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Protect kids from pervs for £10

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-20065…6560083,00.html

TODAY sees the launch of a revolutionary computer program that can help parents safeguard their children from paedophiles prowling the net.

And The Sun is backing the software and offering YOU a chance to protect your kids from online pervs — for under a tenner.

It is a sad fact that paedophiles are using internet chatrooms, social networking sites and instant messaging services to prey on vulnerable children and teens.

This is why In Loco Parentis — which means “in place of parents” — is the computer program every parent should know about.

The unique anti-grooming software can be downloaded to your home computer in just five minutes.

It then works to monitor your child’s online activity.

It includes a unique “watch-word dictionary” to detect key words in online conversations indicating your child is being groomed by a paedophile or bullied via your computer.

If the words appear, it sends you an email alert without your child even knowing — and offers you the chance to view the whole discussion.

In Loco Parentis (ILP) logs all your child’s computer activity, including which websites they have visited and even what keystrokes they have made.

It monitors messages sent to your computer and gives you free upgrades in future.

Parents can tailor the software to their own needs, allowing them to reduce or increase filters when they need to.

And you don’t have to be a computer whizz to use the software. It has been designed to be simple.

The software has been developed with the help of anti-paedophile campaigners Sara Payne and Shy Keenan. Both women have experienced the devastating effects of paedophilia. They joined forces earlier this year through child abuse support group Phoenix Survivors to demand changes in the law.

Sara Payne has dedicated her life to stamping out child abuse since her beloved eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by sex offender Roy Whiting in July 2000.

While Sara, who has five children including Sarah, is still learning how to use her computer, she has already realised the benefits of ILP, which she has been trying out.

She said: “It is exactly what parents need. It allows them to look over their children’s shoulders when they are on the Net.

“The internet is fantastic. My 12-year-old daughter Charlotte has to use it all the time for homework. This software just gives parents the peace of mind to let their children have the freedom to use the internet safely.

“Sarah would be 15 if she were alive now. We would probably be rowing like mad about everything from clothes to boyfriends.

“I am also sure she would also be using the internet. I can’t have her back but at least I can make her life mean something by the work that I do. That’s what drives me on.

“Hopefully, I can help make other kids safe.”

Both Sara and Shy know only too well how the internet is used by twisted paedophiles to pursue their sick ends. But Sara said: “We are developing more sophisticated ways of trying to stop them all the time — and that gives me hope.

“ILP can’t stop paedophiles getting to children on the internet. But I am hoping it will give parents some peace of mind and make them feel a bit better about letting their children use a computer.”

Shy Keenan started Phoenix Survivors in 2002 after her stepfather was jailed for selling her into a paedophile ring.

She said: “There are very few things in this world that the child-molesting sex offender has not abused, manipulated and used to facilitate the exploitation of children. The internet is, of course, no exception to this sad rule.

“We need to take action to make what can be a very dangerous place for children as safe as possible.

“Installing software such as ILP offers parents the peace of mind they need when allowing their children access to the big, bad virtual world that is the internet.”

Detective Inspector Brian Ward, a senior investigator in the Paedophile and High-Tech Crime Units of the Metropolitan Police, also believes the software is a brilliant idea.

He said: “It is very simple for parents to use and it is aimed directly at them.

“There is a digital divide, where parents sometimes don’t have a great knowledge of the internet and as a result have no idea what their children are doing online.

“But I would advise all parents to consider the internet as a place they should be monitoring. After all, you wouldn’t let a stranger walk into your front room to talk to your child — so why should they be able to do that through the internet?

“There are paedophiles looking to ingratiate themselves with children on chatrooms, instant messenger services and social networking sites.

“ILP gives parents a way to check who their children are talking to.

“The nature of being a child is that you are naive, that is why it is our job as adults to protect them.”
# If you feel someone has been speaking to your children inappropriately you can report that person to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.

Go to www.ceop.gov.uk.

I don’t feel I’m spying on my kids

PARENTS Charlie Fleming, 44, and Maz Curley, 42, have been trying out the ILP software.

They have four children, sons Ashley, 19 and Reami, five, and daughters, Simone, 17, and Danielle, 11. All use the net.

Charlie told The Sun: “MSN messenger is the bane of our lives. My stepdaughters are always on it. Having ILP has given me peace of mind.

“Often the girls will have friends round and they will all be huddled around the computer and the door shut. I don’t want to deny them their privacy, which is why it is good the programme sends us an alert of anything to worry about.

“I know my older daughter visits a site called profile.com, where people post pictures and ask you to rate them on looks.

“You don’t know who could infiltrate something like that.

“I haven’t had any alerts from ILP so far but the software is good because although there is a set dictionary, you can add words or remove them. I have entered our phone number so it will be picked up every time one of my kids gives it out.

“It also picks up words that could suggest your child is being bullied or intimidated, so it can help protect against cyber-bullying.

“I don’t feel as though I am spying on my kids, it is just about protection.

“Paedophiles are coming up with cleverer and cleverer ways to use the internet and it is our job as parents to safeguard our children.

“Even my five-year-old son uses the net now.”

Perv casebook

INTERNET Paedophile Adrian Ringland, 36, was jailed for six years last month. He blackmailed schoolgirls into sending him indecent photos of themselves after meeting them on the net.

PERVERT Neil Ross, 31, made legal history last year when he pleaded guilty to having “cybersex” with a 13-year-old-girl via a webcam. The perv pretended to be 19 and performed a sex act after ordering the teenager to expose her chest.

PAEDOPHILE dad of four Simon Moore, 36, used the internet to snare young victims for sex. He contacted one girl when she was just 12 – and later spent a night with her in a Glasgow hotel. Police were called after labourer Moore’s partner found explicit emails.

Get ILP for £10

IN LOCO PARENTIS has a recommended retail price of £19.99 – but Sun readers can buy it for just £9.99 until December 31 2006.

To claim your half-price copy, log on to www.ilp4parents.com, click the “full version” download button, enter your details and offer code “thesun” when prompted. The price will automatically be reduced.

Follow the step-by-step installation instructions or use the free online support to help you get the best from ILP. To see what ILP does before buying, click the “free trial” icon on the website for a fully functional, ten-day trial version.

Nun ‘called’ to support reforms of abuse laws

Nun ‘called’ to support reforms of abuse laws
Sister says she was assaulted by priest
By ROBIN ERB
BLADE STAFF WRITER

source : http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic…NEWS02/51108037

Her childhood memories come in excruciating flashes.

In one, she is 6. It is noon recess. She wears pigtails, a school uniform, and the pain of the rape minutes earlier.

In another, she is 9. Her abuser — a priest, she said — hands her an oatmeal cookie. She is a “good girl” that day, he tells her.

Now, more than three decades later, Sister Ann-Marie Borgess is a longtime nun with the Sisters of Notre Dame in West Toledo. She was a teacher at Ladyfield Catholic School until it closed earlier this year.

So when she takes the microphone today at a news conference planned by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, she becomes an unlikely ally for victims of clergy abuse — a voice from within the church’s walls.

“I feel called to do this,” she said recently from the Notre Dame Provincial Center, where she is administrative assistant at a nonprofit that helps children with special educational needs.

Still, she conceded: “I’m terrified.”

Lawmakers today are invited to a “Speak Out” session at 2 p.m. at the Vern Riffe Center in Columbus. It is a precursor to a hearing tomorrow in front of the Ohio House of Representatives’ judiciary committee on a bill that would lengthen — from 2 to 20 years — the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse.

The Ohio Catholic Conference supports that provision as well as another adding clergy to the list of those mandated to report suspected abuse to authorities, but it objects to a one-year “look-back” period. If it becomes law, that provision would allow a one-year window for victims of abuse from as long as 35 years ago to file lawsuits.

Bishop Leonard Blair of the Toledo Catholic Diocese has personally met with lawmakers, arguing that the “look-back” provision is unconstitutional and exposes the church to costly and unfounded litigation.

That means Sister Ann-Marie’s support of the bill today puts her at odds with the hierarchy of the Toledo diocese.

Calling her conversations with the diocese about her allegations “frustrating and spiritually disheartening,” Sister Ann-Marie argues the bill is the only way to fully expose abusive clergy. She names Chet Warren, a priest barred from ministry, as her abuser, saying her psyche, as a matter of self-preservation, had set aside the memories until she was an adult. She said she’s ready for the tough questions she might face over the controversial concept of repressed memories. “I’m at a point in my healing, where I’m stronger. … I’m aware of the pain that’s in so many people’s hearts, and I’ve been awed by the courage that others have shown in speaking the truth,” she said.

Mr. Warren was never criminally charged. However, he was banned from ministry after several women accused him of assaulting them at St. Pius X in the 1960s and 1970s. In March, Bishop Blair personally apologized for Mr. Warren, saying he had committed “grievously sinful and criminal” acts.

Mr. Warren did not return a call seeking comment. He has repeatedly declined interviews with The Blade about allegations that he engaged in sexual abuse as a priest.

Sally Oberski, a spokesman for the diocese, declined comment on any conversations between Sister Ann-Marie and the diocese, citing the diocese’s confidentiality clause over investigations of sexual abuse.

As for Sister Ann-Marie’s position on the proposed legislation, Ms. Oberski said the diocese has no jurisdiction over operations at the Sisters of Notre Dame. Sister Ann-Marie’s position is “really between the religious order ,” she said.

Sitting with Provincial Sister Anne-Mary Molyet recently, Sister Ann-Marie was adamant that hers is a personal stand today, not one representing or taken by the entire Notre Dame community, which numbers about 250 nuns locally and more than 2,000 worldwide.

Sister Anne-Mary Molyet agreed, noting that the diocese must take its position on the bill to protect the church, its members, and its financial health. Still, she said she also personally disagreed with the diocese’s position.

“As women religious, we’re called to be a prophetic role in the church and in society,” Sister Anne-Mary said. “Therefore we stand with the people who suffer, and particularly children, and now those suffering the devastating effect of clergy abuse.”

The state House Judiciary Committee considers the bill tomorrow but is limiting testimony to four legal experts who will address the constitutionality of the “look-back” period.

In documents provided to The Blade, it appears all but one of the four experts — SNAP’s representative — take the position that the “look-back” period may be unconstitutional. Still, the Ohio Legislative Services Commission says it may ultimately be up to courts to decide.

Child Protection – Check the web

source : http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/2504

Source: Gloucestershire County Council
Published Thursday, 1 September, 2005 – 09:31

Would you know what to do if you suspected a child was being abused? You could play your part in supporting and protecting children and young people using Gloucesters hire’s new ACPC (Area Child Protection Committee) website.

The new web pages contain advice for parents and carers, advice on what to do if you suspect a child is being abused and pages especially for children and young people going through the child protection process. The website is also designed to be a helpful resource for professionals working in the child protection field.

The website launch coincides with the launch of the ACPC’s Annual Report 04/05 & Business Plan 05/06. The Annual Report shows recent success in reducing the number of children on the Child Protection Register and the length of time they are on the register. This is a reflection of the success of multi-agency child protection work and of the way child protection cases are managed by social work teams.

In December 2004 there were 188 children on the Child Protection Register, compared to 260 in 1998.

Most children were on the register for 3-6 months in 2004, the majority were registered for 6-12 months in 2003.

10 children per 10,000 under 18s are on the register in Gloucestershire, compared to nine in Cheshire and Somerset, 12 in Oxfordshire, 18 in Derbyshire and 25 in Shropshire.
The main reason for registration in 2004 was neglect, in 2003 it was physical injury.
The ACPC has a busy year ahead as members work to create a Local Safeguarding Children Board in response to the Children Act 2004, replacing the ACPC. The new Board will link to the five outcomes for children in the Green Paper Every Child Matters: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; and achieving economic well being.

Darren Shaw, Chair of the ACPC, said: “The new Safeguarding Children Board will widen ownership of safeguarding and protection issues beyond the agencies traditionally involved and to look at safety and prevention issues rather than only dealing with abuse and neglect.”

Cllr Alan Pearce, Cabinet member for young people, said: “The ACPC website and forward planning for the new Safeguarding Children Board show that the continuing aim of the County Council is to support young people in their own families whenever this is possible and to provide effective alternative support when this is needed. Both strands of this policy are welcome and deserve the widest possible public approval.”

The ACPC website address is www.glosacpc.org.uk

Gloucestershire ACPC works for all children and young people in Gloucestershire, whatever their circumstances, particularly those who are most vulnerable and at risk of harm, to protect them from abuse and neglect. It will:

Provide the framework for agencies to work together to protect children and young people, within legal and procedural requirements
Seek to ensure provision of quality services to protect children from abuse and neglect and to promote their welfare Aim to ensure children and young people receive the help they need to recover from abuse Current members of Gloucestershire ACPC:

Gloucestershire County Council Social Services; Gloucestershire County Council Education; Gloucestershire Constabulary; Gloucestershire Probation; Cotswold & Vale Primary Care Trust; Cheltenham & Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust; West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust; Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust; Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust; NHS Direct; Gloucestershire Public Health Dept; NSPCC; Gloucestershire Association of Secondary Heads; Gloucestershire Association of Primary Heads; CAFCASS (Children & Family Court Advisory Support Service); GDVIP (Gloucestershire Domestic Violence Intervention Project); YOS (Youth Offending Service); Connexions

Top 10 Ways to Cope With Holiday Party Anxiety

source : http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/holidays…nxiety.htm?nl=1

At this time of year, we may feel obligated to attend many parties. With or without an anxiety disorder, it can be stressful figuring out which ones to attend, what to wear, what to bring, and what to say when we get there. You don’t have to do it all! Whether you’re mildly stressed or severely anxious, you can learn to cope by taking care of yourself with these suggestions.

1) Don’t overbook yourself — set boundaries
You don’t have to go to every party. Decide which parties are truly important to you. Often, you can give a lot of yourself by being choosy. You don’t need to attend all family get-togethers, for example. Have an excuse prepared for when you say “no,” and it’s OK to stretch the truth a bit. When you put yourself first, you’ll have more to give everyone else.
More: How to cope with family during the holidays

2) When you do go, set time limits
You don’t have to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. If people make demands on you, be ready to set limits. If you can’t get to your mom’s early to help set-up, say so, but bring an extra dish to pass. Always decide in advance when you will leave. If you’re relaxed and want to stay longer, you can. If you need to leave, you won’t feel badly because you promised yourself you would.

3) Have a safe place for every party
If your anxiety is severe (particularly social anxiety and panic disorder), you need a safe place. If the person having the party knows and understands your anxiety, you can ask if there is a room you can use if you need it. When that’s not possible, be imaginative. Make your car a cozy safe place. Knowing that you have a safe place is often enough to make you not ever need to use it.

4) Bring someone who understands
If at all possible, bring a friend or family member who knows about your anxiety. To work well in this situation, the person must understand that you need to leave when you say so, and the person should know about your safe place. You don’t want to over-rely on this person, but having a “safe” person there may make you comfortable to enjoy yourself.
More: Tips for helping someone with an anxiety disorder

5) Make the event special for yourself
Go because you want to go, and then make it a special event. Do what you can to help relax ahead of time — perhaps a long bath followed by silly dancing to your favorite CD. Wear your favorite clothes. Get ready by candle light with soft music playing. Try to pamper yourself and make the evening (or day) special.

6) Help yourself remember your coping tools
If you have a severe anxiety disorder and are recovered enough to go to parties, then you probably already know a number of coping tools, such as relaxation and breathing exercises. Bring index cards to remind you of the steps you need to take. When anxiety sets in, it can be difficult remembering exactly how to do your breathing exercise, and there’s nothing wrong with needing a reminder.
More: An easy breathing exercise

7) Bring a comfort bag
Along with index cards to remind you of your coping tools, you may have other items that are a comfort to you when away from home. Don’t hesitate to put together a comfort bag, even if it’s something you’ll need to leave in your car. There is nothing wrong with needing “safe” items nearby to help you, particularly when you’re facing stressful situations.
More: How to put together a comfort bag

8) Talk to your therapist
If you have time, you will definitely want to discuss your anxieties with your therapist. The suggestions here are general and are meant to help you develop individual coping techniques. Your personal therapist will be able to help you further. It may not be possible to get help on the day of a party, but make it a goal to work on these issues in the future.

9) Remember why you’re celebrating
You’re not going to parties because you have to go. You’re not going just to give and get gifts. You’re going because you want to be with the people you care about. Even office parties are about sharing good cheer with people you see every day. Think about sharing friendship and happiness, and how you fit in to all of it, rather than trying to do what you think everyone else wants you to do.

10) If you can’t go, then don’t go
You can say “no” at any time. People get sick and have emergencies. It’s OK if you can’t go. You can make it up to people another time, if you feel they’ll be hurt. Don’t make yourself sick when you realize you’re too anxious to go, even at the last minute. The world will not stop. You will be forgiven. BUT, if you don’t go, make concrete goals to work on going in the future. You can do it.Important disclaimer information about this About site.

Top 10 Tips for a Low-Stress Vacation

source : http://stress.about.com/cs/copingskills/tp…61002a.htm?nl=1

Many of us look forward to vacation time all year long, only to find that after the trip we’re just as stressed, or more so, than before. Traveling, altered schedules, and new situations can all lead to stress. If you’re seeking a relaxing holiday, the following tips can help make your vacation as enjoyable, and stress-free, as possible.

1) Do some advance planning.
If your heart is set on visiting a particular museum or attraction, or if you’re dreaming of that Michelin-starred restaurant, find out in advance if it’s open or available on the day you’ve chosen. While you need not plan every minute or detail of the trip in advance, gathering a bit of info can save disappointment at your destination.

2) Don’t overdo it in the sun.
This is likely the most common advice given to those headed for warmer climes, but it’s among the most ignored warnings. A bad case of sunburn really can ruin several of your hard-earned days off.

3) Banish unreasonable expectations.
A week away isn’t likely to restore your health, mend a broken relationship, or give you a totally fresh outlook on life. Don’t expect miracles to occur because you’re away from your routine. Just focus on the moment and enjoy yourself.

4) Give yourself time to acclimate.
This is most important if you’re crossing several time zones or traveling to a new country or region. Try to keep the first day or two free to explore your new surroundings and relax. A full-day tour of a new city beginning on a jet-lagged morning is a sure prescription for stress.

5) Take necessary health precautions.
Falling ill can ruin the best-planned vacation or getaway. If you’re traveling to a different part of the world, check in advance if you’re likely to encounter problems with certain foods or water. Ask your doctor if immunizations or prophylactic medications are necessary.

6) Keep the kids happy.
Families traveling together should include a balance of adult- and child-oriented activities, and recognize that younger children will be less adaptable to new surroundings, different foods, and daily schedules than their older siblings. Be sure to include plenty of time for play and relaxation.

7) Forget the whirlwind tour.
If low stress is your goal, you don’t want to pack your bags and move from one destination to the next every couple of days.

8) Eat and drink in moderation.
Overindulgence is always a temptation, particularly at all-inclusive resorts or on cruises with seven meals per day. Eating and drinking yourself sick, however, doesn’t make for a relaxing trip.

9) Be honest with your travel companions.
Grudgingly going along with everyone else’s wishes against your own can lead to built-up resentment and tension. Try to openly communicate your ideas, wishes, and expectations and encourage your travel companions to do the same.

10) Accept the unexpected.
Face it – something is bound to be different than you expected or desired. Whether it’s uncooperative weather, noisy hotel neighbors, or a broken rental car, try to roll with the punches. Being on vacation doesn’t make us immune to day-to-day mishaps and annoyances. Focus on controlling your reactions to any nuisances so that they don’t spoil your mood.

Dover man charged with possessing child pornograph

DOVER- A Dover man has been charged with possessing child pornography on computers in his home.

source : http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=340…84&nav=MXEFaRYJ

The Dover police say that on Jan. 31 of this year, the department’s criminal investigation unit received a complaint that Theodore Jeffries, 51, of Par Haven Drive in Dover, was in possession of computers that contained images of children engaged in sexual acts.

A search warrant was executed on Feb. 2, 2005 and the computers were seized. The computers were examined by the Delaware State Police High Technology Crimes Unit. The police say the computers were found to have over 50 images of child pornography and that the user had intentionally performed searches for child pornography.

On Saturday, May 28, the police announced that Jeffries was charged with 20 counts of using a computer to unlawfully depict a child engaging in a prohibited sexual act and 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

He was committed to the Delaware Correctional Center on $8,000 secured bond.

The “Sins” of the Father

The “Sins” of the Father
While Catholic priests raped Orange County children, Pope John Paul II looked the other way

source : http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/05/38/ex-arellano.php

Pope John Paul II knew. Many shocking stories of priestly sex abuse and their subsequent cover-ups are emerging from the once-secret Diocese of Orange priest personnel files. On May 17, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered their release as part of the record-breaking $100 million settlement reached between the Orange diocese and victims of its pedophilic employees.
But from the more than 10,000 pages of documents, by far the most damning account is found in merely four pages: Pope John Paul II knew.
The disturbing revelation is included in the papers of Father Andrew Christian Andersen, who pleaded guilty in 1986 to 26 counts of molesting four boys while working at St. Bonaventure in Huntington Beach. One item is an August 10, 1987, note by Monsignor Oscar Rizzato, then the Secretariat of State for the Vatican, to the Orange diocese. The Secretariat of State, as the Vatican’s website describes it, is the arm of the Holy See’s bureaucracy “which works most closely with the Supreme Pontiff in the exercise of his universal mission.”
Rizzato’s letter is brief: just an acknowledgement that the Vatican had received two letters from a non-Catholic outraged at the Orange diocese’s handling of the Andersen case. As previously reported in the Weekly (see “Good Cop, Bad Church,” Feb. 20, 2004), church officials stymied the efforts of Huntington Beach police detectives who wanted to interview Andersen about the molestation claims. But the man’s letter had nothing to do with that incident; instead, according to an undated letter, the man wrote to John Paul II “out of desperation and heartache.”
The unnamed man (church officials blacked out his name) told John Paul II about the havoc unleashed after a deacon abused his brother during the 1970s. The man also expressed disappointment that many St. Bonaventure parishioners and church leaders continued to support Andersen even after he admitted to the molestation charges and visited the Servants of the Paracletes facilities in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, a remote compound where Catholic Church officials would send child-molesting priests for counseling. “If the Catholic Church would punish Father Anderson instead of hiding him in some small church in New Mexico,” the man wrote, “perhaps others will look on child abuse as a real threat. I know we are not supposed to be judgemental and we are to feel compassion, especially for the ill which Father Anderson is, but is this ‘out of sight, out of mind’ method of dealing with the crime derived from Godly compassion or mortal embarrassment?”
His Holiness did not answer.
On June 4, 1987, the unnamed man re-sent his original letter to John Paul II along with another plea. “Although I have never been a Catholic member I have always looked to the Pope as a symbol of the true and pure belief in God and Christ,” the man confessed. “I guess I need reassurance that you believe in what you say and the Bible’s teachings and believe that the children are a great blessing from God that need our protection and love, not only when it is popular but more so when it is not.”
His Holiness did not answer.
Instead, Rizzato forwarded the letters to Orange, noting, “no reply has been sent.” On that note, an unnamed diocesan official scribbled, “Michael—I will answer if you’d like—but, due to the contents, you might want to.” The Michael in question was Michael Driscoll, then head of priest personnel affairs for the Orange diocese, now Bishop of Boise, Idaho. There is nothing in Andersen’s files showing that Driscoll or the Vatican ever responded to the unnamed man’s concerns.
A couple of years later, Andersen himself wrote to John Paul II, asking that the Holy See defrock him for his pedophilia. The contents of that letter are not known—the Orange diocese has yet to turn it over.
But whatever the Vatican’s response, Monsignor Rizzato’s inaction is another example of John Paul II’s demonic legacy when it comes to the sex-abuse scandal destroying Catholic America. In an extraordinary essay for the June issue of Vanity Fair, John Paul II biographer John Cornwall argued that the Church will never truly deal with priestly pedophilia until the hierarchy radically alters the approach instituted by the man born Karol Wojtyla. According to Cornwall, John Paul II did not blame individual priests and their conniving superiors for committing and aiding the rapes of innocents—instead, he pointed the finger at the “mystery of evil.”
“The comment distances the perpetrators, and indeed the Church, from responsibility,” Cornwall wrote, “for it implies that the priests in question did not set out to abuse young people but were enticed to do so by Satan.”
That’s the philosophical view endorsed to this day by Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown. During a May 17 press conference at Los Angeles’ Central Civil West Courthouse following the release of the priest personnel files, Brown constantly referred to the inaction of his diocese and underlings when employees molested children as a “sin.” Surrounded by Orange diocese flacks and a clueless media, no one challenged His Eminence’s stance.
Finally, one sex-abuse survivor spoke up. From the back of the conference room, he asked Brown why he didn’t call the cover-up a crime.
Brown again expressly apologized for the “sins” of his church, and then he moved on.

SNP want Scottish ‘Megan’s law’ to identify paedop

SNP want Scottish ‘Megan’s law’ to identify paedophiles in community

source : http://www.sundayherald.com/49901

PARENTS would have the right to know if paedophiles were living in their area, under new proposals being developed by the Scottish National Party.

Kenny MacAskill, the SNP’s justice spokesman, said a Scottish equivalent of “Megan’s Law” should be introduced as part of a package of measures to protect children from sex offenders.

He said tougher controls were essential if the public was to regain confidence in a system shaken by high-profile cases of paedophiles re-offending after their release. The Nationalists’ proposal comes in response to the killing in June 2004 of Mark Cummings, the eight-year-old from Royston, Glasgow, who was sexually assaulted and murdered by convicted sex offender Stuart Leggate who lived close to his family home.

Megan’s Law, ratified in the US in 1997, provides American parents with a right of access to information on convicted paedophiles living locally. A number of states also list offenders’ details on the internet. The legislation arose from the rape and murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka by a convicted child molester who had moved to across the street from her family.

MacAskill said the case of Mark Cummings had prompted him to back a “radical rethink” on controlling paedophiles. “Do people have a right to know if sex offenders live in their area? Yes. I think it’s a basic right,” he said.

The Lothians MSP, a leading SNP moderniser, said it was “condescending” to deprive working-class communities of information people in more affluent areas could easily obtain. “I am against the hypocrisy of people who say we can’t have this because people in Royston would be aggrieved,” he said. “People in upmarket suburbs would be serving writs if they were in the same position.”

He said a right of notif ication was “one policy in a package of measures” the Executive should consider, in addition to increased resources for social work and greater restrictions of liberty. “Sexual offenders are a breed apart,” he commented. “They are not the same as other offenders. They are very likely to re-offend and, as it presently stands, we are limited in our ability to rehabilitate,” he said.

“We must be prepared to challenge some of the orthodoxies about individual liberties, because we have to balance them with protection for the public. I think the pendulum is swinging towards public safety,” he added.

The Scottish Executive has so far resisted the policy because ministers fear it could lead to vigilante-style attacks.

Justice minister Cathy Jamieson has instead backed the ending of automatic early release for sex offenders, as well as giving police officers the right to enter their homes.

This has not been enough for Margaret Ann Cummings, mother of Mark, who has said parents should have access to the sex offenders’ register.

MacAskill said the system could be implemented in a way that allows individuals to make inquiries via social work departments and police forces.

“It would mean people going through formal channels in a discreet manner,” he said.

John Scott, of the Scottish Human Rights Centre, criticised the Nationalist plan. “This is definitely not a good idea. The considered view is that when it has been looked at before, people have concluded that it would create an unmanageable situation. ”

Conservative justice spokeswoman Annabel Goldie said she feared a Scottish version of Megan’s Law would lead to “witch-hunts” and make it difficult for sex offenders to settle in a community. “Parents would be more interested in knowing that such individuals were not, say, living near a school. I think the easiest way of protecting people is some form of tagging,” she said.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive responded: “Although recognising that the notion of increased or ‘controlled access’ to the information held on sex offenders may first appear attractive, in reality there is no way of controlling such access. Once individuals are allowed access to police records; no-one can control what they will do with the information.”

Children are Pakistan’s asset,

Children are Pakistan’s asset, says Aziz

source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p…1-5-2005_pg7_26

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday stressed the need to resist and curb all forms of violence against children.
He said children were an asset to the country and every possible step should be taken to ensure that they got good education, health and the environment for spiritual, moral and social development. Addressing the participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, he said existing laws on children were being assessed and legislation for child protection was in its final stages.
He said the government was also establishing child protection centers at the federal level which would provide measures for identification, reporting, investigation, treatment and follow up of child abuse.
The Prime Minister said the Child Welfare and Protection Bureau was already in place in Punjab and would be replicated in various provinces and districts. He said children were the most “vulnerable group” in society and faced numerous challenges like violence, sexual abuse and harassment that, he added, were mainly caused by poverty and illiteracy. He said despite the almost universal ratification of the ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child’, millions of children were still subject to violence, child labour and trafficking. He said South Asian countries could share experiences and learn from each other on how to eliminate the menace of child abuse. app

Child Protection Programme Director – West Africa

Child Protection Programme Director – West Africa
Save the Children UK

source : http://www.oneworld.net/job/view/11299

£30,231 pa + competitive benefits
Contract until 31 March 2006 – Shorter term contract (min 3 months) and internal secondments also considered
Accompanied status dependent on contract length

Save the Children fights for the rights of children in the UK and around the world – delivering real and lasting change to their lives. The Mano River Union countries and Cote d’Ivoire have faced over 15 years of conflict, during which over one million people have been displaced; many are children. We responded by developing a region-wide child protection programme, and last year launched a two-year agenda of research, advocacy and programme development. This is why we need you.

In this high-profile role, you’ll manage and coordinate our ambitious programme across four countries. You’ll manage resources and advise country Programme Directors, while actively informing the development of policies and strategies. Collaborating at regional and national levels, you’ll also represent and broadly disseminate our advocacy positions to ensure we remain as influential as possible.

An inspirational leader and strategic thinker, with demonstrable experience in capacity-building of colleagues and partner organisations, you will have substantial experience in managing and developing multi-funded overseas programmes. You are analytical and creative, with the ability to manage finances, resources and people with equal efficacy. You also have the communication skills needed to represent our work and build relationships at the highest levels. And importantly, you have knowledge of child protection programmes in conflict situations.

NZ home for paedophiles?

Coddington says NZ is laughing stock for failing to act on information that paedophiles have sought refuge here

source: http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/default.asp?id=47326&c=w

3 February 2005

ACT claims paedophile suspects have sought refuge in New Zealand.

The news comes from a TIME magazine article, citing a worldwide operation tracing 95,000 potential recipients of child pornography.

It says US customs passed on the information of people in New Zealand.

ACT’s Deborah Coddington is furious no arrests have been made four months later.

She says this country is a laughing stock, especially as TIME asks whether it is a haven for paedophiles.

Ms Coddington says Australia also received information about suspects and launched a nationwide bust.

ACT is demanding the Police Minister move to progress an investigation into the suspected child pornographers.

D’Arcy’s warnings praised

Local bishop earned trust, says member of abuse review board

By Rebecca S. Green

The Journal Gazette

source: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazett…tte/9949246.htm

Illinois Appellate Court Justice Anne Burke is proud of her work with the National Catholic Lay Review Board.

The board was established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002 to address the clergy abuse scandal that has plagued the church.

Burke was in Fort Wayne on Sunday as a guest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend for the annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. After the Mass, Burke spoke to about 40 people at a brunch at Grand Wayne Center.

A Roman Catholic Church tradition dating from the 13th century, the Red Mass asks God’s blessing and guidance for those in the legal profession – including lawyers, judges, and elected officials.

About 30 members of the legal or civil government community stood to receive the blessing, offered by Bishop John M. D’Arcy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

D’Arcy also performed a Red Mass on Sept. 19 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame for members of the legal community in the South Bend area.

During her speech, Burke shared her perspective on the work that she and the other members of the review board have done for the past two years, after allegations of child sexual abuse at the hands of clergy rocked the church and drew calls for reform.

Burke praised D’Arcy for his early role in addressing clergy sexual abuse while in Boston during the early 1980s.

“No bishop in America has been a more respected or trustworthy leader,” Burke said.

If D’Arcy’s warning to the hierarchy in the Boston Archdiocese had been heeded, she said, damage to the lives of many children and the moral outrage directed at the church could have been lessened.

“Their inability to listen to him was truly their unraveling,” Burke said.

Burke is especially proud of the establishment of the Office for Child and Youth Protection, and the completion of two studies that examined the scope and nature of abuse within the church.

Burke said she believed their work was underpinned by the grace of God.

Board members came from a variety of geographic backgrounds, and brought with them varied expressions of their Catholic faith, Burke said. But in spite of those differences, they were unified in addressing the sexual abuse scandal, she said.

“I suspect it was pure grace,” Burke said, “the mysterious, hovering presence of the Holy Spirit concerned for the welfare of the church.”

D’Arcy compared Burke to St. Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century saint known for pleading with Pope Gregory XI to reform the clergy. After her speech Sunday, D’Arcy presented Burke with a biography of St. Catherine of Siena, along with the writings of St. Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers.

During her tenure, Burke expressed concern about the rumored appointments of clergy or members of religious orders to the lay review board.

She also wrote a frank letter to Gregory in March, addressing fears that the bishops would not commission a second audit to determine how the dioceses were complying with the recommendations of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which was established by the bishops.

“Everybody by then had come together to work on something, and it would all be for naught,” she said.

A second audit of the local diocese was recently completed, D’Arcy said.

While some people have been critical of the work the lay review board has done, including victims’ groups who believe that the board is unduly influenced by the bishops, Burke said they must recognize and give credit for the efforts of the board, and the bishops themselves.

Prior to her work on the lay review board, Burke said, she characterized herself as a “passive Catholic,” going to church, and expecting priests, bishops, and cardinals to tell her what to do.

But the past few years have changed that, and Burke said she found she has much more faith than she thought.

She said that faith has been the only thing sustaining her during her tenure on the board, and what has challenged it the most was the recalcitrance of some bishops.

“What they asked of us was a hard thing for them,” she said. “Some didn’t want that, some wanted to control that.”

But she said, in the end, the board was able to stick to its guns, and got good work done.

Burke’s tenure with the lay review board ended Friday after Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, appointed five new members to the board, according to a release from the conference.

Burke stepped down this year on a date she picked early in her tenure, but she agreed to stay on as interim chairman until her replacement was appointed.

In spite of the countless hours spent addressing the crisis and the difficulties of the work, Burke said she would make the same decision to serve on the board.

She said she has been overwhelmed by the quality of the people she served with, by their faith, and the work they did.

“What came out of that was a wonderful work product, what the bishops asked us for,” she said.

Sexual Abuse Within A Jehovah’s Witness Family

FATHER’S TOUCH Addresses Sexual Abuse Within A Jehovah’s Witness Family

source: http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/10…0/emw168926.htm

“Father’s Touch (Second Edition) by Donald D’Haene is the foremost book exploding the myth of male adult survivors of child sexual abuse.”

(PRWEB) October 20, 2004 — LTI Publishing has just released a new book called Father’s Touch (second edition) by Donald D’Haene. This autobiography takes readers through the eyes of a child going into adulthood who was sexually abused by his own father. With over 1.8 million child abuse cases reported a year (and an unimaginable amount that is not reported); Father’s touch gives a realistic, haunting view into what a sexually abused child experiences, thinks, and feels.

Although this book shows the true nature of a predator and the children that suffered, it is the true story of survivorship. Not only is this book the Survivor’s Book of this decade, but it will be so for generations to come. Donald D’Haene is more than a survivor, he is a victor. He has turned adversity into a crusade, especially for male victims of child sexual abuse, who are rarely recognized in today’s society.

Father’s Touch is now available online at www.FathersTouch.com or www.Amazon.com and is soon to be released in bookstores across America and Canada. Father’s Touch is now available at a discounted rate until its general release in January 2005.

With all of the much-publicized turmoil regarding child sexual abuse by church clergy and other cases in the news, it is time that our nation addresses this very serious problem. Father’s Touch is an eye opener and makes a compelling argument for further reform and legal statutes that protect our children. Every library and school in this country should have a copy of this book. Help educate society on this serious issue by donating a copy to your local school or library.

Covington Diocese’s actions against sexual abuse

Covington Diocese’s actions against sexual abuse OK’d
Healing, prevention on track, audit says
Associated Press

source: http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2…10040-3042.html

COVINGTON, Ky. — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is taking the right steps to heal the emotional wounds sexual abuse by priests has caused, according to a report from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Covington Diocese also is taking the proper measures to prevent further abuse, the report said.

Bishop Roger Foys learned Sept.24 that the diocese “is in full compliance with the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the diocese said.

“We are pleased that the audit found the diocese in compliance, and that we are doing all we can to protect children and young people,” Foys said in a statement. “We will continue to do so.”

Not everyone believes the report is completely accurate.

Walter Pierce, a Catholic since 1976 who attends Mass at Mother of God Parish in Covington, does not believe the diocese is doing everything it can.

“I think the new bishop has talked a good game, but I still think there’s a denial of what’s happened,” Pierce said.

The audit, which was conducted by the Boston-based Gavin Group on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was the second annual study since the bishops agreed to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002.

The charter details the principles that dioceses should follow when dealing with people who have been sexually abused by members of the clergy.

The charter also offers guidelines for ensuring that children and young people in the care of diocesan employees are safe.

Restricted priest returns to pulpit

Restricted priest
returns to pulpit
Dousman clergyman joins Independent
Evangelical Catholic Church

source:http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2004/July_04/07172004_04.asp

By JAMES KOGUTGIEWICZ – GM Today Staff
July 19, 2004

DOUSMAN – A former Roman Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse has joined a new religion which denounced the allegations and welcomed him to start a parish near the western Waukesha County border.

The Rev. Joseph Collova, 55, of Dousman, is one of seven priests nationwide in the Independent Evangelical Catholic Church and has started his own parish, The Church of St. Edith Stein in the town of Sullivan, said Bishop James Wilkowski of the IECC.

The Milwaukee Archdiocese recently revealed Collova is among 43 Roman Catholic priests restricted from ministry after investigations into sexual abuses. Collova was accused by an alleged victim of sexually abusing the man while he was a child.

As an adult, the alleged victim filed a civil lawsuit against Collova that was later dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired. Courts never considered the case’s merits because of the statute of limitations.

Collova could not be reached for comment Friday. A recorded message at his phone number asked reporters to call Wilkowski, who is identified as the bishop for the IECC Northwest Diocese.

Wilkowski vigorously denied Collova committed sexual abuses, saying he conducted his own investigation and found no merit to the accusations.

“It was weak,” Wilkowski said. “It was extremely weak. There was no silver bullet.”

Wilkowski declined to elaborate about the case, saying he would need permission from some of the people involved before publicly discussing certain details.

The IECC was founded in 1997 and Wilkowski estimated between 375 and 500 members practice the faith. A Roman Catholic would recognize an IECC service as a Mass except for some small details.

However, the IECC differs from the Roman Catholic faith in several significant ways. Priests are allowed to marry, women are accepted into the priesthood, divorced people are allowed to remarry in the church and same-sex marriages – the IECC calls them gender-common – are recognized.

Also, anyone in a same-sex marriage is invited to apply for priesthood and the traditional Roman Catholic vow of celibacy is optional in the IECC faith, Wilkowski said.

Collova’s parish is at the Tremain Recreation Hall along County Road Z in the town of Sullivan. By starting the first IECC parish in Wisconsin, Collova has severed his ties with the Roman Catholic church, said Kathleen Hohl, archdiocese spokeswoman.

“He was not defrocked,” Hohl said. “He is considered in schism because every time a clergyman joins another denomination or religious sect, he cuts the ties from the Roman Catholic Church.”

The archdiocese placed Collova on the list of restricted priests “in line with the assurances given in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” Hohl said.

Roman Catholic bishops created the charter in 2002. It sets guidelines and standards for dealing with reports, perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse within the church.

There is no connection between the Roman Catholic and IECC faiths, Hohl said.

Wilkowski condemned the archdiocese’s and Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s treatment of Collova, saying a credible accusation would have caused complete removal from the priesthood rather than restriction.

“First of all, an accusation in and of itself is a social and administerial death sentence,” Wilkowski said.

Wilkowski said he takes the issue seriously because when he first entered a seminary a Roman Catholic priest sexually abused him. Collova approached him about a year and a half ago about joining the IECC but Wilkowski rejected the overture because of the allegations, he said.

Without being pushy, Collova persisted and Wilkowski changed his view.

“When we began talking about his case, and then after I asked him, ‘Can I look at the files?’ I realized there was no merit to the charge, to the allegation,” Wilkowski said.

An overwhelming majority of priest abuse cases are credible but Collova is one of the few which are false, Wilkowski said.

“I’m not casting any judgment on the young man,” he said. “What’s done is done. I bear him and his family no ill will. I hope that they’re at peace and some semblance of happiness in their lives. My indignation is in how Milwaukee handled this.”

Wilkowski plans to celebrate a 4 p.m. service with Collova today at St. Edith, he said.

(Freeman reporter Kelly Gilbert contributed to this report.)

James Kogutkiewicz can be reached at jkogutkiewicz@conleynet.com.

‘Child sex pests need your help’

Source: http://www.getreading.co.uk/story.asp?intid=9908

MP Jane in bid to aid paedophiles

READING East MP Jane Griffiths is calling on you to “support your local paedophile”.

Ms Griffiths wants to find volunteers willing to work with sex offenders after their release to stop them being shunned and retreating into a world of private fantasy and possibly re-offending.

“It’s understandable that when someone is
convicted of a sex offence, their family may shun them, that person lives alone and there’s nobody there to challenge them and they can have their own private fantasies,” Ms Griffiths said.

The MP, who issued a press release to local media titled Support Your Local Paedophile, has secured a half-hour debate in the House of Commons today to highlight the work of Circles of Accountability. The group trains people to work with sex offenders in the community and is looking for more volunteers.

Its Thames Valley arm has been operating for two years and is run by a Society of Friends group, Quaker Peace and Social Witness.

Ms Griffiths said: “Police and social services are involved and certain orders prohibit offenders to being within certain distances of schools but it may not entirely stop that person wanting to re-offend.”Ms Griffiths added: “You can’t cure somebody of having inappropriate
desires and it’s important to protect people who may be the victims.”

A spokesman for Ms Griffiths said: “Rather than isolation and finger-pointing, the Circle tries to remove the motivation for sex offenders to offend and identify if they are about to re-offend.

“Sex offenders will be living in the community after they serve their time so rather than people getting het up about it – we saw in Portsmouth people burning them out of their houses – people can work with sex offenders and try to prevent them from ever offending again.”

Under the Circle scheme, trained and screened
volunteers meet their sex offender at least once a week and the offender has daily contact with at least one Circle member.

The person helps the offender with administrative jobs, such as in filling in benefits forms and
“challenges” them if they feel they want to re-offend.

Ms Griffiths’s spokesman added he did not believe
there are sex offenders in Ms Griffiths’s constituency but that there is “at least one” in Reading. Offenders sign up for the scheme for a year before a review and many choose to continue with the programme.

Paul Goggins MP, under-secretary for
correctional services, will take part in the debate at 3.30pm today entitled ‘Involving the
community in the treatment of sex offenders’.

The Home Office runs three pilot Circles projects – one in the Thames Valley, Hampshire and a national scheme. Volunteers who want to get involved can contact 01844 202 381.

Abuse file to be passed on to gardaí

Source: http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=10443…44&n=104434398#

Damaging details of sex abuse of young women in care will be handed to the Garda by church authorities today.

It is believed that the information from the Archdiocese of Dublin contains claims about the systematic abuse of victims at a number of State institutions by ‘prominent lay people’ as recently as the 1970s.

Last night the Child Protection Service of the Archdiocese of Dublin confirmed that it will be passing a file to the Garda.

Trial set for Covington diocese sex-abuse lawsuit

Clergy molestation claims first in U.S. filed as class action

Surce: http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2…04070-5613.html

BURLINGTON, Ky. — A judge yesterday scheduled an Oct. 25 trial for the nation’s first class-action lawsuit over allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests.

Senior Judge John Potter set the trial date at the end of a hearing in which lawyers for the plaintiffs and the Diocese of Covington wrangled over several pretrial motions.

Potter did not rule on a motion by plaintiffs’ lawyers to force the diocese to turn over records it considers privileged or on a motion to allow several people to opt out of the class-action suit.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of alleged molestation victims in the Northern Kentucky diocese since the 1950s. It contends the diocese mishandled claims against its clergymen.

The suit in the heavily Catholic region was certified as a class action by another judge in October.

PLAINTIFFS’ LAWYER Robert Steinberg pushed for a trial date during the hearing yesterday in Boone Circuit Court.

“I would think that the one thing that would facilitate settlement in this case would be a firm trial date,” Steinberg said. “Without one, I think settlement is unlikely.”

Potter had previously urged both sides to try to settle out of court.

Carrie Huff, a Chicago lawyer representing the diocese, said the diocese had responded “in good faith” to Potter’s request.

After the hearing, Potter met privately with the attorneys for about 45 minutes.

Afterward, Steinberg said he was eager to try the case if a settlement isn’t reached. “The public needs to see what’s happened,” he said.

Huff declined comment to reporters.

Plaintiffs want to force the diocese to turn over records Steinberg said involve complaints by alleged sex-abuse victims and the psychiatric reports of priests and alleged victims.

Another plaintiffs’ motion seeks records from treatment centers around the country to determine whether any Covington diocesan priests were treated as sex abusers.

MEANWHILE, attorney Barbara Bonar asked Potter to allow seven plaintiffs to opt out of the suit.

“They want to peacefully and confidentially resolve their claims,” Bonar said.

Bonar served as co-counsel in the lawsuit until December, when the lead plaintiff decided to drop out as a class representative and settle after a favorable meeting with Bishop Roger Foys.

Potter set another pretrial hearing for July 12.

The Covington diocese spans 14 counties and includes 89,000 parishioners, many of them in the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati.

The diocese previously covered a broad swath of Central and Eastern Kentucky that is now part of the Lexington diocese, which was founded in 1988. Steinberg has said most alleged abuse occurred before 1988, and the areas formerly part of the Covington diocese are covered by the lawsuit.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers said previously they had the names of 110 victims. Steinberg did not give an updated number yesterday but said the potential victims could number in the thousands.

DIOCESE SPOKESMAN Tim Fitzgerald said yesterday that the diocese has received allegations of sexual misconduct against 35 of its 364 priests since 1950. The complaints were from 205 people, 72 of whom named one priest, he said.

Of those 35 priests, 16 are dead and the rest either have been defrocked or permanently removed from active ministry, he said.

Early this year, the diocese said it had reached settlements with 39 sex-abuse victims since September. The diocese said it had paid $8.3million to those victims.

Steinberg said yesterday that he had received complaints against 57 clergy or others affiliated with the diocese.

At the hearing, Huff said the plaintiffs in the class action should be identified. She said the diocese needs the information to know the full extent of the allegations.

“It’s just really almost inconceivable to imagine agreeing to a settlement in a case like this without knowing how many people you’re talking about,” Huff said.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers replied that identifying the accusers would discourage people from stepping forward with allegations.

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‘Smoke of Satan’ brought into church

Source: http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/tct/mar0…30504satan.html

WASHINGTON — In its report Feb. 27 on the causes of the U.S. clergy sexual abuse crisis, the National Review Board said “grievously sinful” acts of priests and inaction by bishops let “the smoke of Satan” enter the church.

“As a result the church itself has been deeply wounded. Its ability to speak clearly and credibly on moral issues has been seriously impaired,” said the all-lay board, which the bishops established in 2002 to monitor their efforts to bring an end to sexual abuse of minors by priests.

Among the many ways the crisis can be viewed, it said, “the board believes that the overriding paradigm that characterizes the crisis is one of sinfulness” — priests committing grave sins against children and bishops committing grave sins of failing “to protect their people from predators.”

The often scathing report was an unprecedented lay critique of Catholic hierarchical policies and practices, written at the behest of the bishops themselves.

In their “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” adopted at their June 2002 meeting in Dallas, the bishops established the review board. Part of the mandate they gave it was to develop two separate studies on the clergy sexual abuse crisis —one on its nature and scope and another on its context and causes.

The board called the bishops’ charter “a milestone in the history of the church in America.”

“As a result of the implementation of the charter … the board is confident that effective measures are in place today to help ensure the safety of children and young people in the church,” the board said.

One of the primary solutions it offered to prevent a recurrence of the problem is better screening and celibacy formation of priesthood candidates in seminaries, to assure that those ordained are really prepared to live healthy, chaste lives as celibate priests.

“Seminaries must deal with issues of sexual conduct more openly and more forthrightly. … It is vital that bishops, provincials (religious-order superiors) and seminary rectors ensure that seminaries create a climate and a culture conducive to chastity,” it said.

“Although the discipline of celibacy is not itself a cause of the current crisis, a failure properly to explain celibacy and prepare seminarians for a celibate life has contributed to it,” it said.

The review board’s 145-page report is titled A Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States.

It was released Feb. 27 at a press conference in Washington along with a massive research study, The Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States 1950-2002. The board commissioned that study, which was conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York (see page 11).

The board based its report on a review of the history of the sexual abuse crisis, a review of the John Jay findings and interviews over the past 18 months with more than 85 people, including victims, priests, bishops, Vatican officials, lay leaders and professionals in a variety of fields.

In its report, the board summarized some of the John Jay study’s main findings.

It noted that the study found 10,667 minor victims accusing 4,392 of the nearly 110,000 priests who served in U.S. dioceses and religious orders from 1950 to 2002. (The number of accused priests includes 41 permanent deacons.)

It noted that most of the reported allegations of sexual abuse, 84 percent, occurred in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Only 9.7 percent went back to the 1950s and only 6.2 percent occurred in the years 1990-2002.

“The data appear to support the view expressed by many (interviewees) that the crisis has an epidemic character — exploding in the late 1960s and subsiding in the 1980s,” it said.

The board said in the past 10 to 15 years dioceses and seminaries have increasingly used psychological tests, background checks and more sophisticated means of identifying “red flags” of personality disorders or psychosexual dysfunction to screen out unfit seminary applicants.

“The significant decrease in reported acts of sexual abuse of minors among priests ordained since 1990 may serve as some evidence that these screening procedures are generally effective,” it said.

The board report addressed a wide range of other issues in the church’s handling of the sexual abuse crisis.

Noting the preponderance of adolescent males among the victims of clerical sexual abuse of minors, the board devoted several pages of its report to the question of what role sexual orientation of priests played in the abuse scandal.

From interviews, evidence and a study of church teachings distinguishing between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity, the board concluded, “The paramount question in this area must be whether a candidate for the priesthood is capable of living a chaste, celibate life, not what that candidate’s sexual orientation must be.”

“But given the nature of the problem of clergy sexual abuse of minors, the realities of the culture today and the male-oriented atmosphere of the seminary, a more searching inquiry is necessary for a homosexually oriented man by those who decide whether he is suitable for the seminary and for ministry,” it said.

The board noted in passing that there were “other issues relating to celibacy” that were “beyond the scope of this report.” It highlighted one: “Numerous witnesses told the board that they believe there were more incidents of sexual relationships between a priest and a consenting adult woman or man than between a priest and a minor.”

Any such conduct by a priest is “gravely immoral” and “church leaders cannot allow such conduct to occur without consequences,” the board said.

On the central topic of sexual abuse of minors, the board said many church leaders “failed to appreciate the harm suffered by victims of sexual abuse by priests, the seriousness of the underlying misconduct and the frequency of the abuse.”

It sharply criticized bishops’ “misplaced reliance upon myopic legal advice.”

Asserting that bishops must be pastors first, it said, “Far too many church leaders did not deal with victims in a pastoral fashion. … Bishops and other church leaders rarely spoke personally with victims of sexual abuse.”

The board condemned bishops’ preoccupation with secrecy and avoiding scandal before the massive revelations of 2002 forced them to confront the problem publicly.

“Even today, some bishops and priests fail to address the issue of clerical sexual abuse in a sufficiently open manner,” the board said. It said addressing the scandal openly is critical to preaching the Gospel itself, the central mission of the church.

In reviewing the history of the scandal, the board also criticized the Vatican for what it described as responding too slowly to U.S. bishops’ efforts in the 1990s to develop more expeditious ways to remove child abusers from ministry and from the priesthood. But it said from recent board meetings with several top Vatican officials “it was clear that the Holy See is now devoting significant attention and resources to the current crisis.”

Vatican officials interviewed by the board included Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger, Francis Arinze, Alfonso Lopez Trujillo and J. Francis Stafford, one of the highest ranking Americans in Rome. Cardinal Ratzinger heads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which holds direct jurisdiction over all cases worldwide involving sexual crimes against minors by clerics.

The board also said that “staffs of treatment centers must shoulder some of the blame” for frequently recommending to bishops that a man be returned to a parish or other relatively unrestricted ministry after treatment— often leading to new opportunities for the priest to abuse other minors.

Major recommendations the board made for the future were:

Further study and analysis of the causes and context of the crisis, including ongoing diocesan audits of compliance with the charter, like that conducted last year, and periodic review of the effectiveness of current policies.

Enhanced screening and formation of priesthood candidates and better monitoring of priests’ lives, ministry, morale and well-being after ordination.

“Increased sensitivity and effectiveness in responding to allegations of abuse,” including re-examination of current litigation strategies to give pastoral responses a priority over legal tactics.

“Greater accountability of bishops and other church leaders,” including “meaningful lay consultation” in the selection of bishops and greater use by bishops of the consultative and deliberative bodies established or allowed in church law.

Better interaction of church leaders with civil authorities in dealing with allegations of abuse and in reaching “reasonable terms” of agreement about questions of boundaries between internal church authority and the rights and obligations of civil authority.

“Less secrecy, more transparency and a greater openness to the gifts that all members of the church bring to her.”

In the face of the “sordid history of misdeeds” found in the clergy sexual abuse scandal, the board said, faith in a possibility of renewal lies in reliance on Jesus’ teaching that “for human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” — CNS

Priest’s resignation moves church forward

Source: http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story…4817&ran=205834

The Virginian-Pilot – © January 17, 2004

The Rev. John Leonard’s decision to quit the priesthood will bring healing and relief for parishioners in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.

Leonard, who heads a suburban Richmond parish, escaped prosecution for serious child sexual abuse earlier this week in Goochland County by pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault.

Leonard, 65, announced his intention to return to his ministry at St. Michael’s parish. But he apparently decided otherwise after Cardinal William Keeler insisted that a new, no-nonsense diocesan clergy abuse panel assess his fitness as a pastor.

Keeler, the interim head of the diocese, sent a strong signal of commitment to the national guidelines on priestly child abuse established by bishops two years ago in a meeting in Dallas when the scandal rocked the Catholic Church.

In a letter to his St. Michael’s parishioners at Glen Allen, Leonard said his conviction “in no way constitutes a violation of nor grounds for dismissal under either the Diocesan or Dallas guidelines.”

P O L L

Did Catholic priest John E. Leonard make the right decision to resign after being convicted of assaulting two teens?

It is amazing, given his convictions and the nature of the charges against him, that Leonard believed he still could lead a parish — or be allowed near young people. Some of the public documents, based on statements of victims the priest reportedly harmed, show a predatory nature by the cleric, one that stretches to the early 1970s.

The formal criminal probe also shows the wisdom of having impartial and trained law enforcement authorities conduct these types of investigations. Too many times in the past, the diocese tried to investigate its own priests without contacting police and prosecutors. That conflict of interest discouraged other people from coming forward to report misconduct by priests.

Leonard had made a plea agreement with Goochland County prosecutors on two assault and battery charges. He’d entered Alford pleas — akin to no contest pleas — involving two boys at a now-closed seminary. But the priest originally had faced three felony counts, including forcible sodomy and abduction with intent to defile. The affidavits released by prosecutors were graphic, chilling.

Following the conviction, a statement issued by recently retired Bishop Emeritus Walter F. Sullivan did not bolster his flock. “It is significant that the court determined not to pursue charges of sexual abuse against Father Leonard,” Sullivan said. “This has been a long a difficult episode for all involved. … ur Diocesan Review Board will review all the information and make any final recommendations they might have to offer.”

The statement was odd for the way it seemed to minimize the findings of the criminal investigators and the pain and anguish of the priest’s victims.

It’s noteworthy that Sullivan twice cleared Leonard following similar abuse claims by victims. Goochland Commonwealth’s Attorney Edward K. Carpenter came to much more troubling conclusions. He said he accepted the plea bargain because many of the incidents happened so long ago, in the 1970s, that the statute of limitations had expired, and witness statements were inconsistent in some cases. But he also made clear that investigators interviewed several men who gave compelling statements about sexual abuse by Leonard.

“We, as an investigative body, believed the victims,” Carpenter said. He added that he wanted the public to recognize “the sexual nature of the contact” the priest had with his victims.

It was past time for Fr. Leonard to go.

£333,000 award in church abuse case

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,…1122376,00.html

Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
Wednesday January 14, 2004
The Guardian

The Roman Catholic church will face new humiliation today when it agrees what are thought to be the highest damages ever awarded against it in a case of child abuse by a priest in England.

The high court settlement of £333,000, to be paid to Simon Grey, 38, for abuse he suffered 30 years ago as an altar boy in Coventry, follows more than three years of negotiations.

Although the Archdiocese of Birmingham accepted liability last summer for its breach of duty of care, it was only at the end of last week – on the brink of a trial – that it agreed the settlement for Mr Grey, a 38-year-old unemployed father of three now living in Leicester.

John Housden, Mr Grey’s solicitor, said yesterday: “I am very relieved for Simon. This has been a nightmare for him for the last 30 years.”

The archdiocese faces a legal bill amounting to as much as £200,000 for the case. The same firm of solicitors, Clifton Ingram of Wokingham, is representing three other clients complaining about the conduct of another priest.

The current case centres on Father Christopher Clonan, who is alleged to have abused Mr Grey over a six-year period in the 1970s. The offences are said to have occurred when he invited boys into his presbytery to help him robe up for mass.

Although parents complained about the priest’s behaviour, no action was taken by the church at the time, and a police investigation stalled after documents went missing.

Fr Clonan fled to Australia in 1992 when allegations against him were made public. West Midlands police relaunched their investigation after the missing papers were rediscovered but in 2000, on finally finding out where the priest had gone, they were told he had died two years earlier.

Mr Grey was said to have suffered considerable psychological damage as a result of the abuse by the priest, becoming an alcoholic, spending time in prison for crimes of violence, and setting fire to himself. The church had been prepared to challenge the degree to which his suffering was caused by the abuse and had threatened to call family witnesses.

A spokesman for the church said it was believed that the damages were the largest awarded against it in England. The archdiocese said it was pleased a settlement had been reached.

The case piles further embarrassment on the church, which has reformed its procedures for dealing with complaints of abuse in response to the case of Father Michael Hill, who was moved but not disciplined by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor when the latter was a bishop. Hill is currently serving a five-year sentence.

Complaints about priestly abuse have surfaced across the western world, forcing the resignation of senior clergy, severely damaging morale and undermining the church’s reputation.

CBT Report – 6 January 2004

My original problems were my fear of homosexual males and my reaction to them, and my distrust of bullying males and my reaction to them.

Since my last report, I can say that I am no longer feeling the same levels of anxiety when confronted by these two scenarios, although I still feel uncomfortable and would prefer not to have to deal with either scenario if given the choice. This is an improvement and I am confident I can build on this further.

The coping mechanisms I had employed before this period of treatment began involved abuse of alcohol in order to mask my feelings coupled with extended periods of introspection about my problems.

I can now say that although I continue to drink more than is good for me, I am better able to control the amount I drink, and I am no longer thinking about my problems in a negative way.

My efforts are now concentrated on my charity work and trying to help others who have suffered abuse.

Overall, I feel a considerable improvement has been achieved and I am confident about the future.

There are five more sessions of CBT in this course.

Graham Wilmer

Archdiocese faces £1m sex abuse writ

Source: http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news…-name_page.html

Nov 28 2003

By Steve Chilton

TWO Coventry men who claim they were sexually abused by a former city priest are suing the Roman Catholic Church for £1million.

It follows a similar claim by an ex-altar boy involving the same priest where liability has been admitted by the church.

The new claimants – one aged 33 and the other in his early forties – allege they were systematically assaulted as youngsters by Fr Christopher Clonan.

The assistant parish priest worked at Christ the King Church in Coundon for 20 years until 1992, when he fled abroad.

A High Court writ has been served on the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, and the trustees of the archdiocese, which covers the Coventry and Warwickshire area.

Both men claim: “Damages for personal injuries caused and/or contributed to and/or permitted to take place by reason of the defendants’ breach of care and negligence in allowing a priest to sexually assault the claimant.”

In individual claims, each seeks at least £150,000 compensation but it is understood that solicitors acting for the men will put in a total claim for about £1 million.

Berkshire-based lawyers Clifton Ingram, who are acting for the two men, already represent Simon Grey, 38, the former Christ the King altar boy who won the right to sue the archbishop and the archdiocese in a landmark legal ruling.

His claim was for up to £1 million in damages, plus legal bills which could double the amount.

He has been awarded £35,000 costs already and his full claim is set to be decided in the High Court in January.

Mr Grey, who has waived his right to anonymity, successful-ly argued that the archbishop and the diocese were negligent because they should have known about the threat Fr Clonan posed to him.

He proved that another child had made a complaint of abuse to Fr Clonan’s immediate superior in the mid-1970s, prior to his alleged abuse, but no action was taken.

The new claimants are arguing on the same principle.

Although the church has conceded liability in Mr Grey’s case it is contesting “causation” – the degree to which Mr Grey has suffered as a result of abuse and how it affects his present and future life. It is believed an out of court offer of compensation has been made but rejected by his legal team as too low.

Peter Jennings, press secretary to the archdiocese, referring to the new writs, said: “These matters are now in the hands of solicitors representing the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

“The archbishop would like to make it clear that these matters relate to events that allegedly took place 20 to 25 years ago.”

He did not want to comment on the Simon Grey case while legal negotiations were underway.

£1m fund to help abuse victims

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotlan…and/3242638.stm

£1m fund to help abuse victims

A £1m fund is being set up to provide support services for women who have been raped, abused, exploited or sexually assaulted.

The announcement was made by Communities Minister Margaret Curran during a debate at Holyrood.

She also announced that the £3m-a-year domestic abuse service development fund will be extended for two more years.

And she told MSPs that the domestic abuse helpline will operate 24 hours a day over the festive period.

Violence against women was debated in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday morning.

Ms Curran said: “We know only too well that sexual violence against women and children prevails throughout Scotland.

This will help to ensure that women experiencing domestic abuse can access help and information at whatever time of day or night
Margaret Curran
“Rape and sexual abuse are despicable acts that have devastating and lasting effects on women’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
“This is why I am announcing a new £1m fund which aims to tackle violence against women.”

It will allocate £500,000 a year over two years, starting in April next year.

Part of the funding will come from the £1.5m national group to tackle violence against women budget.

Ms Curran said the fund would provide practical services offering counselling, emotional support, advice and advocacy.

This will be targeted at women who have experienced rape or sexual assault, survivors of child sexual abuse and those who are being sexually exploited.

Abuse helpline

Ms Curran also announced that the domestic abuse service development fund, which is due to end in March 2004, would be extended by two years.

The fund supports 55 local projects across Scotland.

The domestic abuse helpline, which can be contacted on 0800 027 1234, is also being extended.

“We know that the helpline is providing a very valuable and necessary service and I can announce today that it will operate for 24 hours a day throughout the Christmas and early New Year period while our television advertising campaign is running,” said Ms Curran.

“This will help to ensure that women experiencing domestic abuse can access help and information at whatever time of day or night during a time when we know that domestic abuse increases.”

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_n…and/3242638.stm

Published: 2003/11/27 10:11:50 GMT

Hodge Makes £10,000 Apology to Abuse Victim

Source: http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2189082

Tue 18 Nov 2003 – 2:52am (UK)
Hodge Makes £10,000 Apology to Abuse Victim

By PA News Reporters

A child abuse victim labelled “extremely disturbed” by children’s minister Margaret Hodge has spoken of his delight at her agreement to apologise publicly, pay his legal costs and make a £10,000 donation to his choice of charity.

The package will be worth up to £20,000 to Demetrious Panton, who had threatened to press ahead with his libel suit if Mrs Hodge did not follow her written apology of last Friday and promise not to repeat her comments with a full blown admission that she was wrong and charity payment, which will go to Nacro (National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders).

Last night, he said he was delighted she had agreed to his requests and felt proud of what he had achieved and that he had “stuck up” for himself.

However, Mrs Hodge will not resign over the row, which erupted a week ago following the BBC’s decision to read out a letter containing her remarks live on radio, her parliamentary private secretary Michael Foster.

The full statement from Mrs Hodge, issued last night, said: “On Friday Mr Panton’s solicitors requested the following three things. One, a public apology. Two, a donation to a charity of Mr Panton’s choice. Three, payment of Mr Panton’s legal costs.

“Solicitors for Mr Panton and myself have been in discussion today to work out the practical implications of those three requests.

“I can now confirm that we have agreed the following. One, a statement in court will be made shortly reiterating the apology made on 14 November.

“Two, I will make a donation of £10,000 to Nacro. Three, I have agreed to pay Mr Panton’s legal costs.”

Mr Foster said that the amount of the legal costs to be paid by Mrs Hodge had not been fully agreed yet.

It was certainly going to be more than £20,000 in total, he added.

Asked whether she would resist the inevitable calls for her resignation, Mr Foster replied: “Her position hasn’t changed. She remains committed to the work that she is doing on the government’s agenda for children.”

Asked whether she planned to go ahead with any public engagements she has this week, he said: “She will be carrying on with whatever arrangements she can, bearing in mind that Government business over the next few days is quite heavy.”

Mr Panton said in a statement: “I am delighted that Mrs Hodge has met all my requests.

“I am delighted that she has retracted the statement, that she has paid £10,000 to a charity of my choice and that she has paid all my legal costs.

“Mrs Hodge has also agreed to write to me by 1600 (today) to explain why she described me as ‘extremely disturbed’.”

He added: “My lawyers had requested that this be a public explanation, but Mrs Hodge has requested that the contents of the letter remain private.

“To bring this matter to a close I am happy to meet this request.”

Mr Panton also told the ITV News Channel: “I’m really proud of what I have achieved.

“I’ve stuck up for myself. I said ‘No’ to a minister’s bullying, I said ‘no’ to slander and libel directed against me, and I’ve actually stuck up not just for myself, but for all other people who have been sexually abused.”

Mr Panton said he had agreed to a private explanation from Mrs Hodge over why she made her comments because it would “speed up the process”.

He said: “My next move will be to get on with my life. The last seven days have been an absolute nightmare. I didn’t expect a minister for children to call me extremely disturbed.

“I was really looking forward to having a minister for children, who would fight for children’s rights, and would put children’s rights on the top of the political agenda, and I didn’t expect that the top of the political agenda would be the minister calling me extremely disturbed.

“The last days have not added anything to Mrs Hodge’s standing. Young people face a very tough time in our society They need someone who champions their cause and is respected. They don’t need a downgraded minister,” he said.

Mr Panton’s lawyer Korieh Duodu added: “The final chapter in this unfortunate episode will be the reading of a statement in open court which is envisaged to take place on Wednesday morning at the High Court.”

Mr Panton was abused while in care in the north London borough of Islington in the 1970s and where Mrs Hodge was leader of the council for 10 years from 1982.

Mrs Hodge was for years dogged by claims that she failed to do enough to deal with the paedophile scandal centred on local authority care homes in Islington.

She has conceded that she made mistakes but has also said that she was not supplied with enough information during her time as council leader.

She wrote the letter containing her remarks about Mr Panton to BBC chairman of governors Gavyn Davies after learning that Radio Four’s Today Programme was looking into Mr Panton’s claim that he had contacted her in 1985 to tell her of the abuse he had suffered a few years earlier.

Mrs Hodge has said she was not told of his allegations.

The BBC responded by reading out that section of the letter on the Today Programme and Mr Panton took legal advice and decided to sue for libel.

At that point, Mrs Hodge wrote a letter of apology but Mr Panton decided not to drop the suit until she had gone even further and paid his costs and made a donation to charity.

Despite calls by Shadow Education and Health secretary Tim Yeo for her to go, Downing Street has insisted she enjoyed Prime Minister Tony Blair’s backing.

Mrs Hodge recently published the Children’s Green Paper in September which paved the way for a radical shake up of the way children’s health and social services are delivered in England.

Much of it was written in response to the recommendations of the Laming Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie but publication was delayed following the creation of Mrs Hodge’s post in the June Cabinet reshuffle.

Opponents claimed it was postponed because the row over the Islington child abuse scandal flared up again amid claims by former council social workers that she had ignored warnings about the abuse.

But she denied this, saying the delay was to enable Mr Blair to be personally associated with the launch of the most radical child protection reforms for years.

Teacher’s child porn venture

This is from: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_artic…6/11/2003_35980

Teacher’s child porn venture

The owner of a northern Greek private language school was charged yesterday with selling pictures of naked children aged 6-16 on a German child pornography website.

The 27-year-old Greek suspect, who taught German at a language school in Yiannitsa, some 52 kilometers west of Thessaloniki in central Macedonia, had allegedly cajoled many local schoolgirls — whom he apparently approached through Internet chatrooms — into sending him pictures of themselves undressed. Police said the suspect had also managed to obtain video footage of naked young girls with the use of a web camera.

The teacher then allegedly posted the pornographic material on a German Internet site for pedophiles, raking in a steady income from paying site visitors.

A search of his school and home turned up dozens of computer CDs and disks with child pornographic material, as well as notebooks with entries on local girls who had modeled for him and data on his earnings from the site. Police also confiscated a starter’s gun and three knives.

Program speaks candidly of kids’ sexual behavior

This is from: http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/news/ar…_12899368.shtml

Program speaks candidly of kids’ sexual behavior

By Peggy Breister – Posted Oct. 24, 2003
the reporter pbreister@fdlreporter.com

Reports of sexual contact among a group of 36 children, and reports that first surfaced last spring that a 9-year-old boy was charged with sexually assaulting 12 children helped draw about 120 people to a program Thursday night on child sexual behavior.

“It’s too close to home,” said Bob Michaels, who lives a few blocks south of Chateau Gardens, the Martin Avenue apartment complex occupied by two men accused of sexually abusing children, and the complex where some of the children involved in sexual contact with each other lived. “We’re concerned citizens. We want to know what we can do. What are the warning signs?”

During the nearly two-hour program on “Everything You Should know About your Child’s Sexual Behavior,” psychologists, social workers and a representative from a local agency that works with victims of sexual abuse provided the audience with information they can use to talk to their children about sex and to identify appropriate and inappropriate sexual behavior.

The program was created by a community partnership made up of Social Services, ASTOP Sexual Abuse Center, police, schools, media, mental health providers and University of Wisconsin Extension.

“I came not so much to find out how to talk to my daughters,” said Liz Ruedinger, who has two daughters, ages 4 and 6, “but I came because of what is happening in the community and how it is going to affect them.”

Most of the people who attended the program probably are positive forces on children, said Steve Gitter, parent of two children, ages 3 and 6.

“While the program provided a lot of information to people who are a positive force on children, my concern is what are we doing for those who are a negative force, before they offend?” he asked.

As a member of Fond du Lac’s Coordinated Community Response Against Violence, Kou Vang said he attended the program for information he could share with other members of the group that couldn’t attend.

“And, personally, I will eventually have kids of my own and it’s never too early to be prepared,” he said.

“I have a son that attends Pier (School),” said Christina Lopez. According to police reports, very minor incidents of sexual contact occurred between three children at the school.

“I want to find out how the cycle (of abuse) stops,” Lopez said. “I’m concerned that people aren’t talking more openly about this.”

The program was a good way to let the community know about abuse and what can be done, said Marianne Brandt, an ASTOP volunteer.

“I came from Milwaukee and I like being in a smaller community,” she said. “People do care here and we can make a difference. But we have to know the statistics. As parents we want to deny that our children are sexual, but we have to accept and deal with this. I truly believe it takes a community to raise a child. It would have been nice to have more men here tonight.”

Women made up at least 90 percent of the audience.

With articles on the front page of the paper nearly every day about kids and sexual contact, Jan Howe said, it’s undeniable that this behavior is touching many lives.

“Understanding it a bit better may make a difference in changing something,” she said.

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U.S. Bishop: Sex Abuse Study May Be ‘Startling’

This is from: http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.a…w=wn_wire_story

U.S. Bishop: Sex Abuse Study May Be ‘Startling’

Monday, October 20, 2003 1:44 p.m. ET
By Philip Pullella

ROME (Reuters) – The president of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops said Monday an upcoming study of the sexual abuse of children by clergy in America in the past 50 years would likely produce “startling” numbers.

But in an interview with Reuters, Bishop Wilton Gregory cautioned that no other comparable study had been done. He called for surveys in other sectors to put the results into perspective because pedophilia was not just a Catholic problem.

“The bishops really want to be honest with our people and say ‘this is the data we want to share with you’,” Gregory said. “The numbers are going to be startling because they are going to be aggregate, over 50 years, and they will be startling because there is no context.

“We don’t have a similar study for the school system, for athletic coaches, for scouting programs, for doctors, for therapists,” he said, adding that it would be impossible to say if the numbers were high or low compared to others.

Boston was the epicenter of a scandal that swept the United States last year after it was discovered that several dioceses had transferred priests known to have abused children from parish to parish without alerting the public.

Last December the Vatican approved revised U.S. rules to try to protect children and punish clergy guilty of sexual abuse.

The National Review board of the Catholic Bishops Conference commissioned the study — which will include information from all 195 American dioceses — to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

Its purpose was to “re-establish a level of credibility and trust with our people” and to make sure children are protected, Gregory said.

The anonymous study does not include names of victims or offenders but is a compilation of information about offenders, victims, incidents of abuse, cost of therapy and legal fees.

“INSPIRE, URGE OR INVITE”

Gregory said he hoped the Catholic study would “inspire, urge or invite” other institutions to do the same in order to make children safe in all environments.

“I would hope that they would have the courage (to carry out their own studies) and decide that this is too important an issue…and if institutions are not forthcoming I would hope that other public entities would put the same pressure on them that we have been through,” he said.

A number of U.S. Catholic officials and Vatican officials have said they felt the U.S. Church had been singled out for scrutiny for a problem that exists in other sectors of American society, including other religions.

“Certainly we as a Catholic Church have a primary responsibility because of the situation that we faced. There is no desire on our part to deny that, but we would also hope that fair-minded people would say ‘this is a larger issue and let us review it in a larger context’,” he said.

The archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law, resigned last December after dozens of his own priests publicly called on him to step down, but the effects of the scandal still linger.

Last month the Archdiocese of Boston agreed to pay up to $85 million to settle lawsuits filed by hundreds of people who say they were sexually abused by clergy.

‘Legal child porn’ under fire

This is from: http://www.msnbc.com/news/730491.asp?cp1=1

‘Legal child porn’ under fire

The “Lil Amber” Web site featured a 12-year-old Florida girl who suddenly retired from her career as an Internet “model” in December, only to be replaced by a new Amber.

March 28 — WTVJ Miami’s Deborah Sherman reports on a Florida Internet company that is selling “child erotica” with the permission of the preteen models’ parents.

By Mike Brunker MSNBC – March 28

The photos of 12-year-old “Amber” cavorting in a swimsuit and various skimpy outfits wouldn’t have raised so much as an eyebrow if they had been posted on a family home page. But on lilamber.com — one of a growing number of “preteen model” sites operating in the legal gray area between innocent imagery and child pornography — they have drawn the attention of the Justice Department and prompted a congressman to declare war on the “reckless endangerment” of such kids by their parents and Web site operators.

“THIS IS AN unacceptable way for a child to earn lunch money … performing like a circus animal,” Rep. Mark Foley said of the sites, which feature girls as young as 6 wearing revealing clothing and striking sexually suggestive poses but display no nudity or overt sexual material that would run afoul of child pornography laws. “It sickens you that a parent would have such disregard for their own child.”

Foley, R-Fla., was informed by the Justice Department earlier this month that, at his request, it had instructed the FBI to review the pre-teen sites in order to determine whether they are breaking any laws. Foley also asked a House Judiciary subcommittee to hold hearings on the subject, which would allow parents of the girls and the Web site operators to be subpoenaed.
“Lil Amber,” the site that touched a raw nerve for Foley, is one of dozens of preteen “model” sites that have popped up on the Internet over the last few years.

MOST CUSTOMERS ARE ADULTS

March 28 — Deborah Sherman of WTVJ/NBC 6 in Miami reports on Rep. Mark Foley’s fight to shut down “child erotica“ sites.

There is ample evidence that the sites, which sell photos and videotapes to members, cater primarily to adults, very few of whom are in the market to hire models. Many — if not most — customers are sexually interested in children, and some are pedophiles, according to law enforcement officials and children’s advocates.

“This is legal child porn,” said Ken Lanning, a retired FBI agent who studied deviant sexual behavior during most of his 30 years with the bureau. “It’s not against the law, but it’s exciting and stimulating and arousing for people with a certain deviant interest.”

Officials at Webe Web Inc., the Davie, Fla., Web-hosting company behind a half-dozen pre-teen “model” sites, including “Lil Amber,” have previously denied that the sites cater to pedophiles or constitute child pornography. But after a rash of bad publicity — including an investigation by NBC’s Miami affiliate, WTVJ/NBC 6, that revealed many previously unreported details about “Amber,” her family and the company — they are no longer doing so.

“No one here is going to talk about it anymore,” said a man who answered the phone at Webe Web’s offices but declined to give his name.

‘MOMMY’ DEFENDS SITE

But in an e-mail conversation between MSNBC.com and an individual who says she is the mother of another pre-teen model known as “Jessi the Kid,” the respondent said the site was created to help her daughter fulfill her dream of becoming an actress and was no more racy than ads for fashion lines such as Benetton that appear every day in national publications. Furthermore, she said, the media are focusing only on the revealing outfits and missing the other material on the site geared to appeal to other kids.

“Our site is filled with so many wonderful things that any kid would be happy to see and browse through,” said the respondent, who signed her e-mail as “Mommy.” “Why are you stuck on the few photos we have of her in her custom-made clothing? Have you seen the great updates where she shows you how to make an excellent salmon dish using only tinfoil to bake it with? What about the very fun and informative software reviews that took her months to put together? Any her Yoga video/pics!??”

But fan discussion groups on Yahoo! and Internet news groups support the contention that the child models’ most ardent fans are adults, said Scott Zamost, a WTVJ producer who spent four months investigating the “Lil Amber” site and Webe Web, which also hosts several adult porn sites.

“You could tell by the postings that these weren’t kids who were viewing the sites. Some people were posting poetry,” Zamost said, adding that “Lil Amber’s” fan club at one time had more than 9,000 members.

A CHILLING QUIP

Likewise, on an Internet news group for “girl-lovers,” a subscriber who identified himself as “Rainbow” posted a brief positive review of the new “Jessithekid” Web site in December 1999, then signed off with this chilling quip: “Anyone for 10-ish? (groan).”

Foley, who is co-founder of a congressional caucus devoted to issues surrounding missing and exploited children, learned of the pre-teen sites late last year when WTVJ asked about them. “I was outraged when I first saw it because it’s being passed off as some career-building opportunity or to apply for college,” he said, referring to statements on several of the sites saying the proceeds will go toward the girls’ college educations. “To me, it borders on pornography and indentured servitude.”

After purchasing a membership to “Lil Amber” site, which cost $25 for the first month and $19.95 a month thereafter, MSNBC.com reviewed dozens of photos and purchased a videotape for an additional amount to determine how far the site’s creators were willing to go.

The shots showed “Amber” (which is not her real name) in bathing suits, short shorts and skimpy halter tops, but never revealed any genitalia or her breasts. Some of the photos were disturbing — such as one in which she appeared to have been rolled in clay — but others could just as well have been from a backyard birthday party.

MTV MEETS BAD HOME MOVIES

“Video #4 — Amber Models Summer Fashions” was like a cross between MTV and bad home movies. “Amber” spent most of the hourlong tape energetically dancing in front of a fireplace in a living room, with a placard reading “Jesus” and a family photo on the mantelpiece and a dog statuette alongside.

She “modeled” a dozen different outfits during the dance-a-thon, apparently fashions that were requested or purchased by Web site members. In one scene, she lifted her skirt, giving the briefest glimpses of underwear. In another, the unidentified cameraman lay on the floor and shot up her skirt as she danced away un-self-consciously. That was as far as it went.

At another point in the videotape, an unidentified man whose face was not shown presented her with a new Dell Computer and said, “This was a gift from all your fans … 15 different people.”

Lanning, the retired FBI agent, reviewed a sampling of the photos at MSNBC.com’s request and said that at least one conceivably could considered child pornography under a 1994 decision by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In that case, U.S. v. Knox, the court ruled that language in the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act of 1977 prohibiting the “lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area” can include “non-nude depictions.” The court upheld the conviction of defendant Stephen Knox on the grounds that videotapes he had purchased showing children posing in leotards were marketed as being sexually exciting.

‘LASCIVIOUS INTENT’

But Lanning noted that even under that decision, which set precedent only in the 3rd Circuit, prosecutors would have to prove “lascivious intent” on the part of the parents or the Web site operators for a successful prosecution. That would be particularly difficult given that the pre-teens are being presented on the Web sites as “models” rather than sexual objects.

Expert: Porn filters bound to fail

Debbie Mahoney, CEO of Safeguarding Our Children — United Mothers (SOCUM), an organization that aims to protect children from pedophiles, says prosecutors also have an abundance of more clear-cut cases to pursue.

“The is so much hard-core child pornography and so many pedophiles on the Internet that when prosecutors see a kid like this, they say, ‘It may be egregious, but it’s not child porn, so let’s move on to something that we can prosecute,’” she said.

But Rep. Foley said he intends to explore a new legal avenue — whether the parents of the child models could be prosecuted under child-endangerment laws.

“This is reckless endangerment if I’ve ever seen it because you’re basically introducing your child to some really sick people,” Foley told MSNBC.com this week.

RISK OF PEDOPHILE STALKERS?

Such laws vary from state to state, but in general that would require a prosecutor to show that posing for the Web site would subject a child to a “substantial risk of harm.” In the case of the pre-teen sites, both potential physical harm from a pedophile stalker and possible psychological trauma from being treated as a sexual object could be considered, said Chris Paulitz, an aide to Foley.

The idea that a stalker could track down a child model was bolstered by the fact that Zamost and his WTVJ team were able to track down “Amber” and her family, starting out with only a hint from Webe Web co-founder Jeff Libman that she might live in Palm Beach County and visual clues in the photos and videos in which she appeared.

The girl’s mother and step-father declined a request for an interview, but armed with their identities, the TV crew was able to determine that the mother had been a porn performer on an adult Web site several years earlier. Through court records, the crew also was able to track down the girl’s father, who said he was opposed to the site, Zamost said.

STUDY OF THE RISK URGED

But anecdotal evidence like that likely would not be enough to persuade a jury to convict on child endangerment charges, said Howard Davidson, director of the American Bar Association’s Center for Children and the Law.

“One would have to document the risks to children of engaging in these modeling sites … rather than just be speculative about the dangers,” he said. “If there had been cases where kids had been sexually abused as a result of involvement, then I think it would be easier to sustain both in the legislature and, ultimately, in the courts.”

Such an approach also would raise raise serious First Amendment concerns, said Kim Hart, director of the National Child Abuse Defense and Resource Center.

“I think that we need to define child endangerment to make sure that we’re not casting a really broad net,” she said. “Does that mean that today we would charge Brooke Shields’ mother for ‘Blue Lagoon’?”

Hart, whose non-profit group seeks to ferret out cases of falsely reported child abuse, also said that while modeling pictures such as those on the “Lil Amber” site are distasteful, they don’t necessarily equate with endangerment.

“Just because someone does something that you don’t like, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t care about their children,” she said. “… If you want to check out the parents and make sure that the child is being clothed and fed and going to school, fine.”

‘UNSAVORY,’ BUT NOT ILLEGAL

Stephen B. Levine, a professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and an expert on sexuality, made a similar point. “I think it’s reasonable to think that these sites are pandering to pedophiliac interests … and they are unsavory,” he said. “But this is America, where we tolerate lots of unsavory things for freedom of expression, and I don’t think we’re willing to give up these freedoms.”

While the implications of the effort to crack down on the pre-teen “model” sites will continue to be debated, the girl known as Amber will no longer figure in the discussions. She abruptly ended her career as an Internet “model” in December with no explanation and was replaced with a new “Lil Amber,” who bears more than a passing resemblance to the original. A posting on a now-deactivated Yahoo! fan group states that “Amber has passed on her legacy to a new model, 11-year-old Jana. … Amber supports this group … and authorized it as Jana’s official fan group.”

Her successor doesn’t yet have her own video, but the “Lil Amber” site promises that one is coming soon.

Sexual-abuse settlement division OK’d

This is from: http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2…1018-5871.html

Sexual-abuse settlement division OK’d – Jefferson judge approves plan for payments

By GREGORY A. HALL – ghall@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

A Jefferson Circuit Court judge approved a plan yesterday for dividing more than $25million among 243 victims who settled their sexual abuse lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville.

Judge James M. Shake approved the plan devised by Cincinnati attorney Matthew Garretson, whom the judge had appointed to oversee the distribution of the settlement.

At an Oct. 9 hearing, almost 30 plaintiffs, many represented by attorneys, objected to some or all of Garretson’s proposal, which places victims into one of three categories based on the severity of the abuse. Other suggestions ranged from equally splitting the money among all victims to developing a five-tier distribution system.

Some plaintiffs, who spoke for themselves in favor of Garretson’s plan, said they wanted the matter resolved as quickly as possible.

One of those, Jeff Koenig, praised Shake’s decision.

“I hope we can move on with our lives and I hope that the other attorneys don’t drag this on further through the court system,” he said. Allowing the distribution plan to proceed would help victims “close this painful chapter in our lives,” Koenig said.

In his ruling, Shake said the only question before him was whether to accept or reject Garretson’s plan after determining whether it is fair.

The objections raised about specific amounts of money “are far outweighed by the need for expeditious and effective resolutions of these claims,” Shake wrote in his opinion. “The individual objectors were very clear about their feelings in this matter. The longer it drags on, the more they are forced to endure memories of the most painful times of their lives.”

PAYOUT PLAN
The plan for dividing the $25.7million settlement among plaintiffs who sued the Archdiocese of Louisville sets payout ranges for three categories of victims, based on severity of abuse:

* Category 1: Lewd behavior, sexual comments, nongenital sexual touching, exposure of genitals, a clothed perpetrator pressing himself against the victim’s clothed body and cases in which the victim was an adult at the time of abuse. Range: $15,333 to $30,000.

* Category 2: Genital touching, masturbation, penis-body contact and similar intrusive sexual acts. Range: $75,750 to $110,000.

* Category 3: Rape, sodomy, oral sex and digital penetration. Range: $150,750 to $175,000.

How much a victim receives within the range will be based on several subcategories, including age at the time of abuse (with a higher value for those abused before they were in high school); duration of abuse; type of abuse; and aggravating circumstances, which could include plying a child with drugs, alcohol or pornography. With Shake approving the distribution plan, plaintiffs’ attorney Ross Turner said victims should receive their awards by mid-January.

Garretson said in a telephone interview that he will try to expedite the process and get the money to the victims earlier than that, possibly in mid-December.

“I’m thrilled” with Shake’s approval of the plan, Garretson said. “I think it will help bring this to a close for so many people.”

The archdiocese settled 240 lawsuits involving 243 plaintiffs for $25.7million this summer. The suits, filed since April 2002, accused the archdiocese of covering up sexual abuse cases involving dozens of priests, teachers and other involved with the church.

Garretson’s plan places the victims in three distribution categories, with awards ranging from just over $15,000 to $175,000, depending on the type of abuse and other factors, such as the victim’s age at the time of abuse, the duration of the abuse and aggravating circumstances.

Shake’s decision yesterday could be appealed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals within a month.

Turner said, however, that he doesn’t expect any of the victims to appeal.

Michael Slaughter, an attorney representing nine plaintiffs who presented the most vocal criticism of Garretson’s plan, also said he doesn’t expect anyone from his group to appeal.

Noting that a large majority of the plaintiffs is expected to fall in Garretson’s middle category, Slaughter said the victims deserved a better delineation within that group.

“I think (Garretson) made a great mistake by lumping everything together in the level two,” he said.

Often, attorneys will wait until the appeal deadline has passed before beginning the process of dividing up the money.

Turner said that the attorneys involved in the archdiocese settlement aren’t waiting because of victims’ interests in wrapping up the case.

Waiting a month because of a potential appeal “is too much to ask them to bear,” Turner said. “We’re relieved and pleased on behalf of our clients to get this going.”

Barring an appeal, Shake’s approval of the allocation plan means the victims won’t have to enter a courtroom again in connection with the cases, Turner said.

“That would be a relief,” Koenig said.

Abuse victims group forced to close

this is from: http://www.examiner.ie/breaking/2003/10/13…tory117168.html

13/10/2003 – 6:40:33 PM

Abuse victims group forced to close

The Government came under fire tonight over an “eleventh hour” decision not to continue funding one of the country’s key support groups for abuse victims.

Charity One in Four said it will be forced to close because of a decision by the Health Department to withhold funding for its counselling programme.

Director Colm O’Gorman suggested the decision could be linked to his critical stance over the resignation of a senior high court judge who headed the country’s child abuse commission.

At a press conference in Dublin Mr O’Gorman said: “It is very difficult to work out what the reasons for this crisis are.

“What’s beyond doubt is that at the eleventh hour the department have pulled our funding. The reasons for their doing that are difficult to understand.

“It is indeed true that following the resignation of Justice Laffoy … we spoke publicly and expressed our views. We also spoke privately to Government and expressed our views.

“There were suggestions that sections of Government were uncomfortable and unhappy with some of the things that we were saying.”

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy quit as head of the commission the day after a government-directed review of its work said it could take as long as 11 years to complete.

Mr O’Gorman said today that the Government had already provided his group with €425,000 but was withholding an additional €81,000 that it had promised to pay towards therapy costs.

As a result of this One in Four Ireland – which offers counselling services to people who have experienced sexual abuse – said it would have to close at the end of the month.

“That a service that delivers support to many hundreds of Irish citizens who have been sexually abused could be undermined and destroyed in such a careless and negligent fashion is beyond belief,” Mr O’Gorman added.

“It certainly suggests that despite their often stated care for victims of abuse this Government has failed to follow promises with action.”

Labour’s Liz McManus called on Health Minister Micheál Martin to provide the funding necessary to allow One in Four to continue functioning.

She said: “One in Four has been one if the most successful groups assisting victims of sexual abuse and it would be a real tragedy if it were allowed to close.

“This will send out the wrong message entirely to victims of abuse. “We have heard the Taoiseach and other senior ministers repeat time after time over the past few weeks that their primary concern is for the victims of abuse. This is an odd way to show it.”

In a statement Ireland’s health department said it had fully supported the establishment of One in Four. It said that since April 2002 it had provided €633,000, of which €425,000 was for the group in Ireland and the remainder for its organisation in the United Kingdom – which will carry on functioning as normal.

Department officials hope to meet representatives of the group later this week for discussions.
They said help for victims would be provided through the National Counselling Service.
Staff at the group were given statutory redundancy notice. The organisation will close on October 31.

‘Catholic Church has Much to Learn’

This is from: http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2038539

Child Sex Accusations: ‘Catholic Church has Much to Learn’

By Rachel Williams, PA News – Fri 10 Oct 2003

The Catholic Church still has “a lot to learn” about dealing with child sex abuse allegations, an archbishop said today.

The admission came in response to a survey of Catholic priests in which more than half said they thought the Church had dealt inadequately with alleged abuse by priests.

The ICM poll also found that three-quarters of priests surveyed said their training had not prepared them for dealing with allegations of child sex abuse, while just over half (56%) said they trusted the church to take care of problems with its own clergy.

A majority, 65%, said they believed the Church will safeguard children entrusted to its care.

Some 58% of respondents said the Church had dealt with alleged sex abuse by priests inadequately.

Only 19% of those thought this was because of a cover up or culture of secrecy.

A statement from the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham and chairman of COPCA (Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults), said the views expressed about child abuse were expected.

“There are no surprises,” the Archbishop added.

“The correct handling of suspicions, allegations or incidences of the abuse of children always involves difficult judgements. Children must be protected. The accused, too, has rights which must be respected.

“I am not surprised, therefore, that there is some level of disquiet among priests.

“Everyone knows that mistakes have been made by the Catholic Church in the past. Even now we still have a lot to learn.”

The archbishop said real progress was being made, but that “the pain and suffering of abuse still remain”.

A massive 95% of the priests said the way the church now deals with child sex abuse claims has changed for the better over the past decade.

But not one priest surveyed said the Church had always got the balance right between protecting its own reputation and protecting the interest of the child.

Two thirds (62%) said the Church had made some mistakes but got it right most of the time, and 34% believed it had got it wrong most of the time.

Just 53% of respondents said they supported the requirement that Catholic priests should be celibate.

Almost three-quarters (71%) said priests found guilty of child sex abuse should not be allowed to return to the ministry.

As many as 97% said they would be prepared to submit themselves to a criminal records check.

Just 18% (486) of the 2,704 randomly selected Catholic priests in England and Wales who were sent the anonymous self-completion questionnaire completed and returned it.

Irish child abuse to cost more than £725m

This is from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml…/02/ixhome.html

Irish child abuse pay-outs will cost more than £725m

By Thomas Harding, Ireland Correspondent
(Filed: 02/10/2003)

The Irish government is facing a bill of one billion euros (more than £725 million) after it offered compensation to every victim of institutionalised child abuse.

A large slice of the compensation is expected to go to 50,000 Irish victims now living in Britain, most of whom are unaware of the large amounts of money on offer.

A campaign to raise awareness about the money among the Irish community in Britain was launched last night.

Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, told the Irish parliament four years ago that the state accepted responsibility for those who suffered sexual and physical abuse in the institutions and would compensate them. The Comptroller and Auditor General said this week that the estimated bill could be one billion euros but that was based on just 10,000 of the 150,000 victims coming forward.

If all survivors claimed, the Republic could face a bill of 15 billion euros (about £10.8 billion), a huge chunk of the country’s 130 billion euro GDP.

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, which ran the institutions where abuse was rife between the 1920s and the 1980s, has agreed an indemnity deal capped at 128 million euros.

Many thousands of children suffered at the hands of religious orders such as the Christian Brothers and Sisters of Mercy at industrial schools and orphanages. Most of the children were born outside wedlock or came from large impoverished families that could not afford to feed them.

All forms of abuse – sexual, physical, emotional and neglect – were rife but only became widely acknowledged after civil actions in the 1990s.

In some instances it emerged that the Roman Catholic Church had moved abusive priests from parish to parish to avoid scandal.

Many left school illiterate and so cannot read about their entitlements. Charities such as Right of Place are trying to publicise the issue through seminars in high-density Irish areas in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. Last week inaugural American meetings were held in Boston and Chicago.

Peter McDonnell, a lawyer representing several victims, said the Irish government was “trying to make redress for the suffering endured” at the hands of “some pure sadists”.

Five-Year Sentence for ‘Grooming’ Pervert

This is from: http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2035144

Five-Year Sentence for ‘Grooming’ Pervert

By James Tapsfield and Tony Jones, PA News – Thu 9 Oct 2003

Legislation due to come into force over the next few months could have doubled the five-year prison sentence given to a paedophile believed to be the most prolific Internet “groomer” ever, it emerged tonight.

Douglas Lindsell, 64, of Fortescue Avenue, Twickenham, south– west London, was found with a hand-written sexual profile of 54 youngsters from the UK and 19 from abroad.

The former postal worker bombarded some of the girls, aged as young as 13, with up to 100 phone calls after befriending them on the Internet.

At Kingston Crown Court today Lindsell was sentenced to three years for attempted abduction of a girl aged under 14, two years for two counts of stalking under the Harassment Act, and three months for possession of indecent photos of children, all sentences to run concurrently.

For attempting to pervert the course of justice, Lindsell was given six months, to run consecutively with the previous sentences.

He was also sentenced to 18 months for incitement to gross indecency with a girl under 16, also to run consecutively.

Lindsell was ordered to notify police of his whereabouts under the Sex Offenders’ Act for the next 10 years and a restraining order prohibits the defendant from any employment that brings him into contact with children under 16.

However under new Sexual Offences legislation which recently completed its second reading in the House of Lords, a paedophile who committed the same crimes could receive 10 years or more.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the bill would create a new offence of grooming, which would carry a sentence of up to seven years if the paedophile met or attempted to meet the child.

The offences currently on the statute books would remain in force, and could take the total prison sentence to over 10 years.

However, it would be up to the CPS to issue guidance on whether such prison terms should run concurrently or consecutively, the spokeswoman added.

Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson told Lindsell: “Whilst it’s true the Internet makes it considerably easier for somebody like yourself to commit these type of crimes, you could not properly lay the blame for it on the Internet.”

Outside court, police urged anyone who believed they had encountered Lindsell in a chatroom to contact them.

Pc Mick White, of Twickenham’s public protection unit, said: “Lindsell posed as a teenager in Internet chatrooms where he compiled sexual profiles on over 20 young girls UK-wide.

“He contacted them regularly by Internet, phone and text messaging.

“His contacts with the girls were overtly sexual in nature and he continually tried to get them to meet him.

“Lindsell finally arranged to meet two of the girls by travelling long distances in his red Vauxhall Nova to Birmingham and Kent to places where he knew they would be.

“He then phoned the girls and attempted to entice them into his car, but when they saw a grown man in the driver’s seat, they ran away.”

The mother of a 14-year-old victim said: “My daughter is a bright young girl who is not easily led.

“However, despite my repeated warning to her over Internet chatrooms, she was, for a while, taken in by this man.

“He befriended her at a vulnerable time in her life. Thankfully, she eventually saw him for what he is.

“We all know we cannot watch over our children 24 hours a day, but we can make them aware of the dangers of Internet chatrooms and the inadequate people who are waiting to prey on our innocent children.

Judge McGregor-Johnson ordered that a number of other offences which Lindsell denied, including attempted abduction, lie on the file.

Earlier, the sentencing hearing at Kingston Crown Court was told by Rosina Cottage, prosecuting, that Lindsell collected details about the young girls, including their breast sizes, colour of nipples and whether they had previous sexual experience.

He also recorded their home addresses and where they went to school.

His actions came to light after the mother of a teenage girl found a naked picture of the defendant he had sent to her daughter through the post.

She contacted Greater Manchester Police who relayed the information to officers in Twickenham.

Child protection campaigners today called for internet chat rooms to be either shut down or made safe to prevent paedophiles such as Douglas Lindsell from preying on vulnerable young people.

John Carr, internet security adviser for charity NCH, said that more companies should follow in the footsteps of Microsoft, who recently announced they were to close their chat rooms.

“Every week we seem to have another of these cases, and it’s coming to the point where people will lose patience,” he said.

“Microsoft has shut down its chat rooms, because they don’t think they can keep them safe for children.

“Other companies should do the same or introduce much tighter security.

“But if Microsoft can’t keep their sites safe, who can?” he added.

A spokesman for the NSPCC said the case showed the extraordinary lenghts paedophiles would go to to groom children.

“It also shows that the recent decision buy MSN to close their chatrooms in a bid to protect children from people like this was correct,” he added.

Childline founder Esther Rantzen appealed to any other children who thought they may have been in contact with Lindsell to come forward.

“Have courage because this man needs locking up for considerably longer than he has been,” she said. “This sentence was very light. These people must be kept in prison until we are sure they are safe.”

Irish may face €1bn sex abuse bill

This is from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,…1053139,00.html

Irish may face €1bn sex abuse bill

Mark Oliver

Wednesday October 1, 2003
The Guardian

The Irish government could face a bill of up to one billion euros (£700m) in compensation payouts to victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clerics, it emerged yesterday.

It had been thought that the compensation bill would total around €260m (£180m), but a report from Ireland’s auditor general yesterday estimated there could be as many as 10,800 claims with average pay-outs of €96,000.

The new report prompted attacks from opposition parties against the Irish government’s handling of the issue.

Last year the government struck a deal with the Catholic church to compensate thousands of victims for sexual and physical abuse they suffered while in children’s homes run by religious orders.

The deal covered cases from the 1930s to the 1970s and the church agreed to contribute €128m, which was believed at the time to be around half the likely compensation bill. It was unclear last night if it would offer to pay more.

Responding to the auditor general’s report, Pat Rabitte, leader of the opposition Labour party, said the government had “grossly mishandled” the compensation. He said: “This is proof, if proof were needed, that the government behaved in an entirely reckless and profligate manner in relation to this deal.”

However, the prime minister, Bertie Ahern, insisted that the government had secured the best deal.

As part of last year’s agreement the government agreed to indemnify the religious orders concerned against all future claims arising from past child abuse – in effect, leaving the Irish taxpayer to foot the bulk of the payouts.

The auditor general’s report said a board set up by the government eight months ago to receive compensation claims had been receiving applications at a rate of 50 each week. The closing date for the applications is not for another two years.

Today, meanwhile, a campaign is due to be launched to get more of the victims of sexual abuse and ill-treatment in Irish orphanages and offenders’ centres to come forward.

More than 150,000 children and teenagers passed through Irish residential institutions between the 1920s and 1980s and many suffered at the hands of the priests and nuns who ran them.

But so far fewer than 2,000 former victims of abuse – almost all of them living in the Irish Republic – have come forward to a redress board set up by the government.

Caroline Dolan, from the organisation Right of Place, who says she suffered at the hands of religious orders in Dublin, is leading a global search for people who, as children in Ireland, were ill-treated by the church.

Irish child abuse pay-outs to cost more than £72m