allegations of a child abuse cover up in its former flagship church, Covenant Life Church (CLC).
Nathaniel Morales, now 56, was convicted on May 15 this year of sexually abusing three underage boys between 1983 and 1991 during his time as youth pastor at Covenant Life. During his trial, questions were raised as to whether or not the leadership of the church knew about Morales' transgressions. In a separate civil lawsuit, Mahaney - who founded Sovereign Grace and was lead pastor of CLC during Morales' employment - was accused of being aware of the youth leader's crimes and failing to take action against him.
Mahaney was named as a defendant in the lawsuit which alleged that he and several other leaders of SGM, including Larry Tomczak - who was also accused of repeatedly physically abusing a woman across two decades, beginning in her childhood - conspired to "permit sexual deviants to have unfettered access to children for purposes of predation and to obstruct justice by covering up ongoing past predation", though this case was dropped in May 2013 due to the statute of limitations.
However, on May 20, Mahaney's brother-in-law Grant Layman, another former pastor of CLC, admitted in court that he may have withheld incriminating information about Morales from the police. Billy Graham's grandson Tullian Tchividjian has expressed his belief that this proves Mahaney has lied about his role in the cover up. "CJ was, for many years, the micro-managing head of the organisation and nothing happened under the umbrella of Sovereign Grace that he wasn't made aware of, so for anyone to say, 'Well he didn't know,' that's totally naive," he told the Christian Post.
"These people, they're family. Of course he knew," he added. The lawsuit against Mahaney and his colleagues is due to be appealed next month. As a result of these controversies, Mahaney and Joshua Harris – bestselling author of 'I kissed dating goodbye' and currently pastor of CLC – have formally left The Gospel Coalition (TGC). Mahaney has now released a statement in which he addresses the lawsuit brought against him for the first time.
He denies the allegations and says he "look[s] forward" to a time that he can discuss it more freely. "For nearly two years now, I have remained silent about a civil lawsuit brought against various parties including myself. During that time, many have urged me to respond publicly and address the accusations against me," he writes in the open letter published May 22.
"I look forward to the day when I can speak freely. For now, the simple and extraordinarily unsatisfying reality – for myself and others – is that in the face of an ongoing civil lawsuit, I simply cannot speak publicly to the specifics of these events.
"Even with those constraints, however, let me be clear about this: I have never conspired to protect a child predator, and I also deny all the claims made against me in the civil suit." Mahaney continues: "I am deeply grieved for those who suffered abuse while part of Covenant Life Church, as well as those beyond the church who were abused—and I continue to pray for justice to be served on their behalf and for God's healing grace in their lives.
"I'm saddened, too, by the confusion and damage that has resulted from public comments and speculation about these events. Still, my trust remains in the Lord, who comforts the brokenhearted and promises in his justice and in his time to right every wrong," he finishes.
Brent Detwiler, one of the four founders of Sovereign Grace Ministries who stepped down in 2009 following a fall-out with Mahaney and who has since openly criticised the church's leadership and handling of the abuse scandal, has responded to his former colleague's statement with a comment on his own blog.
Arguing that Mahaney's denial is "contrary to ALL the evidence in my opinion and in my possession", Detwiler says it didn't surprise him that the former head of Sovereign Grace has not admitted any wrongdoing. "He has no choice but to deny on the advice of his lawyers...What else can he do at this point? Confess? Now that's an idea!"
"I was on the SGM Board of Directors for 25 years and worked closely with CJ I was the number 2 leader in SGM from 1998-2007. resigned in 2007 as a matter of conscience. I have no knowledge of Mahaney ever reporting, or instructing his staff to report, suspected or known paedophiles to law enforcement. That is my sworn testimony," he wrote. "I now have knowledge he did not report known paedophiles. That too is my sworn testimony.
"This statement by Mahaney is meaningless. It is a public relations piece. Mark my words. No one will be deterred from going after the truth and holding him to account."
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'Jehovah's Witness elders who participated in this shameful activity should immediately remove themselves from any position of authority in the church,apologize to victims, ...' Snap Media Statements
by Sol Reform inhttp://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_jehovah_s_witness_allow_predator_to_grill_victim.
ireland--jehovah's witness allow predator to "grill" victim jehovah's witness elders allowed convicted predator to "grill" victims; victims respond.
http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/crime-desk/donal-macintyre-s-crime-cafe/jehovahs-witness-elders-allow-paedophile-to-grill-his-victims.
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Sol Reform
Convicted paedophile was allowed to interrogate his victims at Jehovah's Witness meeting after they wanted him barred from the church
Jonathan Rose, 40, was sentenced to nine months in jail in October 2013
By Rosie Taylor Published: 19:53 EST, 23 May 2014 | Updated: 19:55 EST, 23 May 2014 Paedophile:
Jehovah's Witness elder Jonathan Rose, 40, was allowed to publicly cross-examine his victims at a meeting arranged by the church A Jehovah's Witness elder who was convicted of abusing young girls was allowed to publicly cross-examine his victims at a meeting arranged by the church. Jonathan Rose, 40, was convicted of molesting the women when they were aged five and ten.
He was jailed for nine months in October last year. But after his release the victims – who were members of his Jehovah’s Witness group – and a third woman were told that if they wanted him barred from the church they had to relive their ordeal in front of elders. Rose had previously been acquitted of abusing the third woman when she was a teenager – but the other two came forward after she branded him a paedophile on Facebook.
Yesterday the Charity Commission said it had ‘ongoing serious concerns’ over the Manchester Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ child protection policies.
Campaigners for the victims of child abuse described the treatment of the women – now in their 20s and 30s – as outrageous. Fay Maxted, of the Survivors’ Trust charity said the meetings showed ‘a complete lack of understanding of the impact of sexual abuse on a victim and of how a perpetrator might behave’.
Three church meetings were held after Rose’s early release in March, when elders examined whether the joiner should be ‘disfellowshipped’. During the public meetings the women faced detailed questions about their abuse, were asked whether they encouraged it and, incredibly, whether they had enjoyed it.
Rose was even allowed to question the women as eight elders looked on. A source, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Before each meeting, the women were read a scripture on false witnesses and told to consider it carefully. They had to go through the abuse in detail and were asked if they encouraged it.
One was asked if she had enjoyed it.
Traumatised: Rose's victims - who were members of his Jehovah's Witness group - and a third woman were told that if they wanted him barred from the church they had to relive their ordeal in front of elders
(file picture)
‘At the third meeting, Rose was present. He questioned the women in detail with no one stepping in to stop bullying as would happen in court. ‘The victims had already done this in court, which elders attended.’ It is understood Rose, who is married with children, was finally ‘disfellowshipped’ after complaints to the police and Charity Commission.
A spokesman for the Commission confirmed it had ‘serious concerns about the (congregation) in connection with its policies and procedures’. 'They had to go through the abuse in detail and were asked if they encouraged it. One was asked if she had enjoyed it' Unnamed source A Jehovah’s Witness spokesman said: ‘When a Jehovah’s Witness is accused of child abuse, local congregation elders are expected to investigate.
‘No victims are forced to attend a meeting or confront an alleged perpetrator of child abuse. Child abuse is abhorrent.’
John Cedars, a former Jehovah’s Witness who writes about the church under a false name, said: ‘The shocking incident illustrates perfectly how oblivious to the severity of child molestation the elders in (the) Moston congregation are.’
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been criticised for their policy that there must be two credible witnesses to a crime to establish guilt – based on a literal interpretation of the Bible.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2637961/Convicted-paedophile-allowed-interrogate-victims-Jehovahs-Witness-meeting-wanted-barred-church.html#ixzz32asAZWPW ; Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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'Jehovah's Witness elders who participated in this shameful activity should immediately remove themselves from any position of authority in the church,apologize to victims, ...' Snap Media Statements
by Sol Reform inhttp://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_jehovah_s_witness_allow_predator_to_grill_victim.
ireland--jehovah's witness allow predator to "grill" victim jehovah's witness elders allowed convicted predator to "grill" victims; victims respond.
http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/crime-desk/donal-macintyre-s-crime-cafe/jehovahs-witness-elders-allow-paedophile-to-grill-his-victims.
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Sol Reform
http://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_jehovah_s_witness_allow_predator_to_grill_victim
Ireland--Jehovah's Witness allow predator to "grill" victim Jehovah's Witness elders allowed convicted predator to "grill" victims; Victims respond
For immediate release: Wednesday, May 23, 2014 Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach CA, western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949 322 7434, [email protected])
One of the most difficult—but important—things that a survivor of sexual abuse can do is report the crime and put a predator behind bars. That's what the victims in this case did. They worked with law enforcement to ensure that Jonathan Rose was arrested, convicted and jailed for molesting two little girls.
But to the Jehovah's Witnesses, that was not enough to "prove" Rose's guilt. Allowing a convicted—or a credibly accused predator—to "grill" victims is shocking and disgraceful. It breeds fear in victims that they, too, will be unprotected, revictimized and shunned by their faith community if they are ever brave enough to come forward and report crimes to police.
The Jehovah's Witness elders who participated in this shameful activity should immediately remove themselves from any position of authority in the church, apologize to victims, and immediately rewrite any church rules that would allow "inquisitions" like this to continue. Until then, we have to believe that the Jehovah's Witnesses will only continue to protect and embrace child predators at the risk of children globally.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 18,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell,[email protected])
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Monday and Tuesday, the United Nations Committee Against Torture will question the Vatican about its record on child sexual violence.
by Sol Reform inmonday and tuesday, the united nations committee against torture will question the vatican about its record on child sexual violence.. .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3zwoowgvs.
watch live: ccr reports on vatican hearing at un posted on may 3, 2014 greetings from geneva where, this monday and tuesday, the united nations committee against torture will question the vatican about its record on child sexual violence.. this is the second time this year the vatican has been called by an international body to account for its handling of the crisis of sexual violence throughout the catholic church.
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Sol Reform
CCR and SNAP respond to UN CAT report
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Monday and Tuesday, the United Nations Committee Against Torture will question the Vatican about its record on child sexual violence.
by Sol Reform inmonday and tuesday, the united nations committee against torture will question the vatican about its record on child sexual violence.. .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3zwoowgvs.
watch live: ccr reports on vatican hearing at un posted on may 3, 2014 greetings from geneva where, this monday and tuesday, the united nations committee against torture will question the vatican about its record on child sexual violence.. this is the second time this year the vatican has been called by an international body to account for its handling of the crisis of sexual violence throughout the catholic church.
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Sol Reform
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/23/un-committee-against-torture-vatican-sex-abuse-scandal
UN Committee Against Torture criticises Vatican handling of sex abuse
Experts reject argument that Vatican only exercises control over city state and is not accountable for priests' actions worldwide
Lizzy Davies in Rome theguardian.com, Friday 23 May 2014 10.43 EDT
The Vatican has been criticised by the UN Committee Against Torture over its handling of the sex abuse scandal.
Photograph: Sylvain Sonnet/Getty Images
The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) has criticised the Vatican's handling of the clerical sex abuse scandal, urging the Catholic church to do more to punish perpetrators, help victims and place "meaningful sanctions" on clerics who fail to deal properly with credible allegations.
In observations published on Friday following a two-day hearing this month, the panel's 10 experts rejected the Holy See's argument that it only exercises control over the tiny Vatican City State and cannot be held accountable for the actions of Catholic priests and bishops throughout the world.
They called on the Holy See to "take effective measures" to monitor individuals under its "effective control" and to "stop and sanction" conduct that would constitute "credible allegations of violations of the [UN] Convention [against Torture]".
Before the report had even been released, the Vatican issued a statement declaring that it had not been found to be "in violation" of the convention.
But advocates of abuse victims rejected this outright, labelling the report "a historic document" that they said recognised clerical sexual abuse as a form of torture and other cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment.
"They're clearly wrong," said Pam Spees of the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights, regarding the Vatican's assertion. "This is an important recognition of the gravity of these offences that have been minimised by the church, places responsibility where it belongs – with the hierarchy in the church, not the victims – and could help open new avenues for redress."
Felice D Gaer, the CAT's American vice-chair, told the Guardian: "Legal scholars will tell you that when we write about a concern and make a recommendation we are identifying something that is not in conformity with the requirements of the convention. We don't use the word 'violation'; others do. But it's quite clear it's not in conformity with the requirements of the convention." The report was the first issued by the CAT into the Holy See, and comes after another UN panel – the Committee on the Rights of the Child – issued a scathing rebuke to the Vatican in February, calling it out not only on its handling of child sex abuse cases but also on its stances on abortion and homosexuality.
Those findings prompted an angry response from the Vatican, which accused the panel of ideologically motivated interference in church teachings. The CAT report, while critical of the church's sex abuse record, praises it for the steps taken, and, crucially, leaves out any mention of reproductive rights, which some campaigners had urged the panel to consider. John L Allen, long-term Vatican observer and correspondent for the Boston Globe, said the difference between the two reports indicated the CAT had not wanted its criticisms to be vulnerable to similar attacks.
"It's pretty clear that, the last time around, the Vatican and its allies used the fact that there was a lot of language in that report that wasn't about sex abuse – it was about abortion, homosexuality and so on, culture wars – to suggest that it was ideologically driven. They also complained that it had not acknowledged any positive steps the church had taken," he said. "They styled the whole thing as a sort of political exercise – you know, axe-grinding and so on.
It would seem clear to me that the Committee Against Torture did not want its findings to be dismissed in the same way." In its report, the CAT panel noted progress made by the church on the clerical sex abuse scandal, for example welcoming Pope Francis's establishment of a commission for the protection of minors, and his statement in April that the church needed to be "even stronger" in its tackling of the problem.
The UN experts also welcomed the Vatican's publication for the first time this month of comprehensive statistics on how many Catholic priests had been disciplined following abuse allegations. But they added that the Holy See had not provided data regarding how many abuse allegations had been reported to the civil law enforcement authorities in the relevant countries. The CAT said it was "concerned" by reports that some church officials "resist the principle of mandatory reporting of [abuse] allegations to civil authorities", urging the church to prevent "credibly accused" abusers being simply transferred to other parishes and dioceses "for the purposes of avoiding proper investigation and punishment of their crimes."
Any church official who failed to handle credible allegations "with due diligence" should be punished, it added.
Citing the case of Polish archbishop Josef Wesolowski, a former papal envoy to the Dominican Republic accused of sex abuse, it said the Holy See should "if warranted … ensure such persons are criminally prosecuted or extradited for prosecution by the civil authorities" of the relevant country. It also said it was "deeply concerned" by reports of victims being unable to obtain adequate redress or compensation for their suffering and asked the Vatican to set up an independent complaints mechanism.
In its statement, the Vatican said: "The Holy See condemns sex abuse as a serious crime and a grave violation of human dignity." It noted the criticisms within the report and said it would "give serious consideration" to its recommendations.
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Monday and Tuesday, the United Nations Committee Against Torture will question the Vatican about its record on child sexual violence.
by Sol Reform inmonday and tuesday, the united nations committee against torture will question the vatican about its record on child sexual violence.. .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3zwoowgvs.
watch live: ccr reports on vatican hearing at un posted on may 3, 2014 greetings from geneva where, this monday and tuesday, the united nations committee against torture will question the vatican about its record on child sexual violence.. this is the second time this year the vatican has been called by an international body to account for its handling of the crisis of sexual violence throughout the catholic church.
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Sol Reform
Second UN panel criticizes Vatican on sex abuse By John L. Allen Jr. | Globe Staff May 23, 2014
The panel cited several specific cases, including Father Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, a priest who returned to his native India after being charged with molesting a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota in 2004 and is currently being pursued by American prosecutors. ROME —
For the second time, a United Nations panel has criticized the Vatican for its response to the child sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, charging it with failing to mandate that abuse charges be reported to police, moving clergy to evade discipline, and failing to see that victims obtain adequate compensation.
“Clergy . . . were transferred to other dioceses and institutions where they remained in contact with minors and others who are vulnerable,” the United Nations Committee against Torture charged in a new report, “and in some cases committed abuse in their subsequent placements.”
The report follows a similar indictment from the Committee on the Rights of the Child that appeared in February, which asserted that the Vatican had fostered “impunity” for abusers. The document from the Committee against Torture was to be released in a press conference in Geneva Friday. The Boston Globe obtained an advance copy Thursday.
Unlike the earlier UN assessment, the new report mixes criticism with praise for steps taken by the Catholic Church over the last decade to combat child abuse, including tougher legal sanctions for clergy and the creation of a new papal commission in December 2013 to press for reform. That commission includes Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston.
The committee lauded an April 11 statement by Pope Francis on the subject of child abuse, in which he said, “We will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed. On the contrary, we have to be even stronger.”
The report follows a May 6 hearing in Geneva of the Committee against Torture in which Vatican officials disclosed for the first time that over the past decade, 848 clergy have been removed from the priesthood for acts of sexual abuse and 2,572 assigned lesser sanctions, most of the latter priests who were elderly or in ill health. At the same time, the committee suggested that pledges of zero tolerance by church officials aren’t always effectively translated into action.
The panel cited several specific cases, including Father Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, a priest who returned to his native India after being charged with molesting a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota in 2004 and is currently being pursued by American prosecutors, and Archbishop Josef Wesolowski of Poland, a former papal envoy in the Dominican Republic accused of sexual abuse both in that country and in Poland who has not been extradited from the Vatican to face charges.
The Committee against Torture also cited the so-called Magdalene laundries in Ireland, institutions for indigent women during the 19th and 20th centuries in which abuse was allegedly widespread. The panel asked the Vatican to ensure that victims “receive fair, adequate and enforceable compensation and as full rehabilitation as possible, regardless of whether perpetrators of such acts have been brought to justice.”
In its report, the panel said it was “concerned by reports’’ that Catholic officials “resist the principle of mandatory reporting’’ of abuse allegations.
Among other specific recommendations, the panel suggested the Vatican ensure that abuse complaints are pursued by independent prosecutors so there’s “no hierarchical connection between the investigators and the alleged perpetrators,” and also insisted that officials who fail to respond appropriately to abuse complaints are subject to “meaningful sanctions.”
That recommendation echoes the complaints of critics that while the church now imposes discipline on clergy who abuse, it does not have equally strong accountability for bishops and other officials who don’t take appropriate steps when abuse reports surface. The committee called for “an independent complaints mechanism’’ where victims or others can “confidentially report allegations of abuse.’’
The UN panel also advised that a new commission established by the pope in 2013 to lead a process of reform should have “full power to investigate cases of alleged violations of the convention, [and to] ensure that the results of any of its investigations are made public and that they are promptly acted upon.” The committee asked that the Vatican respond to its concerns in a follow-up report by May 2015.
Unlike the earlier report from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the new report does not venture into matters of Catholic moral teaching on subjects such as abortion, homosexuality, or contraception. The Vatican ratified the Convention against Torture in 2002, and its appearance before the UN panel in May was part of a regularly scheduled series of hearings to monitor implementation in various nations.
In comments to the Globe, the Vatican’s top envoy to the United Nations in Geneva said the report is different from the earlier document from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, calling the new document “more technical and professional.” “It takes into account the positive steps taken by [the Vatican] and the church in general,” said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi of Italy, expressing gratitude that it does not accuse the Vatican of having violated the UN’s 1984 convention against torture. Tomasi also expressed relief that the report does not imply the Catholic Church’s antiabortion stance amounts to a form of torture. At the same time, Tomasi disputed what he called two “incorrect assumptions” that he said are in the report.
First, although the report never directly asserts that the child sexual abuse scandals in Catholicism constitute a form of torture under international law, Tomasi said such a conclusion could be inferred and claimed that it is not consistent with the text of the UN convention. Second, Tomasi said the report assumes that “all priests around the world are legally subject to the Vatican,” when in fact, he said, the Vatican is only directly responsible for personnel serving in the small territory of the Vatican City State.
Critics, meanwhile, expressed little confidence in the Vatican’s response to the new UN report, saying it largely ignored the earlier series of recommendations from the Committee on the Rights of the Child. “It has now been 12 weeks since another United Nations panel released a lengthy report about the Church’s on-going clergy sexual violence and coverup crisis,” said a statement Thursday from the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests, the largest victims’ advocacy group in the United States.
“As best we can tell, every Catholic official is ignoring every one of those recommendations,” the group’s statement asserted. “That is shameful.” The Vatican on Friday released a formal statement in response to the UN report, largely expanding on the points Tomasi made in his Globe interview, and pledging to give “serious consideration” to the committee’s recommendations.
John L. Allen Jr. is a Globe associate editor, covering global Catholicism. He may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JohnLAllenJr and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JohnLAllenJr.