State considers removing child sex abuse statute of limitations

Opioid abuse and child sexual abuse in Tennessee continue to present challenges to the child welfare system, according to state officials who convened at the Southeast Tennessee Council on Children and Youth Legislative Brunch at the Museum Center in Cleveland Friday.

But a potential new law that removes the statute of limitations on past child sexual abuse may make it easier for future victims of abuse to come forward, as well as hold perpetrators accountable for their offenses.

According to the STCC's website, the organization works to ensure "all children in Tennessee are safe, healthy, educated, nurtured and supported, and engaged in activities that provide them opportunities to achieve their fullest potential" and "advocates to improve the quality of life for children and families and provides leadership and support for child advocates."

The STCC oversees Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie counties.

Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth executive director Craig Hargrow told attendees that the state has been reviewing cases where children have been in abusive situations involving drugs and sexual abuse.

Hargrow said a significant number of children in such situations later disclose they were sexually abused.

Joseph Combs, a regional administrator for the Tennessee Department of Children Services, said it is a new age in children's welfare, with drug abuse now a common theme that stresses the child welfare system.

“Years ago the problem the problems was dirty homes and some drugs,” Combs said.

Combs also said people who move from cities to rural areas are also stressing local agencies that are unaccustomed to the increased numbers of children in crisis.

Tennessee Sen. Todd Gardenhire also said the influx of cases from urban areas are presenting challenges to the system.

Gardenhire is co-sponsoring a bill that would remove the statute of limitations on child sex abuse offenses. 

According to the bill's summary, it will undo “the statute of limitations for prosecution of certain Class A or Class B felony sex offenses committed against a child on or after July 1, 2019, and deletes a provision that sets a lower statute of limitations for aggravated rape, rape of a child, rape, and aggravated rape of a child if notice of the offense is not given to law enforcement within three years of the offense.”

Gardenhire said passage of the bill will make it easier for victims of child sexual abuse to come forward in the future.

The bill, which was introduced on Jan. 29, has been placed on the March 6 agenda for the Tennessee House of Representatives' Criminal Justice Subcommittee. 

http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/state-considers-removing-child-sex-abuse-statute-of-limitations,95313

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Australia

Uproar in Australia as lid lifted on Cardinal Pell's child sexual abuse convictions

One name dominated Australian media in the last week of February 2019: Pell. This followed the lifting of a court suppression order about Cardinal George Pell's conviction on five child sex offences and a pre-sentencing court hearing. The offences took place at Melbourne's St Patrick's cathedral in the late 1990s. He was sent to prison at the plea hearing.

Many Australians have been taking sides. Opinions seem to have fallen into three categories: those condemning Pell, those asserting his innocence, and those awaiting the result of the appeal process. As crime journalist John Silvester explained: "George Pell is a polarising figure, which is perhaps why there are now two warring camps – those who want him to be guilty of historical sex offences against two choirboys and those who don't."

One commenter on a Reddit thread for the journalist's article suggested that Silvester may be in the pro-Pell group: "Given the number of times we've seen investigations buried by the Catholic faithful, I'd also appreciate knowing if the author of such a problematic article is a Catholic himself."

A number of prominent people have leapt to the cardinal's defence, including two former Liberal Party Prime Ministers. John Howard gave a reference supporting Pell to the court hearing, writing “None of these matters alter my opinion of the Cardinal”. Overall the social media response was strident in its condemnation of the controversial former PM. This sarcastic tweet by Adam Gartrell, who works for the Labor Party opposition, echoed many others:

Another former Liberal PM, Tony Abbott, revealed that he had phoned his friend Pell the day the verdict was made public. Many cartoonists were not so forgiving.

There have been numerous attacks on the so-called #PellDefenders, often suggesting they have a common cause. Wendy Bacon, a journalist, activist and former academic, used Facebook to share her thoughts about those who are sticking up for him. "I am quite disgusted by the way the right-wing Catholic lobby are mobilising to defend a now convicted pedophile. […] I also wonder how many of the defenders are allies in causes like anti-abortion, anti-equal marriage and equal sexual rights – also I wonder how many are connected to Opus Dei in Australia, one of the groups that Pell helped prosper."

Opus Dei [Work of God] is a controversial, conservative Catholic organisation with which Pell has had links.

One survivor of sexual abuse was even stronger in her condemnation of the cardinal's supporters: "Almost immediately, the parade of aggrieved, disappointed, distressed, shocked, disbelieving, sad, angry Catholics and other Pell supporters began moving like a sullen, offended beast across the media, in unedifying protest at the guilty verdict."

High profile newspaper, radio and television commentator Andrew Bolt took a leading role in attacking the jury's verdict: "But at last some of the truckload of mud thrown at him has stuck. It adds up to this: Pell, Australia's most senior Catholic, has been made to pay for the sins of his church and a media campaign of vilification. He is a scapegoat, not a child abuser."

Bolt copped considerable flak on social and other media. Sky News TV station even chose to run his Bolt Report segment on the cardinal without advertisements “to protect brands”.

Sleeping Giants Oz, campaigners ‘to make racism, bigotry and misogyny less profitable', urged a boycott: "THANK YOU @poolwerx for taking a stand to remove your ads from the Bolt Report we hope this extends to all the programs broadcast across the after 6pm offerings.

Thank you Sleeping Giants for shining the light & encouraging companies to think about who they are advertising with. Bolt was arrogant, but most people can agree his latests comments should be career ending. No one should want to advertise or be on the Bolt report.

A number of longer reflections on the conviction and its aftermath soon appeared online. Patrick Marlborough remembered a victim of abuse by clergy: "Cardinal Pell has been convicted and everyone I want to call is dead. Elation slid into rage. That instant of ‘we got him' flashed and passed and made way for instants of ‘you bastards, you absolute bastards' with electric ease. Here was a man so cloaked in authority, sanctity, and righteousness for so long by so many that his abuses of power—his abuses of children—went unchecked, unmarked, and unmasked for half a century."

In total contrast, George Weigel, senior fellow of the Institute on Religion and Public Life in Washington D.C. and friend of Pell's, is outraged by the ‘perverse verdict': "If it is not reversed on appeal, that false verdict will constitute a new indictment: the indictment of a legal system that could not bring itself to render justice in the face of public hysteria, political vendetta, and media aggression."

In a disturbing indictment, Caitlin Johnston recounted the tragic life of her uncle (a rape victim whose case was allegedly covered up by Pell and those in power) in The Monster Pell Has Been Caged At Last: "The Catholic Church murdered my uncle, as surely as if they had tied the noose themselves. It was a long, drawn-out treacherous act and it took forty years to complete, but they did it. They snuffed out that beautiful spirit. And all I can think about the Church right now is, “Burn it down.”

A meme that runs through many of the reactions online concerns atheists who want Pell to burn in hell. Senior Victorian trade union official Luke Hilakari's Facebook post shared similar sentiments: "I have no faith in the Catholic Church. And frankly I'm glad that so many of these perpetrators like George Pell believe in hell, because suffering for eternity seems about right to me."

Just when the stoush [brawl] seemed to be dying down a bit, senior defence counsel Robert Richter QC fanned the furore. In an extraordinary claim at the sentencing plea hearing, Richter referred to the case as “plain vanilla sexual penetration”. He apologised the next day but: "To little, to late. The damage is done! 'Terrible choice of phrase': Robert Richter apologises for 'plain vanilla' comment."

A seemingly trivial question on Twitter about what to call the prisoner brought a strong response. The thread, which can be accessed by clicking on the tweet, revealed the depth of feeling in the dozens of replies: "Can journos stop referring to Pell as “Cardinal” Pell. It's long-standing accepted practise that convicted criminals are referred to by surname only, without honorific. I don't see why this child abuser should get any special treatment."

Meanwhile, the Vatican has opened its own investigation into the charges against Pell. This may lead to his being defrocked [dismissed from the priesthood].

Finally, a word from a journalist who attended the trial, Emma Younger: "The analysis of George Pell's conviction from so many who weren't in the courtroom is interesting. The victim's evidence was given in closed court. It means only the 12 jurors heard the full case. Personally, I think this one is best left to the Court of Appeal."

Doubtless, the appeal decision will generate as much heat as the guilty verdict.

https://globalvoices.org/2019/03/04/uproar-in-australia-as-lid-lifted-on-cardinal-pells-child-sexual-abuse-convictions/

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Oklahoma

Former employee at Putnam City School District accused of child sexual abuse, police say

According to police, detectives began investigating allegations of child sexual abuse between the woman and a 14-year-old boy on Friday, March 1. The woman was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail on several complaints, including second-degree rape and lewd acts with a child.

Police said the relationship between the victim and the woman began as a texting relationship in early 2017. The investigation has revealed the relationship did not become physical until the summer of 2018 and continued until the woman's arrest, according to Bethany police.

The woman was employed as an attendance secretary at the school district, police said.

The Putnam City School District, along with the Putnam City Campus Police Department, are fully cooperating and assisting in this investigation, police officials said.

The former teacher has been identified as Elizabeth Madrid. District officials said there is no indication that there are other victims.

More Than 2,000 Cases Of Child Sexual Abuse Reported In Chicago Every Year

Chicago (CBS) —  It looks like an ordinary children's playground, but it's unlike any other in the city. The children that regularly play with these toys are victims of sexual abuse.

“Every year in Chicago we see over 2,000 reports of child sexual abuse,” said Char Rivette, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Center.

All of those young children come to the Children's Advocacy Center; with its playlots, family rooms, and teams of child advocates.

Due to its secretive nature, child sexual abuse is vastly under-reported.

“Maybe 20 to 40 percent of cases ever actually get reported. So, if you do the math, we're looking at thousands more cases that are happening in Chicago right now,” Rivette said.

Child sexual abuse is an equal opportunity destroyer; with no racial, geographic, or socioeconomic boundaries.

“If you look at the cumulative effects of abuse, and these couple thousand children multiplied by every city in this country throughout the nation, we're talking about an epidemic,” Rivette said.

Experts say this epidemic is the most widespread health problem children face. One in seven girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18.

Tabatha West knows that all too well. Her sexual abuse nightmare began when she was a 7-year-old first grader.

“When you're a kid and that's happening to you, you feel like you're the only one that this is happening to,” West said. “You feel like you're alone. You feel like this is just your life. It's a horrible feeling.”

A feeling felt by far more children than adults, because kids are more than twice as likely to be sexually abused.

But such assaults can be prevented, and experts say that could save up to $9 billion a year in abuse-related costs.

It's too late for West, but she believes more money for prevention could save the next child from being raped. That's why she's telling her story for the first time.

“I was young and severely depressed,” West said. “I don't know how much longer I could have lived with it.”

To report abuse, call 911 or in Illinois 1-800-25-ABUSE.

If you have a story to tell, you can reach out by emailing CBSChicagoTips@cbs.com.

In the coming weeks, CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli will sit down again with Tabatha West, who will demonstrate how she's using spoken word to conquer her demons.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/03/03/more-than-2000-cases-of-child-sexual-abuse-reported-in-chicago-every-year/

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United Kingdom

Inquiry Looks Into Whether Westminster Elite Covered Up Child Sex Abuse

Starting Monday, officials with MI5 and Scotland Yard along with former ministers and MPs will be called to testify in a three-week inquiry into historical “coverups, conspiracies, and a tolerance for pedophilia” at the highest level of the British government.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) will be examining “whether Westminster institutions, including political parties, government departments, law enforcement, or intelligence agencies, have failed or are still failing to protect children from sexual abuse.”

The inquiry will not look into past claims of child sex abuse that have been discredited in previous inquiries, but will instead consider “whether there was a culture in place in Westminster institutions that sought to shield people of public prominence from proper investigation, and tolerate their wrongdoing, at the expense of their victims.”

Victims are also expected to testify.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inquiry-looks-into-whether-westminster-elite-covered-up-child-sex-abuse

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United Kingdom

Child sexual abuse inquiry to assess merit of claims against politicians

Westminster strand of IICSA opens amid criticism of ‘moral panic' and ‘witch-hunts'

by Rajeev Syal and Owen Bowcott

The public inquiry into child sexual abuse has come under pressure to establish whether or not allegations against senior politicians are well founded, as its attention turns to the world of politics.

Opening the Westminster strand of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) on Monday amid claims of “witch-hunts” and “moral panic”, the counsel for the inquiry said it would examine how political parties reacted to paedophilia claims against their members, including the late Liberal MP for Rochdale Cyril Smith and the late Conservative MP for Chester Peter Morrison.

A third case study will look at David Challenor who, the inquiry heard, was allowed to remain an active member of the Green party before being jailed for 22 years last year after being convicted of torturing and raping a 10-year-old girl.

Before the hearing began, however, the inquiry was criticised for being a “witch-hunt against dead politicians” by the family of the late Labour peer Lord Janner. The claims against Janner will be examined in a different strand of the inquiry, the hearing heard.

The lead counsel, Brian Altman QC, said the inquiry will examine how the whips' offices have operated in parliament, including “whether it is true that the whips' offices of any party failed to report or, worse, assisted in suppressing allegations or evidence of child sexual abuse”.

It will also look at the honours system, following concerns about “honours granted to individuals who had been accused of child sexual abuse”.

The Westminster strand is one of 13 being considered by the inquiry, which began in 2015 following the Jimmy Savile scandal. There followed a string of claims against both living and dead politicians.

Altman told the London hearing the inquiry will not consider allegations made by Carl Beech, who had been known as “Nick”, claiming there was a Westminster paedophile ring operating in Dolphin Square. Beech has since pleaded not guilty to charges of perverting the course of justice and fraud.

“It is our firm submission that public concern over Westminster child sexual abuse allegations neither begins nor ends with Mr Beech,” Altman said.

“We suggest, and we are confident that many of the core participants here today will agree, that there are outstanding questions of public concern in this area that it is both necessary and appropriate for this inquiry to investigate.”

Altman said a question raised by Labour's Tom Watson in the Commons in 2012, saying there was “clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to parliament and No 10”, could be seen as the “catalyst for the establishment of this inquiry”.

Geoffrey Robertson QC, who represents the former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor, condemned the intervention of the deputy Labour leader.

“This inquiry has detected a number of cover-ups – over Sir Peter Hayman [a former diplomat who was a member of the Paedophile Information Exchange] and Cyril Smith – but the moral panic started by Tom Watson has no basis. It was smoke without fire,” he said.

Robertson called on the inquiry to clear the names of those, such as Proctor, who have been wrongly accused of abuse.

The QC also suggested libel laws needed reform because they had protected abusers such as Savile, and said police seeking a search warrant should need permission from a full-time district judge, rather than obtaining the go-ahead from a “favourite” lay magistrate.

Richard Scorer, a solicitor at the law firm Slater and Gordon who represents seven men who have made allegations against Smith, said the culture of safeguarding children had to be embedded in political parties. “The prime concern was reputational risk … No one ever seems to consider whether there are children at risk,” he said.

Sam Stein QC represents a former civil service consultant, Tim Hulbert, who claims he saw evidence of Home Office funding of the Paedophile Information Exchange in the late 1970s. The funding, he alleges, was channeled through the Women's Royal Voluntary Service because Special Branch wanted to monitor PIE members.

“We suggest that the Home Office must explain the missing [financial] records relating to millions of pounds of missing money,” Stein told the inquiry.

Samantha Leek QC, who represents the Metropolitan Police Service, told the inquiry that an 80-strong unit – Operation Winter Key – which has been looking into allegations that detectives had been prevented from carrying out investigations, had not come up with proof of any cover-ups so far. “The assessment made by the MPS is that there's insufficient evidence in any case to bring criminal or disciplinary action,” she said.

Representatives of MI5, the Metropolitan police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct will also be called as witnesses during hearings this month.

The IICSA has stressed that allegations against people accused of wrongdoing during the hearing are not necessarily true.

The Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse Can Last Long Into Adulthood

The Michael Jackson denial of child sexual abuse carried live around the world

It was 1993, and the King of Pop had been accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.

by Gillian Brockell

The live feed starts with a black screen and an unmistakable voice in mid-sentence, saying, “… and fans.” Then someone shouts, “Bring it up! Bring it up!” The video kicks in and we see him: the King of Pop, gaunt and pale in an oversized red shirt, sitting in front of a brownish-red background, reading from a prepared statement.

“It was a nightmare. A horrifying nightmare,” he says, voice quavering. “But if this is what I have to endure to prove my innocence — my complete innocence — so be it.”

It was Dec. 22, 1993, and two days earlier, investigators for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department had photographed Jackson's nude body after a 13-year-old boy accused Jackson of sexual abuse. The boy described specific, identifying characteristics of Jackson's genitals and buttocks, and the police were there to confirm possible evidence.

Hours after the search, Jackson decided he wanted to make a statement, according to Lee Solters, his publicist at the time. But this was long before a celebrity could post a cellphone video on YouTube or Twitter. Satellite time was purchased and uplink coordinates sent to the media all over the world. In the United States, the statement was carried live on CNN. ABC, CBS and NBC didn't carry it live but made it available for transmission by local affiliates.

Excerpts from the four-minute statement were played over and over for days on all the major networks, MTV and entertainment shows, particularly the part when Jackson said: “They [police] served a search warrant on me which allowed them to view and photograph my body, including my penis, my buttocks, my lower torso, thighs, and any other area that they wanted. … It was the most humiliating ordeal of my life, one that no person should ever have to suffer.”

Now Jackson, who died in 2009 of a drug overdose at the age of 50, is the subject of a searing new documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” about allegations he sexually abused boys. It airs Sunday and Monday nights on HBO.

In 1993, the accuser's attorney, Larry R. Feldman, told the Los Angeles Times: “They [Jackson's lawyers] say they don't want to try this case in the press, and then they hold the biggest news conference in the world, only they don't allow questions.”

Jackson attorney Howard Weitzman said the media was excluded to prevent “a circus atmosphere.” Another Jackson attorney, Johnnie Cochran, told CNN that night that Jackson was one the “most private” and “extremely modest” people in the world.

The investigation into the allegations were first reported four months earlier by a local TV station in Los Angeles. In The Washington Post, the allegations first appeared on the third page of the Style section on Aug. 24, 1993, to the right of a book review and just above a Doonesbury comic strip.

“An unnamed woman filed a complaint alleging Jackson had abused her child during a visit to the superstar's Neverland ranch,” it says.

At the time, Jackson was trying to recapture some of the superstardom he had enjoyed in his “Thriller” days. He launched a world tour for his album “Dangerous.” He performed at President Bill Clinton's inaugural ball. He did the halftime show at the Super Bowl.

But the allegations in August changed all that. The tour was canceled. Pepsi dropped his endorsement deal. And he checked into a treatment center in England for an addiction to painkillers.

Then, soon after returning to his Neverland ranch, came the strip search.

Weeks later, in January 1994, the accuser's parents reached a settlement with Jackson reportedly in the tens of millions. Months later, Jackson bounced back with his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, whom he credited with supporting him through his “horrifying nightmare.”

The police investigation continued but soon faded from the media's attention — thanks to another Johnnie Cochran client.

“It's sort of gotten a back seat since the [O.J.] Simpson case came up,” a source in the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office told The Post.

Scriptwriter Alison Taylor, who wrote about the black community's perspective on Simpson, put it another way: “O.J. Simpson is the best thing that ever happened to Michael Jackson.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/history/2019/03/02/michael-jackson-denial-child-sexual-abuse-carried-live-around-world/

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United Kingdom

Child sexual abuse investigation to hear from ex-ministers

Claims will be made about whether detectives were warned off making inquiries into prominent figures

by Owen Bowcott

A three-week long investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse involving politicians and Westminster officials opens on Monday, with senior police officers, former ministers and the security services expected to give evidence.

Potentially explosive claims will be made about whether parliamentary whips' offices withheld information about criminal offences in order to exploit it and whether detectives were warned off making inquiries into prominent public figures.

The latest strand of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA), chaired by Prof Alexis Jay, will examine some of the most sensitive accusations it has received. Although it will not conclude whether, for example, the former prime minister Edward Heath did or did not commit sexual abuse, it will look at the way Westminster institutions responded to such accusations.

The first week's timetable includes evidence from the Liberal Democrat peer Dick Taverne and police officers who investigated the Elm Guest House in Barnes, south-west London, which was alleged to have been used for child grooming.

The main areas to be examined in relation to child sexual abuse include police investigations, prosecution decisions, the roles of political parties, whips' offices in parliament, the honours system and the notorious Paedophile Information Exchange, which operated in the 1970s and 80s. One contentious issue is likely to be the extent of any public funding received by Pie.

At a preliminary hearing last year, the inquiry was told that a number of retired police officers had claimed they were indeed ‘warned off' investigating possible cases of child sexual abuse committed by senior politicians in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

The main aim of the inquiry will be to establish whether any Westminster institutions, political parties, government departments, law enforcement or intelligence agencies failed or are still failing to protect children from child sexual abuse.

IICSA will also inquire into whether there was a culture in Westminster institutions that shielded prominent people from investigation and tolerated wrongdoing at the expense of their victims. MI5 officials are among those due to appear as witnesses.

Allegations against the former Labour MP and peer Greville Janner QC and against the former Liberal MP Cyril Smith are being dealt with in separate strands of the inquiry, though their names are expected to surface again in the coming weeks.

It is understood that Anthony Gilberthorpe, who has previously made allegations about procuring under-age boys for Tory sex parties, has not submitted a witness statement to the inquiry and is not being called to give evidence as a witness.

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/04/child-sexual-abuse-investigation-to-hear-from-ex-ministers

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Letters

Child abuse scandal and next steps for Catholic church

Readers respond to a Joanna Moorhead article in which she claimed lay Catholics who stayed silent were complicit in the church's failure on abuse, and to a letter and editorial on the scandal engulfing the church

I agree with Joanna Moorhead (Lay Catholics are complicit in this crisis, 26 February) that all Catholics – like all adults – should take responsibility for child protection. I believe they should act as critical friends in supporting the pope's attempts to prevent and deal with child abuse. The pope has made some brave strides, and some missteps. He believed the apparently sincere and heartfelt protestations of innocence of the Chilean bishops, and reacted with anger and decisive action when he found they had been lying – he sacked them and apologised to the victims. A misstep and an apology can be a powerful message.

The pope has now made the common mistake of implying that since child abuse happens in all spheres, including the family, it is hard to prevent and we must be patient. This tactic is commonly seen as – and often is – a distraction from the main, urgent tasks that can and must be undertaken now. The RC church – and all religious bodies – should see their role as leading the way in effective child protection, rather than being dragged kicking and screaming towards decent practice. It may be a long task, but the essential first steps include use of secular justice systems, which are the fruit of long experience, careful legislation and good professional practice.

• The pope has already said that perpetrators and those who protect them should be subject to secular criminal justice systems. He must therefore urge his representative in Britain, Archbishop Edward Adams, to stop refusing to hand over crucial evidence about clerical abuse to the child sexual abuse inquiry. The Catholic church is not a democracy; yet, if every British Catholic wrote, emailed, texted or phoned Archbishop Adams with the demand that he act justly in this matter, I believe he would feel called to comply.
Hilary Cashman
Author, Christianity and Child Sexual Abuse, 1993

• Any person who is not speaking out over the crisis surrounding the Catholic ban on contraception is complicit in another tragedy. While women in rich countries ignore the ban, those in poorer ones are forced to have more children than they want or can afford. Their governments find it hard to pay for the education of the rising numbers of children, even though it would help them out of poverty. The problem will become increasingly acute as climate change makes agriculture less productive and lack of food more likely. It is difficult to see the pope's otherwise very welcome emphasis on reducing poverty as anything other than window dressing when his teaching makes poverty harder to prevent and food shortages more likely.
Helen Haran
St Albans, Hertfordshire

• While sharing Joanna Moorhead's astonishment at the silence maintained by lay Catholics over the abuse scandals, I think I can explain why many continue to attend mass and “parrot prayers”. It is because they, unlike many in the institutional church, base their faith upon the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospel and not upon the monolithic structure that is often mistaken for “the church”. We, the people, are the church; it is not a building or an institution, it is us and our anger is entirely justified. But our anger should never blind us to the many hard-working good priests who quietly and faithfully represent the best of Christianity. Sadly, we seldom hear about them.
Frances Dawbarn
Lancaster

• Most Guardian readers will appreciate that thanks to the ecumenical movement and united studies of disputed texts, no Christian would ever claim that Jesus Christ was “the founder of the Catholic church”, as he is described in Joanna Moorhead's article.
Rev Dr Donald W Norwood
Oxford

• Dr Marcella McCarthy (Letters, 25 February) points out that other organisations, along with the church, are attractive to paedophiles, but there are very few institutions which require, for non-doctrinal reasons, new entrants, often teenagers, to forgo natural human relationships and yet require an understanding of compassion and love; prohibit, for liturgical reasons, the ordination of women and therefore a role for half the population; and have had quite such an institutionalised and systemic child abuse problem.

Dr McCarthy is correct that the causes of child abuse may be complex and extend beyond merely abolishing celibacy, but suggesting, in the light of recent experience and disclosure, that such an unreformed and unrepresentative institution can now provide effective safeguarding is itself dangerously mistaken.

• Since the early 1990s I have worked with fellow clergy promoting professional development and education. My experience as one responsible for clergy support is that “a slow process of systematic reform of laws and a change of hearts”, to quote your editorial (23 February), has begun. While the awareness of the importance of safeguarding in my small part of the UK has increased, far more needs to be done globally.

To Illustrate my point, I work alongside a full-time safeguarding officer. All our clergy have to attend frequent and regular conferences on safeguarding against sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults, and they are barred from working as clergy if they miss the sessions. They are increasingly aware of good practice, which is supported by a developing set of guidelines. We are also trained in identifying signs of abuse, grooming, and the legal procedure of notification to the police. I have also developed a practice of professional supervision for clergy which aims at enhancing personal accountability in all areas of work and personal development.

While serious mistakes have been made both in the UK and more widely, I do feel that a slow process of change for the better has begun, in the Catholic Church and that we are learning from our mistakes. But we can still do better.

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/child-abuse-scandal-and-next-steps-for-catholic-church

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Maryland

Eleven-year-old girl charged with child abuse over death of baby left in her care

Suspect admitted fatal assault on one-year-old Paxton Davis, say police

by Peter Stubley

An 11-year-old girl has been charged with first-degree child abuse of a one-year-old boy who died after suffering serious injuries in her care.

The girl, who is not related to the victim, was left babysitting Paxton Davis at her home in Maryland near Washington DC while her mother went out on an errand.

Her family members called 911 after returning home to find the baby unresponsive.

Paxton was taken to hospital with severe injuries to his upper body and died four days later, on Thursday 28 February.

The girl was arrested following his death and admitted the assault, according to Prince George's County Police.

Major Brian Reilly, commander of the criminal investigation division, told a press conference the motive remains under investigation.

“I don't know what motive there would be in a situation like this for an 11-year-old to intentionally inflict injuries on a one-year-old,” he said.

“There are no words. There is no reason for this to take place.”

Major Reilly said the two families were friends and Paxton was left there in the care of the girl's mother on the previous Saturday. The girl had not looked after the baby before.

Babysitter who returned dead boy to mother charged with murder

“It was an innocent friendly agreement that turned absolutely tragic,” he said.

“There was a short time where the 11-year-old was left in the house where there was no parental supervision.”

Police were alerted by medical staff at 3.25pm following the baby's arrival at hospital.

“When hospital staff took a look at our one-year-old victim, they immediately called child abuse detectives due to the severity of his injuries,” said Major Reilly.

“It was clear from the beginning that the injuries Paxton suffered were not consistent with the normal play of a one-year-old.”

Police said that they would consult with the Prince George's County state's attorney's office to determine any further charges in the case.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/girl-charged-death-baby-boy-child-abuse-paxton-davis-maryland-a8805016.html?amp

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Baptist Church

Southern Baptist Convention grapples with sexual abuse report

After two newspapers rocked the evangelical Vatican, members who work with victims say much remains to be changed

by Josiah Hesse

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), one of the largest Christian organizations in the world, is grappling with allegations that more than 250 of its leaders sexually abused more than 700 congregants over the last two decades.

A months-long investigation by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News, published this month, asserted that dozens of churches within the SBC knowingly hired sex offenders, silenced victims, neglected to fire sexually abusive leaders and declined to report cases to secular authorities, or even document them within their own organization.

The SBC is the closest thing evangelicals have to a Vatican. That has lead to the two newspapers' work being compared to the Boston Globe's 2002 revelations about sexual abuse within the Catholic church, which were retold in the Oscar-winning film Spotlight.

“It's similar to the Boston Globe story in that people have been desperately shouting about this for years and it's only just now receiving the attention has deserved,” said Boz Tchividjian, founder of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (Grace), an investigative and educational organization.

“The 700 victims revealed in this investigation are only the tip of the iceberg, since very few survivors of abuse ever come forward.”

Tchividjian is also the grandson of Billy Graham, the world's most famous evangelical preacher. For him and many others, part of what contributes to the sexual abuse problem within some SBC communities is to be found within “purity culture”, a set of principles that portray women as virginal objects for men to court, educate and marry.

Conversely, women within purity culture are often viewed as responsible for male sexual behavior through the way they dress and behave, and are therefore seen as responsible when a man succumbs to sexual temptation.

“Purity culture can discourage abused women from coming forward for fear that they'll be blamed and no longer seen as pure,” says Tchividjian. “It places distorted value on male leadership, which can lead to a circling of the wagons when a man is accused of misconduct, discrediting the victim and protecting the ministry.”

The SBC was loosely organized in 1845, during a split with northern Baptists over the issue of slavery. It has for years wrestled with efforts to reform its principles, particularly its ban on women in positions of leadership over men.

Its 47,000 churches and 15 million members adhere to a variety of principles that are at times altered in more liberal or conservative directions depending on the tides of leadership. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, leaders such as Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson lead a successful conservative takeover, seeking a literal interpretation of the Bible in all matters, particularly on the issue of women in leadership.

In 1984, the SBC adopted the Resolution on Ordination and the Role of Women in Ministry. It says: “The scriptures teach that women are not in public worship to assume a role of authority over men lest confusion reign in the local church.”

The recent SBC exposé named both Pressler and Patterson as accused perpetrators of sexual misconduct.

Efforts to contact the SBC for comment were not returned. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, interim president of the SBC executive committee, August Boto, expressed support for the investigation and “sorrow” for victims, but said the organization was unable to create a database of abusers within the church, which would help prevent abusers being fired by one church and hired by another, due to the central tenet that each church retains some level of autonomy.

Asked about his rejection of such a proposal in 2008, Boto said: “Lifting up a model that could not be enforced was an exercise in futility.”

Tchividjian finds this perspective troubling.

“If a SBC church hired an openly gay pastor or denied the divinity of Jesus,” he said, “I sincerely doubt that the church would be allowed to remain within the denomination. This tells me that the SBC has some degree of centralized authority, certainly one that could develop a database and require member churches to contribute to it.”

‘A big, flashing vacancy sign for predators'

According to the Chronicle and Express-News, the limited instances in which secular authorities were contacted about abuse within the SBC resulted in little action. Similar to the #MeToo movement, such failures to hold church leaders accused of sexual misconduct to account via conventional channels have led to social media activism that seeks justice through public outings.

Emily Joy and Hannah Paasch grew up the daughters of pastors in the early 2000s, meeting years later at Moody Bible College. Their friendship blossomed as each reevaluated the purity culture doctrine. Paasch saw how her lack of sexual autonomy played a role in her endurance of a sexual assault and reluctance to report it. Joy came to terms with the romantic grooming she experienced as a teenager from a church youth leader in his 30s, and the way in which her community swept it under the rug.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations, Joy and Paasch decided to share their experiences under the hashtag #ChurchToo. By morning, the move had gone viral and the two were inundated with stories of sexual abuse and psychological manipulation at the hands of church leaders.

“It seems theologically tied to the way women are treated,” Paasch said. “When I was growing up there was this idea I should consider the men who expressed interest in me, because they were men of god, they were leaders. There was this idea that men and God were deciding all that behind the scenes for me. I never felt that I had permission to say no.”

Joy said: “People want to pretend that sexual shame and purity culture has nothing to do with abuse. It not only affects how the church responds to abuse, but it's the reason it happens in the first place.

“When you have a church that's mired in purity culture, you have a group of young, naive women who are primed to doubt themselves, to doubt their own intuition, to doubt their sense of their own autonomy. They're primed to listen to men, particularly spiritual men, above their own intuition. And then there's little sex education. They don't know the word ‘consent'. All of this adds up to a big, flashing vacancy sign for predators.”

Paasch and Joy admit that being inundated with horror stories of abuse is triggering and exhausting. But they say providing a space for victims to have their voices heard and believed is an essential process.

Tchividjian is similarly troubled by the revelations of abuse throughout protestant churches. But having worked in the field for so long, both as a state prosecutor and the founder and executive director of Grace, he is aware of how much more pervasive and insidious the problem is than the public knows.

He continues to work with faith-based organizations as an independent investigator and abuse prevention specialist. The most common recommendations he gives are for church leaders to listen to and respect victims, to remove reported offenders from positions of authority, and to contact law enforcement whenever anyone is suspected of being sexually abused.

All these are actions that the SBC failed to implement, according to the newspapers' report.

“Churches should be the safest communities in the world for vulnerable people,” Tchividjian said. “Being concerned about whether your child could be harmed by a church leader is the last thing a parent should have to think about, but that is a concern that must always be on our radar screen.”

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/24/southern-baptist-convention-sexual-abuse-report

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United Kingdom

Instagram The Worst As Social Media Slammed As 'A Gateway For Child Abuse'

by Zak Doffman

The leading U.K. children's charity, the NSPCC, has claimed that Instagram has become the leading platform for child grooming in the country. The research was based on freedom of information requests covering an 18-month period to September last year, during which there were more than 5,000 recorded crimes “of sexual communication with a child,” and “a 200% rise in recorded instances in the use of Instagram to target and abuse children.”

The charity's CEO, Peter Wanless, said that “these figures are overwhelming evidence that keeping children safe cannot be left to social networks. We cannot wait for the next tragedy before tech companies are made to act. It is hugely concerning to see the sharp spike in grooming offenses on Instagram, and it is vital that the platform designs basic protection more carefully into the service it offers young people.”

The primary age group being targeted was 12-15 years of age, although there were many victims under the age of 11 and some as young as five. The NSPCC expects the real number of cases to be much higher than those reported to the police. The charity has an ongoing campaign, #WildWestWeb, calling for statutory regulation of social media. “On average,” they claim, “ten online grooming offenses are recorded every single day by the police in the U.K. Social networks have become a gateway for child abuse. Unregulated and unsafe, they're simply not doing enough to protect children.”

The U.K.'s Net Aware service shows the two highest risk areas for Instagram as sexual content and bullying.

Is Regulation Now Inevitable?

Sky News quoted a spokesperson from the U.K.'s National Crime Agency spokesman saying: “It is vital that online platforms used by children and young people have in place robust mechanisms and processes to prevent, identify and report sexual exploitation and abuse, including online grooming. Children and young people also need easy access to mechanisms allowing them to alert platforms to potential offending.”

Last month, on ‘Safer Internet Day', Margot James MP, the U.K.'s Minister for Digital said that “online safety is a top priority for the Government and we want to make the U.K. the safest place in the world to be online. We will soon be publishing an Online Harms White Paper which will set out clear expectations for companies to help keep their users, particularly children, safe online.” She added that the White Paper “will set out new legislative measures to ensure that the platforms remove illegal content and prioritize the protection of users, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults.”

Also in February, 27-year-old Carl Hodgson and 38-year-old Carl Jones were both jailed in the U.K. for separate incidences of sexual contact with children. Both had used Instagram as part of their grooming campaigns.

“After 10 years of failed self-regulation by social networks,” the NSPCC's Wanless added, “it is crucial that the Government's imminent Online Harms White Paper includes new laws that tackle online grooming once and for all.”

More Of The Same

In January, Instagram was implicated in a number of teen suicides in the U.K., prompting the Children's Commissioner to write to social media organizations. “With great power comes great responsibility,” she told them, “and it is your responsibility to support measures that give children the information and tools they need growing up in this digital world – or to admit that you cannot control what anyone sees on your platforms.”

That followed a terrible 2018 for Facebook's PR machine: fake news; Cambridge Analytica; congressional hearings; the founders of WhatsApp and Instagram heading for the exit; data breaches and data leaks; and slowing growth. But then in January, the company's results for the final quarter were released, revenue and earnings were up ahead of consensus, and management, shareholders and analysts relaxed. “Facebook is done apologizing,” explained Bloomberg. “For a moment during the earnings call, I closed my eyes and swore it was the glory days of 2015.”

There was an acknowledgment with the results presentations of the value Instagram brings to the company and the need to bring it closer to the core, with a view that the photo-sharing platform could become the prime driver of Facebook's ad revenue growth in the coming years. Thus far, Instagram has pulled off the trick of appearing detached from Facebook. The ‘young and cool' are on Instagram, and whilst most also have Facebook accounts, they'll often tell you they no longer post or share on the platform. Even recent issues that have hit Instagram – a lack of transparency around paid-for posts, the hosting of dangerous imagery, the Fyre Festival – have more to do with the behavior of users than the activities of the platform itself.

But this appears to have changed. A spokesperson for Instagram has now said: “Keeping young people safe on our platforms is our top priority and child exploitation of any kind is not allowed. We use advanced technology and work closely with the police to aggressively fight this type of content and protect young people.”

An Industry Problem

This is an issue that extends across social media and is certainly not specific to Instagram. In the last few days, YouTube has responded to claims that its platform was being used to facilitate child exploitation. “We disabled comments from tens of millions of videos that could be subject to predatory behavior,” they said in a blog post. “These efforts are focused on videos featuring young minors and we will continue to identify videos at risk over the next few months. Over the next few months, we will be broadening this action to suspend comments on videos featuring young minors and videos featuring older minors that could be at risk of attracting predatory behavior.”

The clamor for regulation of social media gets louder by the week. According to Pew Research, almost half of American teens claim to be online “almost constantly”, with the social media platforms YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter predominating. Approaching 60% of teens have been bullied or harassed online, with 90% acknowledging it as a real issue.

In an interview with Business Insider this week, U.K. Minister Margot James has said that the threat of financial sanctions against the leading social media platforms is set to become very real if toxic content and bad behaviors are not brought under control.

Already in 2019, we have seen headline after headline around data exploitation and ruthless commercialization across social media, and now this. The question is around the level of intent on behalf of the platforms to change, despite the threat of regulation. There's a fear that restrictions are unlikely to carry much weight across hundreds of countries and billions of users. Instagram parent Facebook's answer to its PR challenges of 2019 was to post a set of record financial results.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/03/01/surge-of-200-in-use-of-instagram-to-target-and-abuse-children/amp/

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US & Canada

'Thousands of US child migrants sexually abused'

The Department of Justice reportedly received an additional 1,303 sex abuse complaints against unaccompanied minors during the same period.

Congressman Ted Deutch, who released the figures , said at least 154 claims are against facility staff members.

A spokesman for the health department said it takes the claims seriously.

"These documents demonstrate over the past three years there have been 154 staff-on-unaccompanied-minor - let me repeat that, staff-on-unaccompanied-minor - allegations of sexual assault," Congressman Deutch said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.

The hearing, which focused on the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy that led to thousands of immigrant children being separated from their families, featured testimony from Jonathan White, the deputy director for children's program's at Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).

"This works out, on average, to one sexual assault by HHS staff on an unaccompanied minor, per week," Mr Deutch continued.

Mr White clarified that those allegations are not against HHS staff, but rather against the contractors who are paid by HHS to run the underage migrant detention facilities.

"I will make that clarification. It doesn't make what happened any less horrific," Mr Deutch responded.

Caitlin Oakley, a spokeswoman for HHS, said the shelters are run by childcare service centres that are licensed by state officials.

"These are vulnerable children in difficult circumstances," she said in a statement to Axios , which first reported the documents.

"When any allegations of abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect are made, they are taken seriously and ORR acts swiftly to investigate and respond."

The allegations include sexual relationships, showing pornographic videos to children and forcible touching, according to Axios.

The figures were revealed as Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform voted to issue subpoenas to Trump administration officials involved in the now-suspended policy of separating parents from their children after they illegally cross the US-Mexico border.

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-47377889

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Irish Christian Brothers

Science education pioneer accused of sexual abuse while teaching in Irish Christian Brothers schools

Court documents reveal that 430 people have claimed they were abused by members of the Irish Christian Brothers order.

by FRANK ESPOSITO

A well-known figure in the science education world is among several Irish Christian Brothers accused of sexually abusing students at Irish Christian Brothers schools in New Rochelle in the 1960s and 1970s, lawyers for former students alleged.

Two men alleged that Brother Robert Pavlica of Iona Prep and Brother Michael John of the Blessed Sacrament High School abused them when they were students, said lawyer Mike Reck, attorney at Jeff Anderson and Associates of New York City.

Pavlica, who died in 2007, created the Authentic Science Research Program, which would later become the model for science research programs in New York and around the country.

The alleged victims are all part of a bankruptcy lawsuit filed by the Irish Christian Brothers in 2011.

A spokesperson for the Christian Brothers confirmed these allegations were a part of the bankruptcy case.

However, the bankruptcy case has put a freeze on any new suits that the recently signed Child Victims Act could have brought forward, Reck said.

"Survivors seeking transparency and accountability, they're prevented from moving forward because of the case," Reck said.

While both named clerics have since died, the naming of Pavlica sent shock waves through New York state because of his high profile in the science education world. After leaving the Irish Christian Brothers, Pavlica joined the faculty of Byram Hills High School in Armonk in 1970.

While at Byram Hills, Pavlica created the Authentic Science Research Program and the school's program bears Pavlica's name in his honor.

Byram Hills Superintendent Jen Lamia had little to say on the allegations, or what would be done with the name of the program.

"I'll be having future conversations with the board, and we'll be looking into this and investigating it," Lamia said.

Lamia had not heard of any allegations about Pavlica's behavior during his time at Byram Hills.

The Christian Brothers provided the following statement.

These allegations are not new to us because they were among the claims filed as part of the bankruptcy case in 2012. These allegations took place at schools other than Iona Prep, with the exception of one claim, which dates back to 1968 – and because of the bankruptcy settlement structure, that claim was not tested for its merits.

The Province's policy for the protection of children and vulnerable adults is aimed at the prevention of abuse and any type of misconduct. It includes a swift and open response when allegations are reported. The accused is removed immediately from their ministry and/or position, followed by an independent investigation – and full disclosure and cooperation with the appropriate authorities – to ensure complete transparency and objectivity.

Hundreds allege abuse

These allegations are the latest in a long line of people claiming abuse at the hands of Irish Christian Brothers.

As a part of the bankruptcy case, the court required the Christian Brothers to notify prior students that they could join the case.

Court documents reveal that over 430 people have claimed they were abused by members of the order. However, these claims were not investigated for credibility as part of the settlement agreement.

The Irish Christian Brothers were founded in 1802 with the purpose of evangelizing and educating young people. In addition to Iona Prep and Blessed Sacrament, the Brothers — who were headquartered in New York — have schools in New York and New Jersey as well as throughout the country.

Some other Christian Brothers schools include:

Power Memorial Academy (New York, New York)

Cardinal Hayes High School (Bronx, New York)

Bishop Kearney High School (Rochester, New York)

Sacred Heart Grammar School (New York, New York)

Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons High School (Albany, New York)

Essex Catholic High School (Newark, New Jersey)

Bergen Catholic High School (Oradell, New Jersey)

Cantwell High School (Los Angeles, California)

Palma High School (Salinas, California)

The Chapter 11 suit, which allows the school to negotiate with creditors without having to liquidate its assets, created a $16.5 million trust that will distribute funds to abuse victims.

New state law may not help victims

Other than securing a payout for victims, the bankruptcy also protected the brothers from future suits, Reck said.

"On one hand they shielded themselves from the inquisition that's coming, and the second thing they did was a shrewd risk management decision," Reck said. "Now the Christian Brothers are effectively insulated from the Child Victims Act, because of the bankruptcy bar date."

That means if people didn't file claims against the brothers before a certain date the bankruptcy case prevents them from filing a claim against the brothers afterwards, even with the Child Victims Act.

But victims may still sue the diocese where the school was located, Reck said.

"Those survivors, can sue the diocese where the school sits," Reck said. "For example, if Iona Prep is in the New York Diocese, survivors can sue the diocese for its role in covering up and allowing the school to be there."

More: Think list of abusers who were at McQuaid is complete? Our investigation shows it's not

Two new alleged abuse claims at Iona

Reck said more people are coming forward claiming clerics at Irish Christian Brothers' schools abused them. He said his clients cited Brother John Justin O'Connor and Brother Charles Irwin at Iona Prep as clerics who allegedly committed abusive acts on their clients.

As part of the Christian Bothers' bankruptcy settlement both O'Connor and Irwin were named in a list of alleged abusers who were accused of more than one claim of abuse.

Blessed Sacrament High School closed in 2013, but Iona Prep remains open.

Bergen Catholic High School named
Others, outside the ICB suit, have claimed Irwin abused them in the past.

Irwin worked in many schools, mostly in New York, but during the mid-1960s he worked at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey.

Some of Irwin's Bergen victims were a part of a $1.9 million settlement in 2016. Each victim received between $65,000 and $115,000. The settlement was shared between 21 men who accused staff of Bergen Catholic High School of abusing them.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian said then that at the time of the alleged abuse, from 1963 to 1978, his clients were between 13 and 17 years old. They are now between 53 and 68 years old.

Irwin also worked at:

St. Patrick's Provincialate Community; New Rochelle, New York

Santa Maria Novitiate-Novice; West Park, New York

St. Gabriel's Scholasticate Student; West Park, New York

Sacred Heart Community and Grammar School; New York City, New York

Cardinal Hayes Holy Family Community; Bronx, New York

Cardinal Hayes-St. Helena's Annex; Bronx, New York

Power Memorial Community and Academy; New York City, New York

Irwin died in 1997.

O'Connor worked at Bergen Catholic in the late 1980s, before he left the order.

Irish Christian Brothers

In 2017 the Irish Christian Brothers released a list of members who had more than one abuse claim against them. Claims against these men were never validated, as part of the bankruptcy settlement agreement.

Angel, Larry K. (deceased)

Barry, Gerald K. (former)

Beckstrom, Robert E. (former)

Brouillette, Robert (former)

Burton, David B. (Brother)

Carr, Michael T. (deceased)

Carroll, Francis (deceased)

Casale, Albert (former)

Chaney, John (Brother)

Cobb, Alan S. (former)

Collins, Donald Cecil (deceased)

Condon, Eugene (former)

Courtney, Edward (former)

Delamere, Frank P. (former)

Duffin, Thomas (deceased)

Dunn, James Claver (deceased)

Ferro, Salvatore (Brother)

Ford, Thomas C. (deceased)

French, Edward George (Brother)

Gardner, Stephen Justin (former)

Hanney, James (former)

Heathwood, John (deceased)

Heustis, Jerome (deceased)

Hewitt, Andrew Thomas (deceased)

Houlihan, James Alvarez (deceased)

Irwin, Charles (deceased)

Kealey, John (deceased)

Kernan, Joseph (deceased)

Lasik, Ronald (Brother)

Lawlor, John (former)

Medvit, Paul (deceased)

Murphy, Clement Adan (deceased)

Murphy, John E. (former)

Murphy, Thomas Ignatius (deceased)

Nash, Dermod (deceased)

Neary, Walter D. (deceased)

O'Connor, John J. (former)

Padilla, Ruben Mark (former)

Post, Robert (former)

Ralph, Alan Gerard (Brother)

Reycraft, Paul S. (former)

Ryan, Daniel Peter (deceased)

Satterthwaite, Robert (deceased)

Stoyles, Michael E. (deceased)

Thompson, James (former)

Thorne, Harold (Brother)

Walderman, J. Matthew (Brother)

Walsh, Michael (deceased)

Warren, James V. (deceased)

https://amp.democratandchronicle.com/amp/3049530002

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U.S. National

At Least 4,500 Abuse Complaints at Migrant Children Shelters

The government says it has received more than 4,500 complaints of sexual abuse and harassment of migrant children in shelters it managed.

by COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of accusations of sexual abuse and harassment of migrant children in government-funded shelters were made over the past four years, including scores directed against adult staff members, according to federal data released Tuesday.

The cases include allegations of inappropriate touching to staff members allegedly watching minors while they bathed and showing pornographic videos to minors. Some of the allegations included inappropriate conduct by minors in shelters against other minors, as well as by staff members.

Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., released the Health and Human Services Department data amid a hearing on the Trump administration's policy of family separations at the border. The data span both the Obama and Trump administrations, and were first reported by Axios.

From October 2014 to July 2018, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a part of Health and Human Services, received 4,556 complaints, including allegations of sexual abuse, harassment and inappropriate behavior. Of those, the Justice Department received 1,303 more serious sex abuse complaints, including 178 allegations of sexual abuse by adult staff, officials said.

The number of complaints decreased during budget year 2017, but otherwise has hovered at about 1,200 per year. Refugee Resettlement officials said the majority of the allegations were "inappropriate sexual behaviors" between minors at the facilities, and shelters can often resolve these allegations through counseling and other non-criminal avenues.

Department officials said the majority of allegations weren't substantiated, and they defended their care of children. They also noted the accused staff members were not employees of the department.

"We share the concern," said Jonathan White, a Health and Human Services official who was in charge of the effort to reunify children with their parents, testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. "Any time a child is abused ... is one time too many. We abide fully with the laws this Congress has passed, and we are very proud of our outstanding track record of full compliance including referring every allegation for investigation."

The Office of Refugee Resettlement manages the care of tens of thousands of migrant children who cycle through the system each year. More than 2,700 children were separated from their parents over the summer at the border, and were placed in shelters. But most of the children in government custody crossed the border alone.

Children are placed in custody until they can be released to sponsors, usually a parent or close relative, while awaiting immigration proceedings. The shelters are privately run under contracts with the government.

Youth are held for increasingly longer periods of time, currently about two months. As of the first week of February, more than 11,000 migrant toddlers, children and teens were in federal custody as unaccompanied minors, up from about 2,500 detained children three months after Trump took office.

Sexual abuse allegations are reported to federal law enforcement, though it's not clear whether anyone was charged criminally. In many cases, staff members were suspended and eventually fired.

Deutch said the data were clearly alarming.

"Together, these documents detail an unsafe environment of sexual assaults by staff on unaccompanied minors," he said.

Health and Human Services officials say all allegations are taken very seriously, and the department cooperates with all investigations.

Facilities under government contract must provide training to all staff, contractors and volunteers. Background checks are completed on potential employees, and facilities are prohibited from hiring anyone who has engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior.

But Arizona officials moved last fall to revoke licenses for one of the major nonprofits that operates migrant children shelters after it missed a deadline to show that all its employees passed background checks.

A state investigation of Texas-based Southwest Key last summer, prompted by several reports of sexual abuse of immigrant children in Arizona, found that some shelters had not conducted fingerprint checks for all employees.

Southwest Key has apologized and is working with the state to ensure it never misses a deadline again, a spokesman said.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2019-02-26/data-show-many-allegations-of-sex-abuse-of-migrant-children

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Japan

Govt. orders checks on possible child abuse cases

Japan's welfare ministry has called on local governments to conduct new investigations into cases of possible child abuse. Officials say the safety of more than 2,900 children around the country cannot be confirmed.

An emergency survey by the ministry revealed that as of November 30, the safety of 2,936 children aged below 18 was unknown. Some of them failed to receive mandatory medical checkups. Other children could be living outside the country.

The government suspects there are serious cases of child abuse. Ministry officials on Friday asked local authorities to conduct new investigations and report to the ministry by March 11th.

The ministry is also calling on local governments to report details on each child, such as whether they are sharing information with child welfare centers and police.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190302_09/amp.html

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Vatican

Read the Pope's entire speech blasting sexual abuse within the church

by CNN

(CNN) Here is a transcript of Pope Francis' speech Sunday on the final day of a historic Vatican summit on clergy sexual abuse, as posted on the Vatican's website:

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/02/25/europe/vatican-clergy-abuse-pope-transcript/index.html