Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has permanently removed five parish priests from ministry over allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct, including one priest who had previously been investigated and returned to duty last year.
An archdiocesan review board had cleared the Rev. Michael A. Chapman in May 2012 of an abuse allegation involving a minor. But within months, a new accuser came forward with allegations dating back 30 years.
In a statement expected to be released in parishes across the region Sunday, the archdiocese said the board substantiated new abuse accusations against Chapman and deemed him “unsuitable for ministry.”
“This information was provided to law enforcement and Father Chapman was placed back on administrative leave,” the statement read. “At no time was he ever returned to active ministry.”
As has been its practice, the archdiocese offered no details of the allegations against Chapman or the four other priests whose removals were announced to congregants who braved Saturday’s snowstorm for evening Mass.
Ken Gavin, spokesman for the archdiocese, declined Saturday evening to comment on the decisions, pending an official announcement expected Sunday.
Two other priests – the Rev. Zachary W. Navit, last of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doylestown, and the Rev. Francis J. Schlett, who retired from Our Lady of Grace in Penndel in 2004 – were cleared to return to their positions after the review board said it could not substantiate allegations against them.
It remained unclear Saturday whether the men would return to their old parishes or take up new postings.
Of the four others removed besides Chapman, two – the Rev. Stephen B. Perzan, of St. Helena Parish in Philadelphia, and the Rev. Peter J. Talocci, of St. Patrick’s in Malvern – faced sexual-abuse allegations that the review board said it could not substantiate. They were removed for violations of “the standards of ministerial behavior,” church officials said.
The remaining two – the Rev. Mark E. Fernandes, last of St. Agnes Parish in Sellersville, and the Rev. Joseph M. Glatts, formerly of SS. Simon and Jude in West Chester – faced no accusations of sexual misconduct but rather were deemed to have acted in violation of church standards.
Church officials have said such misconduct can range from making inappropriate comments to boundary violations.
The decisions announced Saturday are the latest fallout in a dark chapter of archdiocesan history.
In 2009, a scathing grand jury report excoriated then-Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua and other church leaders and accused them of an “immoral” cover-up, saying they protected predator priests for decades and allowed sexual assaults against children to go unpunished. Bevilacqua and top archdiocesan officials vigorously denied that and said the church was committed to ensuring the safety of children.
Two years later, a second grand jury accused church officials of continuing to fall short. In a stinging report, the grand jury said the archdiocese had failed to act on credible allegations of child sex abuse and other misconduct.
The panel recommended criminal charges against Msgr. William Lynn, then the archdiocese’s secretary of clergy, and accused him of transferring some accused priests and letting others fall through the cracks. He was convicted of one count of child endangerment last year and sentenced to three to six years in prison.
In the aftermath of the 2011 report, 26 priests were suspended.
Since May of last year, Chaput has permanently removed more than half of those priests from active ministry.
After Saturday’s announcement, the fates of only two of the accused priests remain unresolved.
The review board has yet to make a decision on one, whom church officials declined to name. The archdiocese said it had referred abuse allegations against him to law enforcement officials, who declined last month to prosecute him.
The other, the Rev. Andrew McCormick, was arrested last year on charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy at St. John Cantius Parish in Bridesburg. He is awaiting trial.
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 Reform2013-12-15 17:20:002013-12-15 17:20:00Would be news if victims had access to justice but Chaput has shut that down by lobbying against PA SOL reform
Sweeping changes in the military justice system designed to stem an explosion in sexual assault cases are at the forefront of a defense bill awaiting action in Congress.
The National Defense Authorization Act would enact many of the reforms sought by assault victim advocates, including ending commanders’ authority to dismiss a court-martial finding entirely or reduce a guilty verdict to a lesser offense.
Among the more than 30 changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice are minimum sentencing guidelines for sex convictions, elimination of a five-year statute of limitations on rape and other forms of sexual assault and allowing victims the option to skip testifying in an initial investigative phase known as an Article 32 hearing.
“It’s all part of making the military a better place,” said Greg Jacob, policy director for the Service Women’s Action Network and a leading proponent of the reforms. “These are very significant changes. Elimination of the statute of limitations is particularly important, because in many cases it takes a victim years to process and years of therapy before they are willing to come forward.”
The changes were negotiated by House and Senate lawmakers.
The full bill, which authorizes $632 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2014, is due for consideration this week. It also includes a 1 percent pay raise of troops, rejects Obama administration calls to increase retiree medical fees and includes money for a Marine Corps amphibious combat vehicle.
Whether the full bill gets consideration remained uncertain Wednesday. Congressional aides suggested a battle over numerous additional amendments may scuttle to full bill in favor of a slimmed down version. Even if that happened, there was an expectation the sexual assault changes would be part of any substitute legislation. House Republicans are scheduled to discuss the bill in a caucus meeting set for Thursday morning.
A Pentagon report this year said Marine Corps women had the highest rate of unwanted sexual contact in fiscal year 2012 at 10.1 percent. The Navy recorded a rate of 7.2 percent, slightly higher than that reported by female members of the Army. Air Force women reported a rate of just over 3 percent.
The Defense Department last month reported that 3,553 sexual assault criminal complaints had been filed by U.S. troops between October 2012 and June of this year, almost a 50 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Sexual assault is defined as rape, sodomy or unwanted sexual contact, including touching. It does not include harassment.
The problem is believed to be much larger than those statistics, however. Earlier this year, a voluntary Pentagon survey across all the services found that about 26,000 women and men said they had been sexually assaulted in 2011, an increase of 7,000 cases from 2010.
The Department of the Navy in July said 29 percent of 219 major courts-martial in the first half of this year — 63 cases — involved sex crimes, including 21 at West Coast installations such as Camp Pendleton.
Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, called the changes significant progress in combating military sexual assault, increasing victim empowerment and holding commands accountable.
“I will continue looking for ways to build on measures to establish a respectful and safe working environment for all personnel,” she said.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and also a member of the Armed Services panel, said the reforms are good no matter how the bill is ultimately shaped and serve as a foundation for more changes.
A pair of local military defense attorneys, David Brahms of Carlsbad and Jane Siegel of San Marcos, said the proposed changes won’t end what some members of Congress call an epidemic of sexual assault cases. Cultural changes to give women full equality and more emphasis on prevention and substance abuse are equally important, they said.
“The real hard work isn’t being done,” said Brahms, a retired brigadier general who once serves as the Marine Corps top legal officer. “The hard work is to change the culture, which starts at the bottom We’ve done a pretty damn good job to integrate minorities into the armed forces, but that took a long time. In the case of women, we still haven’t integrated them and made them our sisters in arms.”
Brahms, who represents troops accused of sexual assault and assault victims, said he worries that removing many of the commanders’ discretionary powers that have been in place for decades will disrupt traditional lines of authority.
“Revamping military justice should be done in an orderly way and in consideration of the full impact. Commanders should continue to have discretion at least in the initial phases of a case.”
That provision remains part of the code, despite a push by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to remove that authority entirely. Her proposal is now expected to come up as stand-alone legislation next year.
Like Brahms, attorney Siegel said she believes changing a major section of the military justice, which is wholly administered by the armed services, is worrisome.
“It is the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” she said. “You cannot take out one section and expectation the system to function appropriately because it is a complete and unified system. Believe me, it is not a perfect system, but commander are key because they know their people and they know the needs of the service.”
Siegel said multiple avenues already exist for sexually assaulted troops to pursue a case outside of their chain of command, such as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for Marines and sailors.
Alcohol is a factor in about 60 percent of all military sexual assault cases, something Siegel said is key.
“We are supposed to be a team and a band of brothers and sisters,” she said. “If we put more effort into that and prevention, we may not see the number of allegations we do.”
But the Service Women’s Action Network believes the changes are long overdue.
“We look at this as the larger issue of sexual violence and integration of women in the military,” said Jacob, who spent 10 years in the Marine Corps and was a captain when he left the service. “Once these kinds of barriers that keep many women out of the military are removed, more women will want to serve.”
WASHINGTON — The home of the chief of staff to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was searched by law enforcement officials in connection with a child pornography investigation, the Tennessee Republican said Wednesday.
Ryan Loskarn, 35, who was named Alexander’s chief of staff in 2011, has been placed on administrative leave without pay, according to a statement from Alexander.
“I am stunned, surprised and disappointed by what I have learned,” Alexander said. “The office is fully cooperating with the investigation.”
The Postal Inspection Service, the lead investigation agency on the case, released a statement as well.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service was in Southeast D.C. this morning in regards to law enforcement action,” said U.S. Postal Inspector Lori McCallister. “All documents related to this law enforcement action are currently under seal, therefore no additional information will be provided at this time.”
UPDATE: 5:00 p.m. — Loskarn, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on probable cause for possession and distribution of child pornography, a Justice Department spokesman told The Huffington Post. He will remain in custody and is expected to appear in federal court in D.C. tomorrow. Loskarn has been fired as Alexander’s chief-of-staff, his office announced late Wednesday.
“The courts will judge Mr. Loskarn’s guilt or innocence, but under these circumstances, he cannot continue to fulfill his duties as chief of staff of this office,” Alexander said in a statement. “Therefore, as of today, I have removed him from the payroll.”
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 Reform2013-12-12 14:53:362013-12-12 14:53:36The harm done by even the viewers of porn is devastating.
In the State of Iowa, the statute of limitations on the sexual abuse of a child is a maximum of ten years. It goes into effect once a victim of sexual abuse turns 18; that person has up to ten years to try and prosecute their abuser.
But there is a relatively new, local organization that is advocating for a change in the statute of limitations when it comes to sex abuse against minors.
Abuse victims with the S.A.A.M. Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to changing the statute of limitations for Sexual Abuse Against Minors — tell KWQC’s Morgan Ottier that it oftentimes takes longer to cope with the years of sexual abuse and to make the decision to come forward and prosecute.
“I am a victim of sexual abuse myself,” said S.A.A.M. co-founder, Natalie Long. She said it started in the early 1980s, when she was just seven, and it went on for four years.
“Back in that time I think it was more of a hidden, let’s shove it under the rug type of thing,” she said.
“I had to seek help on my own in my later twenties.”
But by age 28, according to Iowa law, it’s too late to prosecute. Once the ten year statute of limitations maximum passes, alleged abusers don’t have to fear prosecution anymore.
Long feels it isn’t fair.
” Somebody has changed who I am, for my entire life,” she said. “They have ten years to worry about whether they have to pay for what they’ve done. I don’t think that’s justice at all.”
“I was an abuse victim myself,” said S.A.A.M. board member, Charity Jensen. “I never got the justice that I feel like I deserve.”
Jensen says she was sexually abused for ten years of her life. She decided to press charges in July of 2013 and thought her nightmare was over.
“And then they told me I was too late,” she said.
The detective on Jensen’s case explained to her that if she came forward earlier, she would have had a good case against her abuser.
“He said the good news is we collected more than enough evidence to convict my molester but unfortunately I was over the statute of limitations by four months,” said Jensen.
“It made me furious, it made me sad.”
The S.A.A.M. Foundation argues there should be no limit on the amount of time a victim needs to cope, to build up the courage to come forward.
“Who knows when you’re actually able to face your accuser. I was 36 years old,” said Long.
But, anger over the statute of limitations is what fuels these women to make change happen.
“I always thought why did it happen to me, why did it happen to me? And I know now that it happened to me because I’m strong enough to make the difference,” Jensen said.
The S.A.A.M. Foundation is holding its first ever Fundraising Gala on Thursday, December 12, 2013. The goal for the fundraiser is to kick start the program and better educate the community. The organization hopes to move forward in rewriting laws to “protect our sexually abused minors.”
The Gala will be held at The Stern Center in Rock Island, Illinois at 6 p.m.
Age 55 retroactive is good direction and great place to start for a window. Once in place and the sky doesn’t fall, go back to ask for the full monte. But it would in fact identify many perps in the state otherwise operating in secret due to previous SOLs
Child welfare advocates are calling on the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to back legislation that would extend the statute of limitations in Massachusetts on cases brought by victims of childhood sexual abuse.
The open letter to Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley came days after he announced a major effort by Pope Francis to explore ways the church can protect children from abuse and to care for victims. The new Vatican commission marks the Catholic Church’s first comprehensive effort to address a scandal that exploded in 2002 in Boston and become a worldwide crisis.
The bills in Massachusetts are the latest efforts by advocates to get the state Legislature to allow more time for victims of childhood sexual abuse to pursue their alleged abusers in state court. One proposal would allow abuse victims to file a lawsuit in civil court up to the age of 55. Current law generally caps the filing age at 21. A separate bill would open a one-year window for those older than 55 to file claims. In criminal cases, accusers have until age 43 to file charges. The civil and criminal rules apply to all abuse cases and are not limited to church-related incidents.
A spokesman Sunday declined to disclose the archdiocese’s position on the proposals. But when the Legislature considered a more sweeping measure last year, the archdiocese’s policy arm, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, warned that it could open church organizations to additional liability in decades-old cases and harm their charitable efforts.
On Sunday, a group of advocates led by Massachusetts Citizens for Children sent an open letter to O’Malley, arguing that the current legislation aligns with church principles, as stated by the Catholic Conference.
“Protecting the ‘dignity of the human person and the sanctity of [all] human lives,’ the expressed goals of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, apply to the quest for justice that victims of sexual abuse and advocates for children have been on for so long,” the advocates wrote.
By supporting the legislation, the advocates added, “you can help us help them and prevent more children from being abused.”
Lawmakers have until the end of the legislative session in July 2014 to send a bill to the governor’s desk for final passage.
Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston archdiocese, said in a statement that the church continues to seek forgiveness from anyone harmed by “these reprehensible acts” and remains vigilant in its efforts to protect children. “We indemnify and provide services for any person impacted by the sexual abuse of minors in the Church, regardless of when the abuse took place,” Donilon said. “We have been humbled to witness the strength and courage of many survivors through their inspirational accounts of faith and healing.”
During consideration of similar legislation last year, opponents said they feared it could expose dioceses and affiliated groups to additional liability, and potentially undermine the church’s already shaky finances. That previous bill initially called for eliminating the statute of limitations entirely for child sex abuse cases, and for eliminating a $20,000 cap on civil damages for nonprofits.
James F. Driscoll, executive director of the Catholic Conference, said in May 2012 that the measure would “have an immediate and harmful impact on the ability of all nonprofits, not just the Catholic Church, to serve thousands of people who rely on these organizations.’’
Driscoll did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.
The archdiocese has waived the statute of limitations and the charitable immunity cap in many cases it has settled out of court. The church has spent the last 10 years trying to address a massive sexual abuse scandal that in Boston alone has involved more than 1,100 victims and cost the archdiocese about $150 million in damages from civil lawsuits.
Jetta Bernier, executive director of Citizens For Children, known also as MassKids, said in an interview that opponents’ concerns about the financial harm to the church’s charitable programs are misplaced. She said the majority of victims of childhood sexual abuse were not targeted by priests but rather other authority figures includingteachers, coaches, and relatives.
And, Bernier said, the church “should base its actions on moral reasonings, not on economic ones.”
Lisa Wangsness, Stephanie Ebbert, and Milton J. Valencia of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
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 Reform2013-12-10 01:30:252013-12-10 01:30:25Age 55 retroactive is good direction and great place to start for a window. (MASS)
Please contact your local PA House legislator and ask him/her to support Rep. Mark Rozzi’s proposed amendments to Senate Bill 681 which the full PA House will be voting on very soon possibly in the next day or so.
B. Bullet points we suggest you use in your communication with him/her:
Please support SB 681
Additionally, please support the all the Rozzi amendments that will help give justice to victims of child sex abuse which increase the statute of limitations from 12 years to 32 years for civil actions arising from the sexual abuse of a minor and create a two year “window” to allow past child sexual abuse victims the opportunity to seek civil recourse from their perpetrators.
Include a short sentence or two of why you support this legislation.
Thank them for their consideration of this matter.
Include your name and address.
—————————————- FYI: Letter we sent to all legislators today. It has a bit more detail about the proposed legislation.
December 9, 2013
Dear Legislator:
The House will soon consider SB 681 which would allow victims of sex crimes to protect themselves from predators. While we support this legislation, we ask that you also support the Rozzi amendments to give victims access to justice. Currently, Pennsylvania’s archaic statute of limitations laws mean that thousands of victims cannot have access to the courts for civil proceedings – just because their legal “clock” has expired.
The first Rozzi amendment would remove the statute of limitations for civil actions arising from the sexual abuse of a minor and provide a “window” up until age 50 for abuse victims to file civil action if the statute of limitations has expired. It would also remove “sovereign immunity” defenses for public officials who commit sexual abuse.
Other amendments would increase the statute of limitations from 12 years to 32 years for civil actions arising from the sexual abuse of a minor and create a two year “window” to allow past child sexual abuse victims the opportunity to seek civil recourse from their perpetrators.
We are bombarded by horrendous stories of child abuse and the legal maneuvering that ensues.
For those of you who want real justice for the Sandusky victims or the victims of the Philadelphia Catholic diocese scandals, it is time to amend our outdated statutes of limitations.
It is time to stand up for the victims; not the predators.
Below and attached please find over 30 organizations who strongly support statute of limitations reform:
Catholic Whistleblowers, Child Protection Project, Coached Into Silence, Crime Victims Center, Culture of Silence Film, Horace Mann Action Coalition, Jewish Board of Advocates for Children, Justice4PAKids, Justtell.org, Let Go Let Peace Come In Foundation, MaleSurvivor, Ms. Foundation, National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, National Child Protection Training Center, National Crime Victim Bar Association, National District Attorneys Association, OAASIS: Oregon Abuse Advocates and Survivors in Service, Parents for Megan’s Law, PA Gestalt Center, Patches Kids, PCADV: PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence, PCAR: PA Coalition Against Rape, Protect the Hershey’s Children, Inc., S.E.S.A.M.E., Inc.: Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, Safe4Athletes, SFJ: Survivors for Justice, SNAP: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SOL-Reform.com, Stop the Silence, The Awareness Center, The National Center for Victims of Crime, Turning Point, Vertigo, LLC/Pursuit of Truth Film, Voice of the Faithful
On behalf of all of them, and on behalf of victims everywhere, please vote for the Rozzi amendments to SB 681.
Would be news if victims had access to justice but Chaput has shut that down by lobbying against PA SOL reform
/in Pennsylvania /by SOL ReformFive priests removed from ministry; two restored to duty
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has permanently removed five parish priests from ministry over allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct, including one priest who had previously been investigated and returned to duty last year.
An archdiocesan review board had cleared the Rev. Michael A. Chapman in May 2012 of an abuse allegation involving a minor. But within months, a new accuser came forward with allegations dating back 30 years.
In a statement expected to be released in parishes across the region Sunday, the archdiocese said the board substantiated new abuse accusations against Chapman and deemed him “unsuitable for ministry.”
“This information was provided to law enforcement and Father Chapman was placed back on administrative leave,” the statement read. “At no time was he ever returned to active ministry.”
As has been its practice, the archdiocese offered no details of the allegations against Chapman or the four other priests whose removals were announced to congregants who braved Saturday’s snowstorm for evening Mass.
Ken Gavin, spokesman for the archdiocese, declined Saturday evening to comment on the decisions, pending an official announcement expected Sunday.
Two other priests – the Rev. Zachary W. Navit, last of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doylestown, and the Rev. Francis J. Schlett, who retired from Our Lady of Grace in Penndel in 2004 – were cleared to return to their positions after the review board said it could not substantiate allegations against them.
It remained unclear Saturday whether the men would return to their old parishes or take up new postings.
Of the four others removed besides Chapman, two – the Rev. Stephen B. Perzan, of St. Helena Parish in Philadelphia, and the Rev. Peter J. Talocci, of St. Patrick’s in Malvern – faced sexual-abuse allegations that the review board said it could not substantiate. They were removed for violations of “the standards of ministerial behavior,” church officials said.
The remaining two – the Rev. Mark E. Fernandes, last of St. Agnes Parish in Sellersville, and the Rev. Joseph M. Glatts, formerly of SS. Simon and Jude in West Chester – faced no accusations of sexual misconduct but rather were deemed to have acted in violation of church standards.
Church officials have said such misconduct can range from making inappropriate comments to boundary violations.
The decisions announced Saturday are the latest fallout in a dark chapter of archdiocesan history.
In 2009, a scathing grand jury report excoriated then-Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua and other church leaders and accused them of an “immoral” cover-up, saying they protected predator priests for decades and allowed sexual assaults against children to go unpunished. Bevilacqua and top archdiocesan officials vigorously denied that and said the church was committed to ensuring the safety of children.
Two years later, a second grand jury accused church officials of continuing to fall short. In a stinging report, the grand jury said the archdiocese had failed to act on credible allegations of child sex abuse and other misconduct.
The panel recommended criminal charges against Msgr. William Lynn, then the archdiocese’s secretary of clergy, and accused him of transferring some accused priests and letting others fall through the cracks. He was convicted of one count of child endangerment last year and sentenced to three to six years in prison.
In the aftermath of the 2011 report, 26 priests were suspended.
Since May of last year, Chaput has permanently removed more than half of those priests from active ministry.
After Saturday’s announcement, the fates of only two of the accused priests remain unresolved.
The review board has yet to make a decision on one, whom church officials declined to name. The archdiocese said it had referred abuse allegations against him to law enforcement officials, who declined last month to prosecute him.
The other, the Rev. Andrew McCormick, was arrested last year on charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy at St. John Cantius Parish in Bridesburg. He is awaiting trial.
Five priests removed from ministry; two restored to duty
Fed SOL progress
/in Federal /by SOL ReformCongress confronts military sex assault
2014 defense bill makes major changes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice
Sweeping changes in the military justice system designed to stem an explosion in sexual assault cases are at the forefront of a defense bill awaiting action in Congress.
The National Defense Authorization Act would enact many of the reforms sought by assault victim advocates, including ending commanders’ authority to dismiss a court-martial finding entirely or reduce a guilty verdict to a lesser offense.
Among the more than 30 changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice are minimum sentencing guidelines for sex convictions, elimination of a five-year statute of limitations on rape and other forms of sexual assault and allowing victims the option to skip testifying in an initial investigative phase known as an Article 32 hearing.
“It’s all part of making the military a better place,” said Greg Jacob, policy director for the Service Women’s Action Network and a leading proponent of the reforms. “These are very significant changes. Elimination of the statute of limitations is particularly important, because in many cases it takes a victim years to process and years of therapy before they are willing to come forward.”
The changes were negotiated by House and Senate lawmakers.
The full bill, which authorizes $632 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2014, is due for consideration this week. It also includes a 1 percent pay raise of troops, rejects Obama administration calls to increase retiree medical fees and includes money for a Marine Corps amphibious combat vehicle.
Whether the full bill gets consideration remained uncertain Wednesday. Congressional aides suggested a battle over numerous additional amendments may scuttle to full bill in favor of a slimmed down version. Even if that happened, there was an expectation the sexual assault changes would be part of any substitute legislation. House Republicans are scheduled to discuss the bill in a caucus meeting set for Thursday morning.
A Pentagon report this year said Marine Corps women had the highest rate of unwanted sexual contact in fiscal year 2012 at 10.1 percent. The Navy recorded a rate of 7.2 percent, slightly higher than that reported by female members of the Army. Air Force women reported a rate of just over 3 percent.
The Defense Department last month reported that 3,553 sexual assault criminal complaints had been filed by U.S. troops between October 2012 and June of this year, almost a 50 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Sexual assault is defined as rape, sodomy or unwanted sexual contact, including touching. It does not include harassment.
The problem is believed to be much larger than those statistics, however. Earlier this year, a voluntary Pentagon survey across all the services found that about 26,000 women and men said they had been sexually assaulted in 2011, an increase of 7,000 cases from 2010.
The Department of the Navy in July said 29 percent of 219 major courts-martial in the first half of this year — 63 cases — involved sex crimes, including 21 at West Coast installations such as Camp Pendleton.
Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, called the changes significant progress in combating military sexual assault, increasing victim empowerment and holding commands accountable.
“I will continue looking for ways to build on measures to establish a respectful and safe working environment for all personnel,” she said.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and also a member of the Armed Services panel, said the reforms are good no matter how the bill is ultimately shaped and serve as a foundation for more changes.
A pair of local military defense attorneys, David Brahms of Carlsbad and Jane Siegel of San Marcos, said the proposed changes won’t end what some members of Congress call an epidemic of sexual assault cases. Cultural changes to give women full equality and more emphasis on prevention and substance abuse are equally important, they said.
“The real hard work isn’t being done,” said Brahms, a retired brigadier general who once serves as the Marine Corps top legal officer. “The hard work is to change the culture, which starts at the bottom We’ve done a pretty damn good job to integrate minorities into the armed forces, but that took a long time. In the case of women, we still haven’t integrated them and made them our sisters in arms.”
Brahms, who represents troops accused of sexual assault and assault victims, said he worries that removing many of the commanders’ discretionary powers that have been in place for decades will disrupt traditional lines of authority.
“Revamping military justice should be done in an orderly way and in consideration of the full impact. Commanders should continue to have discretion at least in the initial phases of a case.”
That provision remains part of the code, despite a push by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to remove that authority entirely. Her proposal is now expected to come up as stand-alone legislation next year.
Like Brahms, attorney Siegel said she believes changing a major section of the military justice, which is wholly administered by the armed services, is worrisome.
“It is the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” she said. “You cannot take out one section and expectation the system to function appropriately because it is a complete and unified system. Believe me, it is not a perfect system, but commander are key because they know their people and they know the needs of the service.”
Siegel said multiple avenues already exist for sexually assaulted troops to pursue a case outside of their chain of command, such as the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for Marines and sailors.
Alcohol is a factor in about 60 percent of all military sexual assault cases, something Siegel said is key.
“We are supposed to be a team and a band of brothers and sisters,” she said. “If we put more effort into that and prevention, we may not see the number of allegations we do.”
But the Service Women’s Action Network believes the changes are long overdue.
“We look at this as the larger issue of sexual violence and integration of women in the military,” said Jacob, who spent 10 years in the Marine Corps and was a captain when he left the service. “Once these kinds of barriers that keep many women out of the military are removed, more women will want to serve.”
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/Dec/11/assault-military-congress-defense/
The harm done by even the viewers of porn is devastating.
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformHarm Done to Child Pornography Victims:
Lamar Alexander Staffer’s Home Searched In Child Porn Probe
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/ryan-loskarn_n_4426401.html?1386781328&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
WASHINGTON — The home of the chief of staff to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was searched by law enforcement officials in connection with a child pornography investigation, the Tennessee Republican said Wednesday.
Ryan Loskarn, 35, who was named Alexander’s chief of staff in 2011, has been placed on administrative leave without pay, according to a statement from Alexander.
“I am stunned, surprised and disappointed by what I have learned,” Alexander said. “The office is fully cooperating with the investigation.”
The Postal Inspection Service, the lead investigation agency on the case, released a statement as well.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service was in Southeast D.C. this morning in regards to law enforcement action,” said U.S. Postal Inspector Lori McCallister. “All documents related to this law enforcement action are currently under seal, therefore no additional information will be provided at this time.”
UPDATE: 5:00 p.m. — Loskarn, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on probable cause for possession and distribution of child pornography, a Justice Department spokesman told The Huffington Post. He will remain in custody and is expected to appear in federal court in D.C. tomorrow. Loskarn has been fired as Alexander’s chief-of-staff, his office announced late Wednesday.
“The courts will judge Mr. Loskarn’s guilt or innocence, but under these circumstances, he cannot continue to fulfill his duties as chief of staff of this office,” Alexander said in a statement. “Therefore, as of today, I have removed him from the payroll.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/ryan-loskarn_n_4426401.html?1386781328&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
Iowa needs this!
/in Iowa /by SOL Reformhttp://www.kwqc.com/story/
In the State of Iowa, the statute of limitations on the sexual abuse of a child is a maximum of ten years. It goes into effect once a victim of sexual abuse turns 18; that person has up to ten years to try and prosecute their abuser.
But there is a relatively new, local organization that is advocating for a change in the statute of limitations when it comes to sex abuse against minors.
Abuse victims with the S.A.A.M. Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to changing the statute of limitations for Sexual Abuse Against Minors — tell KWQC’s Morgan Ottier that it oftentimes takes longer to cope with the years of sexual abuse and to make the decision to come forward and prosecute.
“I am a victim of sexual abuse myself,” said S.A.A.M. co-founder, Natalie Long. She said it started in the early 1980s, when she was just seven, and it went on for four years.
“Back in that time I think it was more of a hidden, let’s shove it under the rug type of thing,” she said.
“I had to seek help on my own in my later twenties.”
But by age 28, according to Iowa law, it’s too late to prosecute. Once the ten year statute of limitations maximum passes, alleged abusers don’t have to fear prosecution anymore.
Long feels it isn’t fair.
” Somebody has changed who I am, for my entire life,” she said. “They have ten years to worry about whether they have to pay for what they’ve done. I don’t think that’s justice at all.”
“I was an abuse victim myself,” said S.A.A.M. board member, Charity Jensen. “I never got the justice that I feel like I deserve.”
Jensen says she was sexually abused for ten years of her life. She decided to press charges in July of 2013 and thought her nightmare was over.
“And then they told me I was too late,” she said.
The detective on Jensen’s case explained to her that if she came forward earlier, she would have had a good case against her abuser.
“He said the good news is we collected more than enough evidence to convict my molester but unfortunately I was over the statute of limitations by four months,” said Jensen.
“It made me furious, it made me sad.”
The S.A.A.M. Foundation argues there should be no limit on the amount of time a victim needs to cope, to build up the courage to come forward.
“Who knows when you’re actually able to face your accuser. I was 36 years old,” said Long.
But, anger over the statute of limitations is what fuels these women to make change happen.
“I always thought why did it happen to me, why did it happen to me? And I know now that it happened to me because I’m strong enough to make the difference,” Jensen said.
The S.A.A.M. Foundation is holding its first ever Fundraising Gala on Thursday, December 12, 2013. The goal for the fundraiser is to kick start the program and better educate the community. The organization hopes to move forward in rewriting laws to “protect our sexually abused minors.”
The Gala will be held at The Stern Center in Rock Island, Illinois at 6 p.m.
Age 55 retroactive is good direction and great place to start for a window. (MASS)
/in Massachusetts /by SOL ReformAge 55 retroactive is good direction and great place to start for a window. Once in place and the sky doesn’t fall, go back to ask for the full monte. But it would in fact identify many perps in the state otherwise operating in secret due to previous SOLs
Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s backing sought on bills
Would give victims longer to file cases
Child welfare advocates are calling on the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to back legislation that would extend the statute of limitations in Massachusetts on cases brought by victims of childhood sexual abuse.
The open letter to Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley came days after he announced a major effort by Pope Francis to explore ways the church can protect children from abuse and to care for victims. The new Vatican commission marks the Catholic Church’s first comprehensive effort to address a scandal that exploded in 2002 in Boston and become a worldwide crisis.
The bills in Massachusetts are the latest efforts by advocates to get the state Legislature to allow more time for victims of childhood sexual abuse to pursue their alleged abusers in state court. One proposal would allow abuse victims to file a lawsuit in civil court up to the age of 55. Current law generally caps the filing age at 21. A separate bill would open a one-year window for those older than 55 to file claims. In criminal cases, accusers have until age 43 to file charges. The civil and criminal rules apply to all abuse cases and are not limited to church-related incidents.
A spokesman Sunday declined to disclose the archdiocese’s position on the proposals. But when the Legislature considered a more sweeping measure last year, the archdiocese’s policy arm, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, warned that it could open church organizations to additional liability in decades-old cases and harm their charitable efforts.
“Protecting the ‘dignity of the human person and the sanctity of [all] human lives,’ the expressed goals of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, apply to the quest for justice that victims of sexual abuse and advocates for children have been on for so long,” the advocates wrote.
By supporting the legislation, the advocates added, “you can help us help them and prevent more children from being abused.”
Lawmakers have until the end of the legislative session in July 2014 to send a bill to the governor’s desk for final passage.
Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston archdiocese, said in a statement that the church continues to seek forgiveness from anyone harmed by “these reprehensible acts” and remains vigilant in its efforts to protect children. “We indemnify and provide services for any person impacted by the sexual abuse of minors in the Church, regardless of when the abuse took place,” Donilon said. “We have been humbled to witness the strength and courage of many survivors through their inspirational accounts of faith and healing.”
During consideration of similar legislation last year, opponents said they feared it could expose dioceses and affiliated groups to additional liability, and potentially undermine the church’s already shaky finances. That previous bill initially called for eliminating the statute of limitations entirely for child sex abuse cases, and for eliminating a $20,000 cap on civil damages for nonprofits.
James F. Driscoll, executive director of the Catholic Conference, said in May 2012 that the measure would “have an immediate and harmful impact on the ability of all nonprofits, not just the Catholic Church, to serve thousands of people who rely on these organizations.’’
Driscoll did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.
The archdiocese has waived the statute of limitations and the charitable immunity cap in many cases it has settled out of court. The church has spent the last 10 years trying to address a massive sexual abuse scandal that in Boston alone has involved more than 1,100 victims and cost the archdiocese about $150 million in damages from civil lawsuits.
Jetta Bernier, executive director of Citizens For Children, known also as MassKids, said in an interview that opponents’ concerns about the financial harm to the church’s charitable programs are misplaced. She said the majority of victims of childhood sexual abuse were not targeted by priests but rather other authority figures includingteachers, coaches, and relatives.
And, Bernier said, the church “should base its actions on moral reasonings, not on economic ones.”
Lisa Wangsness, Stephanie Ebbert, and Milton J. Valencia of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/09/advocates-urge-malley-back-statute-limitations-reform-for-abuse-victims/DrPIpXrGQwu9VnNoDTfkUM/story.html
FACSA Action Alert— PENNSYLVANIA — ASAP
/in Pennsylvania /by SOL ReformContact your PA House Rep ASAP
Please contact your local PA House legislator and ask him/her to support Rep. Mark Rozzi’s proposed amendments to Senate Bill 681 which the full PA House will be voting on very soon possibly in the next day or so.
A. How to find your legislator: http://www.legis.
B. Bullet points we suggest you use in your communication with him/her:
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FYI: Letter we sent to all legislators today. It has a bit more detail about the proposed legislation.
December 9, 2013
Dear Legislator:
The House will soon consider SB 681 which would allow victims of sex crimes to protect themselves from predators. While we support this legislation, we ask that you also support the Rozzi amendments to give victims access to justice. Currently, Pennsylvania’s archaic statute of limitations laws mean that thousands of victims cannot have access to the courts for civil proceedings – just because their legal “clock” has expired.
The first Rozzi amendment would remove the statute of limitations for civil actions arising from the sexual abuse of a minor and provide a “window” up until age 50 for abuse victims to file civil action if the statute of limitations has expired. It would also remove “sovereign immunity” defenses for public officials who commit sexual abuse.
Other amendments would increase the statute of limitations from 12 years to 32 years for civil actions arising from the sexual abuse of a minor and create a two year “window” to allow past child sexual abuse victims the opportunity to seek civil recourse from their perpetrators.
We are bombarded by horrendous stories of child abuse and the legal maneuvering that ensues.
For those of you who want real justice for the Sandusky victims or the victims of the Philadelphia Catholic diocese scandals, it is time to amend our outdated statutes of limitations.
It is time to stand up for the victims; not the predators.
Below and attached please find over 30 organizations who strongly support statute of limitations reform:
Catholic Whistleblowers, Child Protection Project, Coached Into Silence, Crime Victims Center, Culture of Silence Film, Horace Mann Action Coalition, Jewish Board of Advocates for Children, Justice4PAKids, Justtell.org, Let Go Let Peace Come In Foundation, MaleSurvivor, Ms. Foundation, National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, National Child Protection Training Center, National Crime Victim Bar Association, National District Attorneys Association, OAASIS: Oregon Abuse Advocates and Survivors in Service, Parents for Megan’s Law, PA Gestalt Center, Patches Kids, PCADV: PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence, PCAR: PA Coalition Against Rape, Protect the Hershey’s Children, Inc., S.E.S.A.M.E., Inc.: Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, Safe4Athletes, SFJ: Survivors for Justice, SNAP: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SOL-Reform.com, Stop the Silence, The Awareness Center, The National Center for Victims of Crime, Turning Point, Vertigo, LLC/Pursuit of Truth Film, Voice of the Faithful
On behalf of all of them, and on behalf of victims everywhere, please vote for the Rozzi amendments to SB 681.