Pope Francis asks victims of clerical sex abuse for forgiveness
By Tom Kington
ROME — Pope Francis on Friday made his first public plea for forgiveness on behalf of priests who have abused children.
“I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil which some priests — quite a few in number, [although] obviously not compared to the number of all priests — to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children,” the pope said in a strongly worded, unscripted speech.
The apology marked a change of tone by the pope, who has been criticized for paying scant attention to the clerical sex-abuse scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church. Only last month Francis angered many victims groups by lashing back at a United Nations panel that accused senior prelates of covering up for abusive priests.
But in his meeting Friday at the Vatican with members of the International Catholic Child Bureau, a French coalition of child-protection organizations, the pontiff made his strongest sign of contrition for the scandal, which has undermined the church’s moral authority in North America and Europe.
“The church is aware of this damage,” Francis said, according to Vatican Radio. “It is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the church, and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed. On the contrary, we have to be even stronger. Because you cannot interfere with children.”
Francis’ statement echoed the 2010 apology made to victims of abusive priests in Ireland by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
It also follows the Vatican’s decision late last month to name a former abuse victim, Irish campaigner Marie Collins, to a new Vatican commission to study the issue. The move helped defuse some of the anger that greeted Francis’ remarks defending the Vatican from a U.N. panel that criticized the church’s response to the abuse crisis.
“The Catholic Church is possibly the only public institution to have acted with transparency and responsibility,” he said in a newspaper interview in early March. “No one else has done more. Yet the church is the only one to be attacked.”
The Vatican’s new commission is expected to advise the church on the best ways to protect children. Collins has said her top priority is to punish bishops who have covered up for abusive priests.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2014-04-12 19:12:082014-04-12 19:12:08Big deal-- notify me when he leads the church to respect justice for victims
As the 2014 legislative session proceeds I want to update you on some recent activity relating to the Child Victims Act (A1771A) and report about upcoming plans for lobbying activity in Albany.
EXPERTS SHARE THEIR VIEWS: I am grateful to the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Downstate Crime Victims Coalition for producing an outstanding webinar event on April 10 about child sexual abuse and the need to reform the criminal and civil statute of limitations for these offenses in NY State. I was pleased to participate in the enlightening program for a statewide audience of professionals who provide support and counseling for female survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Emceed by Ms. Foundation Senior Strategist Julie F. Kaye, other national experts delivered an excellent exposition of the scourge of child sexual abuse and the need for SOL reform. They included: Cardozo Law Professor Marci Hamilton, Michael Polenberg of Safe Horizon and co-chair of the Downstate Crime Victims Coalition; Susan Xenarios, Crime Victims Treatment Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Co-Chair of the Downstate Coalition; and Mary Haviland, Executive Director of the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault.
FOLLOW-UP AND SEE THE WEBINAR: It is good news that the Ms. Foundation is making this highly informative hour-long program available through Dropbox. Contact BAbreu@Ms.Foundation.orgfor information or cut and paste this following link:
The April 10 webinar will be followed by other activity over the coming weeks in support of CVA. The Ms. Foundation for Women and the Downstate Crime Victims Coalition are expecting to hold a press conference later this month to introduce organizations serving female survivors that will be announcing their support for the CVA legislation.
NEW LOBBY DAY DATE IS MAY 13: On Tuesday, May 13 supporters and advocates for the Child Victims Act will hold a Lobby Day for the bill in Albany to reach out to legislators, with a particular emphasis on the State Senate, Even though the Child Victims Act has been adopted by the Assembly four times since it was first introduced, it has not yet made it to the floor of the State Senate for a vote. The conference room of my Albany Office, Room 712, will be available for visitors that day and we expect to hold a press conference at mid-day.
I am deeply grateful to the many people and organizations who have continued to advocate on behalf of CVA over so many years and I look forward to your continued support.
Sincerely,
Margaret M. Markey
April 11, 2014
Advocacy organizations and non-profits who want to connect with the Downstate Coalition and the Ms. Foundation activities on behalf of CVA should contact: JKay@Ms.Foundation.orgor mhaviland@svfreenyc.org
For information about progress in changing statute of limitations in states across America, see Professor Marci Hamilton’s website, http://sol-reform.com/News/home/
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2014-04-12 19:07:192014-04-12 19:07:19NY Alert: Mark May 13 for CVA Lobby Day!
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2014-04-11 19:46:002014-04-11 19:46:00NC Alert: Great event for male survivors May 2-4
Love Serve Surrender: A VICE News Investigation (Trailer)
A VICE News exclusive investigation: Hippie guru Jay Ram was hailed as a public hero for fostering, adopting, and caring for dozens of boys that had nowhere else to go. But years later, a new picture has emerged. Several of his sons have come forward to say that he preyed on them sexually and forced them to recruit other boys to molest. VICE News has uncovered new evidence that shows that charities and child welfare agencies missed several clear warning signs, and continued to place new children in Ram’s care.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2014-04-11 19:38:282014-06-22 17:40:44Predator being brought to justice ONLY because Hawaii enacted window for access to justice!
Click below to access the Female Survivors of Child Sex Abuse Access to Justice Webinar Recording:
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2014-04-11 18:43:132014-04-11 18:43:13If you missed it, watch the SOL reform webinar!
Statistics show at some point this weekend a woman will likely be raped in Memphis.
Once she is, the clock starts ticking to charge her attacker.
Rape cases currently must be prosecuted within eight years; aggravated rape within 15 years.
“The clock should not be ticking against the victims chance for justice,” rape survivor Meaghan Ybos said.
But in her case, it was.
It took nine years for her rape kit to even be tested, and when it was, she learned she was a victim of serial rapist Anthony Alliano.
Had her kit sat on the shelf for six more years, he never would have been charged for her rape.
“It would have been impossible to prosecute my offender for that and that would have been devastating for me and the entire community to have lost that opportunity for justice,” she said.
Thursday the Tennessee State Senate unanimously approved a bill by Mark Norris to end the statute of limitation on rape cases so no opportunity for justice is ever lost.
“If the only thing coming between prosecuting a case is that the clock has run that doesn’t seem fair,” Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said.
Last week, she went to Nashville to show support. That very morning, she said, there was a perfect example of why change is needed.
“We actually had some cold case rape cases that we got some DNA hits back on that the statute of limitations was going to run on if we didn’t get it indicted. No grand jury, no indictment so we scrambled, and came up with a way to solve that problem by issuing arrest warrants for john doe defendants.”
That wouldn’t need to happen if this bill become law.
It won’t help the thousands of backlogged rape cases, but it will bring justice for future victims.
Meaghan is proud legislators from Shelby County are leading the way for reform.
“We have all these legislators coming out of Memphis rising above the catastrophe and putting in work on the legislative level that can really be very powerful,” she said.
If the house approves the bill and the governor signs it into law, it will go into effect July 1. There is an amendment to the bill, which says the victim would have to report the rape within three years.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2014-04-10 17:23:262014-04-10 17:23:26Good for adult rape victims-- more work to do for kids
Big deal– notify me when he leads the church to respect justice for victims
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformPope Francis asks victims of clerical sex abuse for forgiveness
By Tom Kington
ROME — Pope Francis on Friday made his first public plea for forgiveness on behalf of priests who have abused children.
“I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil which some priests — quite a few in number, [although] obviously not compared to the number of all priests — to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children,” the pope said in a strongly worded, unscripted speech.
The apology marked a change of tone by the pope, who has been criticized for paying scant attention to the clerical sex-abuse scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church. Only last month Francis angered many victims groups by lashing back at a United Nations panel that accused senior prelates of covering up for abusive priests.
But in his meeting Friday at the Vatican with members of the International Catholic Child Bureau, a French coalition of child-protection organizations, the pontiff made his strongest sign of contrition for the scandal, which has undermined the church’s moral authority in North America and Europe.
“The church is aware of this damage,” Francis said, according to Vatican Radio. “It is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the church, and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed. On the contrary, we have to be even stronger. Because you cannot interfere with children.”
Francis’ statement echoed the 2010 apology made to victims of abusive priests in Ireland by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
It also follows the Vatican’s decision late last month to name a former abuse victim, Irish campaigner Marie Collins, to a new Vatican commission to study the issue. The move helped defuse some of the anger that greeted Francis’ remarks defending the Vatican from a U.N. panel that criticized the church’s response to the abuse crisis.
“The Catholic Church is possibly the only public institution to have acted with transparency and responsibility,” he said in a newspaper interview in early March. “No one else has done more. Yet the church is the only one to be attacked.”
The Vatican’s new commission is expected to advise the church on the best ways to protect children. Collins has said her top priority is to punish bishops who have covered up for abusive priests.
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-pope-francis-pardon-sex-abuse-20140411,0,6168382.story#axzz2yc0CWSlz
BAbreu@Ms.Foundation.org
/in New York /by SOL ReformMaleSurvivor_Mountain_Flyer
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformPredator being brought to justice ONLY because Hawaii enacted window for access to justice!
/in Hawaii /by SOL ReformLove Serve Surrender: A VICE News Investigation (Trailer)
A VICE News exclusive investigation: Hippie guru Jay Ram was hailed as a public hero for fostering, adopting, and caring for dozens of boys that had nowhere else to go. But years later, a new picture has emerged. Several of his sons have come forward to say that he preyed on them sexually and forced them to recruit other boys to molest. VICE News has uncovered new evidence that shows that charities and child welfare agencies missed several clear warning signs, and continued to place new children in Ram’s care.
If you missed it, watch the SOL reform webinar!
/in New York /by SOL ReformClick below to access the Female Survivors of Child Sex Abuse Access to Justice Webinar Recording:
Good for adult rape victims– more work to do for kids
/in Tennessee /by SOL ReformStatistics show at some point this weekend a woman will likely be raped in Memphis.
Once she is, the clock starts ticking to charge her attacker.
Rape cases currently must be prosecuted within eight years; aggravated rape within 15 years.
“The clock should not be ticking against the victims chance for justice,” rape survivor Meaghan Ybos said.
But in her case, it was.
It took nine years for her rape kit to even be tested, and when it was, she learned she was a victim of serial rapist Anthony Alliano.
Had her kit sat on the shelf for six more years, he never would have been charged for her rape.
“It would have been impossible to prosecute my offender for that and that would have been devastating for me and the entire community to have lost that opportunity for justice,” she said.
Thursday the Tennessee State Senate unanimously approved a bill by Mark Norris to end the statute of limitation on rape cases so no opportunity for justice is ever lost.
“If the only thing coming between prosecuting a case is that the clock has run that doesn’t seem fair,” Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said.
Last week, she went to Nashville to show support. That very morning, she said, there was a perfect example of why change is needed.
“We actually had some cold case rape cases that we got some DNA hits back on that the statute of limitations was going to run on if we didn’t get it indicted. No grand jury, no indictment so we scrambled, and came up with a way to solve that problem by issuing arrest warrants for john doe defendants.”
That wouldn’t need to happen if this bill become law.
It won’t help the thousands of backlogged rape cases, but it will bring justice for future victims.
Meaghan is proud legislators from Shelby County are leading the way for reform.
“We have all these legislators coming out of Memphis rising above the catastrophe and putting in work on the legislative level that can really be very powerful,” she said.
If the house approves the bill and the governor signs it into law, it will go into effect July 1. There is an amendment to the bill, which says the victim would have to report the rape within three years.
http://wreg.com/2014/03/13/state-senate-approves-bill-to-eliminate-statute-of-limitations-for-rape-cases/