A rabbi from Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood was convicted Monday by a Cook County judge of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy he had been mentoring nine years ago.
Aryeh “Larry” Dudovitz had gone to the boy’s home for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in October 2006 and plied him with alcohol, according to testimony Monday from the boy, now 24. The man testified he drank so much he became ill and fell asleep but awakened to find Dudovitz performing a sex act on him.
Dudovitz confessed to the assault to several members of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, a religious court that convened soon after the boy reported the assault to his mother.
At the trial Monday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, several prominent Orthodox rabbis testified that Dudovitz admitted assaulting the boy.
Ruling from the bench after hearing two hours of evidence and argument, Judge Evelyn Clay found Dudovitz, now 48, guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault. She ordered Dudovitz taken into custody until he turns over his passport, at which point Clay said she will release him on electronic monitoring until his sentencing.
Full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-rabbi-convicted-rape-met-20151116-story.html
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 Reform2015-11-17 03:52:192015-11-17 03:52:19Steve Schmadeke, Rabbi convicted of sexually assaulting boy nine years ago, Chicago Tribune
“Spotlight,” a new film about the Catholic clergy abuse scandal’s explosion in 2002, begs the question: How are things different in 2015?
Dozens of U.S. church leaders have in the past few days been offering answers in the form of public statements, with some primarily focusing on the survivors and others casting the scandal as fully in the past and framing the church as the leader today in a society that hasn’t fully dealt with the problem.
“Spotlight, which began playing in U.S. cities Nov. 6, tells the story of Boston Globe investigative journalists who broke the story. (The Globe’s editor at the time was Marty Baron, now executive editor of The Washington Post)
ADVERTISING
The range of views in the new statements – which follow a memo of talking points the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ sent to its dioceses in September — show the way the church still wrestles with how to tell its own story.
The movie “looks back at this historical past – 15 years and more as it dramatizes a newspaper investigation into abuse that occurred in the Boston area,” Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl wrote Nov. 2. “My wish is that other entities, like the public school systems, would attempt to do what the Church has done and offer the same level of protection to children in their care as we do.”
In the first line of a piece on “Spotlight” this weekend, Francesco C. Cesareo, chairman of the USCCB’s National Review Board, also expressed the view that the Catholic Church’s problems with sexual abuse echo those of society as a whole.
“Sexual abuse of minors is a problem that affects many institutions in our society,” wrote Cesareo, head of the body charged with making sure the church enforces the rules it created after the scandal exploded. “In 2002, the Catholic Church recognized that it was not immune to this issue.”
Survivor advocates have bristled in the past when church leaders have declared the abuse crisis in Catholicism over, or have tried to remove focus from the institution itself. When Pope Francis this summer met in Philadelphia with survivors and included some people whose perpetrators were outside the church, many survivors who spoke out were angry at what they saw as a diluting of responsibility.
Other statements, which were mostly from bishops, showed the lingering impact of the crisis and suffering of survivors.
“The sin and crime of sexual abuse sadly still happens. And while failing to report on or remove an offender is rare in comparison with past practice, it too still happens, and when it does a shadow is cast on the Church’s efforts to restore trust and to provide a safe environment,” wrote Dubuque Archbishop Michael Jackels. “May God have mercy on us and help us.”
Researchers agree that the landscape today is dramatically different from the era “Spotlight” depicts. The Catholic Church now spends tens of millions of dollars each year on child protection efforts — and spends roughly twice as much annually now as it did a decade ago, according to the USCCB’s annual reports. The number of new credible allegations is one-third of what it was a decade ago. And with clergy sex abuse scandals now blowing up in other countries, the U.S. church is considered a global leader in prevention efforts.
Some church officials are so sure of their prevention systems that last week Terry Donilon, the spokesman for the Boston archdiocese, seemed surprised when a columnist for the The Boston Globe asked him whether clergy sexual abuse was still a problem in the archdiocese. There is “zero abuse” going on today — “none,” he told the Globe.
Yet new scandals continue to surface. In 2011 a Philadelphia grand jury accused the archdiocese of not stopping abusers and said more than three dozen priests credibly accused of abuse or inappropriate behavior towards minors remained in ministry. This spring two bishops resigned in St. Paul-Minneapolis shortly after criminal charges were entered against the archdiocese for allegedly not removing a priest despite repeated complaints of misconduct.
Prominent survivors — including one on a special commission created by Pope Francis — have continued to criticize the church for spending millions in court against victims, including in statehouses where the church fights the lifting of statutes of limitations.
Last week the National Catholic Reporter reported it found the sex abuse crisis has cost the U.S. church $4 billion in the past 65 years, more than $1 billion higher than the commonly-quoted figure. The site also quoted a new academic study, in the Journal of Public Economics, that argues the scandal continues to cost the church $2.36 billion per year in charitable giving.
The impact on the church is complex. Polling by Pew Research shows that one-third of Catholics in 2013 ranked the abuse crisis the church’s most important problem, yet a tiny percent of those who left Catholicism cited it as the reason when asked in an open-ended way.
And the concept of the crisis changes over time, as the most heavily-hit generations age. In “American Catholics in Transition,” a book written by three sociologists of Catholicism, 7 percent of Catholics said they personally knew people abused by a priest. The number drops to 3 percent when asked of Millennials.
When the scandal broke in 2002, it was common for pundits and even some Catholics to point fingers at the church, hypothesizing that celibacy and gay priests were causes of the scandal. Since then, sex abuse scandals have gone public everywhere from the Boy Scouts to Orthodox Judaism, and stories surface constantly about abuse within families. Some Catholic leaders have argued that it was just the first, biggest institution where the phenomenon appeared, and that the problem is no better in other parts of society.
But this approach can be controversial.
Terry McKiernan, founder of a Boston-based abuse-tracking group bishopaccountability.org, said he doesn’t see child sex abuse as necessarily more prevalent in the Catholic Church. But he believes the reaction in the new statements about “Spotlight” reflect an ongoing problem.
“What if they had responded in a searching way? A radical way? Because there is so much left to do,” he said. “And I’d prefer they not take credit for something they did so reluctantly. It’s not something they innovated, they were forced into it.”
The statements follow the memo to dioceses from the USCCB’s office on child and youth protection. It warned staff who work with abuse survivors to be ready with support because the movie may remind survivors (in society, not just from clergy) of past trauma. At the same time, the memo urged church workers to create a communications strategy — including “speaking points for homilies” — and suggested reminding Catholics of the enormous changes that have been made since the early 2000’s.
The memo opened with concern about how the movie will be perceived.
“In our experience, Catholics and others will take the movie as proof of what is happening today, not what happened in the past. Do not let past events discourage you. This is an opportunity to raise the awareness of all that has been done to prevent child sexual abuse in the Church. There is much good news to share,” it read.
In an interview, Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the child protection office, framed the film as an opportunity.
The memo was put together so dioceses could “be prepared, because victims may see it, and it could trigger things, and we need to be ready,” Nojadera said. Even though the movie is based in the past, “the pain of that is still very present, very real. In a way the movie is helping the church to remember, and to remind the church this is a mission they are going to be on for a long, long time.”
The memo cites church data showing the steady decline in number of accusations since the early 2000’s, but Nojadera said the numbers may hide abuse that remains uncovered.
“It’s like an iceberg; that’s what we see above. Lord knows how many are suffering or in pain,” he said. “The data we have is just our marker for what we have.”
Multiple dioceses issued statements using the words suggested by the USCCB memo: “We apologize for the grave harm that has been inflicted on you. Words alone cannot express our sorrow, shame and disappointment. So, it is our prayer and hope that through our actions you will find the healing you so richly deserve.”
Full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/09/spotlight-portrayal-of-sex-abuse-scandal-is-making-the-catholic-church-uncomfortable-all-over-again/
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 Reform2015-11-10 02:47:172015-11-10 02:47:17Michelle Boorstein, “Spotlight” portrayal of sex abuse scandal is making the Catholic Church uncomfortable all over again, The Washington Post
The University of Georgia School of Law is launching the first legal clinic in the nation to assist victims of child sexual abuse, thanks to a gift from an alumnus, Atlanta plaintiffs lawyer Marlan Wilbanks.
Wilbanks declined to say how much he is donating, but he said it’s a “substantial gift” that will be ongoing. He also plans to be personally involved in the clinic. “This is going to be a lifelong commitment for me,” he said.
The clinic, called the Wilbanks Center for Child Sexual Assault and Exploitation Survivors, will both assist adult survivors of child sexual abuse in filing civil suits and help children to gain protection from their abusers, he said.
Wilbanks is a longtime advocate for preventing child sexual abuse and helping survivors because his mother is a survivor of sexual abuse by her father. He said she was able to disclose her abuse only when she was well into adulthood, in her late 40s, which is common for many survivors.
“She has gone from being a victim to being an unbelievable advocate,” Wilbanks said. “She is my hero, and I want to continue her legacy.”
His mother, Marilyn Motz, helped to start the Habersham County chapter of Prevent Child Abuse and Wilbanks is on the board of an Atlanta advocacy group, VOICE Today.
Both pushed for new Georgia legislation that went into effect July 1 extending the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to file civil suits—an impetus for the new clinic, which will open in the spring semester.
Wilbanks said the clinic will also help children gain injunctive relief—for instance, by helping victims secure protective orders to get abusers out of their home.
“This is not just helping people bring lawsuits for dollars,” Wilbanks said. “I want to create a system that creates safety for people—and make sure predators get prosecuted.”
The dean of UGA’s law school, Peter “Bo” Rutledge, said the new law, HB 17, known as the Hidden Predators Act, makes it particularly appropriate for a public law school to step in. “The General Assembly wants to open the courthouse doors to these type of claims,” he said.
The new legislation allows victims to file civil claims at a much older age. Before, they only had until they turned 23. “The average median age of victims for when they are psychologically able to deal with what happened to them, like my mother, is over 40 years old,” Wilbanks said.
HB 17 initially eliminates the statute of limitations until July 1, 2017, creating an open window in which victims may file claims. After that it allows two years from when “the plaintiff knew or had reason to know of such abuse and that such abuse resulted in injury to the plaintiff as established by competent medical or psychological evidence.”
Wilbanks’ initial gift, Rutledge said, will help fund a clinic director’s salary and fellowships, which could be summer jobs for law students or term-time jobs for law graduates.
The law school is conducting a search for a clinic director. Rutledge said the initial goal is to have six to eight students working in the clinic per term.
The clinic will add to the law school’s experiential learning offerings, he said, giving students the chance to serve as advocates for Georgians without adequate legal resources.
Wilbanks said it’s insufficient to rely on police, government prosecutors and the state child protective agency to protect children from sexual abuse. “Calling the cops does not immediately get the father or other family member out of the house. You do not get the injunctive relief,” he said, and intervention from the Division of Family and Child Services may not be effective.
“Nobody is advocating for the child,” Wilbanks said, adding that abuse victims often have very little money to hire lawyers. “Private attorneys need to get involved.”
Besides offering legal services, the clinic could serve as a liaison with the private bar, he said.
A child being abused in the home is often afraid to say anything, Wilbanks added. For this reason he envisions the UGA legal clinic partnering with medical providers and social services groups that assist sexual abuse victims.
“We want to connect the victims to their legal rights and identify their sexual predators,” he said. “They are falling through the safety net.”
The other impetus for Wilbanks’ gift was a big win in a whistleblower case. Wilbanks and other lawyers brought a Medicare fraud case against a dialysis chain, Da Vita Healthcare Partners, which resulted in a $495 million settlement earlier this year, including $45 million for legal fees and costs.
Another plaintiffs lawyer on the DaVita case, UGA Law graduate Stacey Godfrey Evans, also used some of her fee to make a big gift to the law school. Evans donated $500,000 in July to fund a scholarship for law students who, like herself, are first-generation college graduates.
Full article: http://www.dailyreportonline.com/id=1202741858356/University-of-Georgia-Law-Alumnus-Funds-New-Child-Sex-Abuse-Legal-Clinic?mcode=1202617074542&curindex=0&curpage=1
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 Reform2015-11-09 04:40:552015-11-09 04:40:55Meredith Hobbs, University of Georgia Law Alumnus Funds New Child Sex Abuse Legal Clinic, Daily Report
The movie “Spotlight,” in theaters Friday, is refocusing the public’s attention on sexual abuse of minors and the failings of some Catholic Church leaders at the time to respond appropriately to this horrific crime and sin. While I have not yet seen the film, I have heard many positive things about it — even from a reviewer at Vatican Radio! — and I look forward to seeing it soon.
Catholic or otherwise, all of our eyes should be wide open to this story. It is wrenching but necessary truth to absorb.
It might at first seem odd to say, but we as a church owe a tremendous debt to the journalists — not only in Boston, but here at the Daily News, and at hundreds of other newspapers, radio stations and TV newsrooms — who exposed a serious and nauseating problem that needed to change.
The media scrutiny led to important reforms, and a vastly improved response to the evil of sexual abuse of minors, not just in the Catholic Church and other faiths, but at public elementary and secondary schools, sports leagues, the Boy Scouts and other institutions.
I’m tempted to say we learned a painful lesson, but I recognize that the pain experienced by the victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse far outweighs the sorrow and shame we feel as a church.
Since 2002, in the New York Archdiocese, we have adhered to a zero-tolerance policy — permanently removing any priest, deacon, religious or lay employee or volunteer who is found to have sexually abused a minor at any time. As someone who has spent most of her career as a teacher and principal in inner-city elementary schools and as the current chair of the Archdiocesan Review Board, which examines allegations of sexual abuse by clergy after the allegations have gone to the proper civil authorities, it is my responsibility to make sure that we do not back away from this policy.
Since the early 2000s, the New York Archdiocese has, like other dioceses in New York and around the country, conducted background checks on tens of thousands of volunteers, staff and priests who might interact with children. We participate in annual independent compliance audits to ensure our parishes, pastors, teachers and volunteers are following the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People adopted by the nation’s bishops in 2002. We have consistently been found to be in compliance with the provisions of that charter.
In fact, Dr. Paul McHugh, a leading expert on sexual abuse at Johns Hopkins University, who helped the bishops implement their strict procedures, has noted that today the Catholic Church is one of the safest places for children and minors .
Though isolated incidents continue to grab headlines today, the church has been working tirelessly to create a culture of accountability for adults and protection for children that is among the most robust of any institution in the country.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the Catholic Bishops of New York State are serious about protecting children from sexual abuse, not only in Catholic settings but throughout society. They support legislative efforts that would extend civil and criminal statutes of limitations going forward, wherever the abuse occurred, so survivors have more time to seek justice, as well as expanded mandated reporting laws that would include clergy and other professions, and mandatory background checks and safe environment training in any organization, public or private, where adults interact with children.
Having others focus intensely on your flaws is not pleasant, but bringing mistakes and shortcomings into the light is an important first step in fixing what is broken in ourselves and our institutions. I hope and pray that “Spotlight” will remind us of our need to never be afraid to face the truth and do everything in our power to protect God’s children placed in our care.
It was only a walk of about three miles along Broad Street – from Lincoln Park to Washington Park, and back. But, the Thursday morning walk through Newark made a difference for victims of sex abuse, its organizers said.
Fred Marigliano, who recently completed a 270-mile walk from Cape May to Mahwah to bring awareness to childhood sexual abuse, added a city walk to his agenda.
“A number of people from Newark reached out to me, asking why I hadn’t walked through the city,” Marigliano said Thursday.
Marigliano said he was abused by a family priest at age 11. It took him about 50 years to come forward with his story, he said. Marigliano is now a board member of Road to Recovery, Inc., a nonprofit that works to support other victims and their families.
The 68-year-old said he spoke to hundreds of people along the walk, and achieved his goal of spreading awareness about the issue.
“We were here to hear, and to help victims and supporters,” he said.
Robert Hoatson, Road to Recovery president and an abuse survivor, said he and Marigliano met four or five abuse victims while walking through Newark, and gave out more than 1,000 fliers with information about recovery.
The group also advocated in favor of state laws that would abolish the statute of limitations child sex abuse victims have to prosecute their alleged attackers.
The walk, he said, “was very effective.” The two said they may be in touch with other New Jersey cities to continue the walk.
“We are going to keep fighting to convince people of the right thing to do,” Hoatson said.
Full article: http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/11/sex_abuse_victim_walks_through_newark_to_support_s.html
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 Reform2015-11-07 04:21:102015-11-07 04:21:10Jessica Mazzola, Sex abuse victim walks through Newark to raise awareness, change laws, NJ.com
A jury on Thursday awarded $250,000 to a 53-year-old Ludlow woman who sued her stepfather for raping her as a child after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court.
An eight-member panel found in favor of plaintiff Kathy Picard, who was at the forefront of pushing new legislation in 2014 to extend the statute of limitations to allow victims of sexual abuse more time to sue their alleged abusers.
Picard sued her stepfather, Louis Buoniconti, a Florida resident, arguing he began molesting her at the age of 7 in their home in Springfield, and escalated to raping her when she was a teen. The jury found in Picard’s favor on four counts: battery; intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy; and false imprisonment.
She testified that Buoniconti, whom she believed was her biological father until she was 17, molested her on a brown recliner in the basement of their Moss Street home in Springfield, then began pursuing her in a locked bathroom and her bedroom. She told jurors he appeased her when she was young by calling her “his special girl.”
Buoniconti and his biological family members who attended the trial contended the accusations were lies. He represented himself at trial. Buoniconti’s brother testified against him, telling jurors he heard “heavy breathing and crying” from Kathy’s bedroom after Louis Buoniconti entered on several occasions in the 1970s.
Buoniconti’s biological daughter testified, on the other hand, that her father had never been sexually abusive toward her.
Picard was present when former Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law a bill to extend the statute of limitations in question from age 21 to 35 years after a complainant’s 18th birthday – which puts Picard precisely at the deadline: 53. Picard filed her lawsuit on the same day in June 2014 when the legislation was passed.
It is the only case of its kind that has gone to trial in federal court in Springfield.
After the verdict, Picard said she wasn’t in it for the money.
“For justice. For vindication. And not just for myself, but for other survivors who also can get their day in court,” Picard said. “Justice was served. It was emotional. It was difficult, and I’m glad it’s over.”
Picard added that she was headed from court late Thursday to a weekly support group for victims of sexual abuse.
Her attorney, John B. Stewart, who took the case pro bono, said the trial experience will allow Picard to encourage others in the group to follow the same legal path if they wish.
Full article: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/childhood_sex_abuse_survivor_f.html
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 Reform2015-11-07 04:17:332015-11-07 04:17:33Stephanie Barry, Childhood sex abuse victim from Ludlow wins $250,000 civil verdict in US District Court, Mass Live
Steve Schmadeke, Rabbi convicted of sexually assaulting boy nine years ago, Chicago Tribune
/in Illinois /by SOL ReformA rabbi from Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood was convicted Monday by a Cook County judge of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy he had been mentoring nine years ago.
Aryeh “Larry” Dudovitz had gone to the boy’s home for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in October 2006 and plied him with alcohol, according to testimony Monday from the boy, now 24. The man testified he drank so much he became ill and fell asleep but awakened to find Dudovitz performing a sex act on him.
Dudovitz confessed to the assault to several members of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, a religious court that convened soon after the boy reported the assault to his mother.
At the trial Monday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, several prominent Orthodox rabbis testified that Dudovitz admitted assaulting the boy.
Ruling from the bench after hearing two hours of evidence and argument, Judge Evelyn Clay found Dudovitz, now 48, guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault. She ordered Dudovitz taken into custody until he turns over his passport, at which point Clay said she will release him on electronic monitoring until his sentencing.
Full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-rabbi-convicted-rape-met-20151116-story.html
Michelle Boorstein, “Spotlight” portrayal of sex abuse scandal is making the Catholic Church uncomfortable all over again, The Washington Post
/in Uncategorized /by SOL Reform“Spotlight,” a new film about the Catholic clergy abuse scandal’s explosion in 2002, begs the question: How are things different in 2015?
Dozens of U.S. church leaders have in the past few days been offering answers in the form of public statements, with some primarily focusing on the survivors and others casting the scandal as fully in the past and framing the church as the leader today in a society that hasn’t fully dealt with the problem.
“Spotlight, which began playing in U.S. cities Nov. 6, tells the story of Boston Globe investigative journalists who broke the story. (The Globe’s editor at the time was Marty Baron, now executive editor of The Washington Post)
ADVERTISING
The range of views in the new statements – which follow a memo of talking points the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ sent to its dioceses in September — show the way the church still wrestles with how to tell its own story.
The movie “looks back at this historical past – 15 years and more as it dramatizes a newspaper investigation into abuse that occurred in the Boston area,” Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl wrote Nov. 2. “My wish is that other entities, like the public school systems, would attempt to do what the Church has done and offer the same level of protection to children in their care as we do.”
In the first line of a piece on “Spotlight” this weekend, Francesco C. Cesareo, chairman of the USCCB’s National Review Board, also expressed the view that the Catholic Church’s problems with sexual abuse echo those of society as a whole.
“Sexual abuse of minors is a problem that affects many institutions in our society,” wrote Cesareo, head of the body charged with making sure the church enforces the rules it created after the scandal exploded. “In 2002, the Catholic Church recognized that it was not immune to this issue.”
Survivor advocates have bristled in the past when church leaders have declared the abuse crisis in Catholicism over, or have tried to remove focus from the institution itself. When Pope Francis this summer met in Philadelphia with survivors and included some people whose perpetrators were outside the church, many survivors who spoke out were angry at what they saw as a diluting of responsibility.
Other statements, which were mostly from bishops, showed the lingering impact of the crisis and suffering of survivors.
“The sin and crime of sexual abuse sadly still happens. And while failing to report on or remove an offender is rare in comparison with past practice, it too still happens, and when it does a shadow is cast on the Church’s efforts to restore trust and to provide a safe environment,” wrote Dubuque Archbishop Michael Jackels. “May God have mercy on us and help us.”
Researchers agree that the landscape today is dramatically different from the era “Spotlight” depicts. The Catholic Church now spends tens of millions of dollars each year on child protection efforts — and spends roughly twice as much annually now as it did a decade ago, according to the USCCB’s annual reports. The number of new credible allegations is one-third of what it was a decade ago. And with clergy sex abuse scandals now blowing up in other countries, the U.S. church is considered a global leader in prevention efforts.
Some church officials are so sure of their prevention systems that last week Terry Donilon, the spokesman for the Boston archdiocese, seemed surprised when a columnist for the The Boston Globe asked him whether clergy sexual abuse was still a problem in the archdiocese. There is “zero abuse” going on today — “none,” he told the Globe.
Yet new scandals continue to surface. In 2011 a Philadelphia grand jury accused the archdiocese of not stopping abusers and said more than three dozen priests credibly accused of abuse or inappropriate behavior towards minors remained in ministry. This spring two bishops resigned in St. Paul-Minneapolis shortly after criminal charges were entered against the archdiocese for allegedly not removing a priest despite repeated complaints of misconduct.
Prominent survivors — including one on a special commission created by Pope Francis — have continued to criticize the church for spending millions in court against victims, including in statehouses where the church fights the lifting of statutes of limitations.
Last week the National Catholic Reporter reported it found the sex abuse crisis has cost the U.S. church $4 billion in the past 65 years, more than $1 billion higher than the commonly-quoted figure. The site also quoted a new academic study, in the Journal of Public Economics, that argues the scandal continues to cost the church $2.36 billion per year in charitable giving.
The impact on the church is complex. Polling by Pew Research shows that one-third of Catholics in 2013 ranked the abuse crisis the church’s most important problem, yet a tiny percent of those who left Catholicism cited it as the reason when asked in an open-ended way.
And the concept of the crisis changes over time, as the most heavily-hit generations age. In “American Catholics in Transition,” a book written by three sociologists of Catholicism, 7 percent of Catholics said they personally knew people abused by a priest. The number drops to 3 percent when asked of Millennials.
When the scandal broke in 2002, it was common for pundits and even some Catholics to point fingers at the church, hypothesizing that celibacy and gay priests were causes of the scandal. Since then, sex abuse scandals have gone public everywhere from the Boy Scouts to Orthodox Judaism, and stories surface constantly about abuse within families. Some Catholic leaders have argued that it was just the first, biggest institution where the phenomenon appeared, and that the problem is no better in other parts of society.
But this approach can be controversial.
Terry McKiernan, founder of a Boston-based abuse-tracking group bishopaccountability.org, said he doesn’t see child sex abuse as necessarily more prevalent in the Catholic Church. But he believes the reaction in the new statements about “Spotlight” reflect an ongoing problem.
“What if they had responded in a searching way? A radical way? Because there is so much left to do,” he said. “And I’d prefer they not take credit for something they did so reluctantly. It’s not something they innovated, they were forced into it.”
The statements follow the memo to dioceses from the USCCB’s office on child and youth protection. It warned staff who work with abuse survivors to be ready with support because the movie may remind survivors (in society, not just from clergy) of past trauma. At the same time, the memo urged church workers to create a communications strategy — including “speaking points for homilies” — and suggested reminding Catholics of the enormous changes that have been made since the early 2000’s.
The memo opened with concern about how the movie will be perceived.
“In our experience, Catholics and others will take the movie as proof of what is happening today, not what happened in the past. Do not let past events discourage you. This is an opportunity to raise the awareness of all that has been done to prevent child sexual abuse in the Church. There is much good news to share,” it read.
In an interview, Deacon Bernie Nojadera, executive director of the child protection office, framed the film as an opportunity.
The memo was put together so dioceses could “be prepared, because victims may see it, and it could trigger things, and we need to be ready,” Nojadera said. Even though the movie is based in the past, “the pain of that is still very present, very real. In a way the movie is helping the church to remember, and to remind the church this is a mission they are going to be on for a long, long time.”
The memo cites church data showing the steady decline in number of accusations since the early 2000’s, but Nojadera said the numbers may hide abuse that remains uncovered.
“It’s like an iceberg; that’s what we see above. Lord knows how many are suffering or in pain,” he said. “The data we have is just our marker for what we have.”
Multiple dioceses issued statements using the words suggested by the USCCB memo: “We apologize for the grave harm that has been inflicted on you. Words alone cannot express our sorrow, shame and disappointment. So, it is our prayer and hope that through our actions you will find the healing you so richly deserve.”
Full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/09/spotlight-portrayal-of-sex-abuse-scandal-is-making-the-catholic-church-uncomfortable-all-over-again/
Meredith Hobbs, University of Georgia Law Alumnus Funds New Child Sex Abuse Legal Clinic, Daily Report
/in Georgia /by SOL ReformThe University of Georgia School of Law is launching the first legal clinic in the nation to assist victims of child sexual abuse, thanks to a gift from an alumnus, Atlanta plaintiffs lawyer Marlan Wilbanks.
Wilbanks declined to say how much he is donating, but he said it’s a “substantial gift” that will be ongoing. He also plans to be personally involved in the clinic. “This is going to be a lifelong commitment for me,” he said.
The clinic, called the Wilbanks Center for Child Sexual Assault and Exploitation Survivors, will both assist adult survivors of child sexual abuse in filing civil suits and help children to gain protection from their abusers, he said.
Wilbanks is a longtime advocate for preventing child sexual abuse and helping survivors because his mother is a survivor of sexual abuse by her father. He said she was able to disclose her abuse only when she was well into adulthood, in her late 40s, which is common for many survivors.
“She has gone from being a victim to being an unbelievable advocate,” Wilbanks said. “She is my hero, and I want to continue her legacy.”
His mother, Marilyn Motz, helped to start the Habersham County chapter of Prevent Child Abuse and Wilbanks is on the board of an Atlanta advocacy group, VOICE Today.
Both pushed for new Georgia legislation that went into effect July 1 extending the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to file civil suits—an impetus for the new clinic, which will open in the spring semester.
Wilbanks said the clinic will also help children gain injunctive relief—for instance, by helping victims secure protective orders to get abusers out of their home.
“This is not just helping people bring lawsuits for dollars,” Wilbanks said. “I want to create a system that creates safety for people—and make sure predators get prosecuted.”
The dean of UGA’s law school, Peter “Bo” Rutledge, said the new law, HB 17, known as the Hidden Predators Act, makes it particularly appropriate for a public law school to step in. “The General Assembly wants to open the courthouse doors to these type of claims,” he said.
The new legislation allows victims to file civil claims at a much older age. Before, they only had until they turned 23. “The average median age of victims for when they are psychologically able to deal with what happened to them, like my mother, is over 40 years old,” Wilbanks said.
HB 17 initially eliminates the statute of limitations until July 1, 2017, creating an open window in which victims may file claims. After that it allows two years from when “the plaintiff knew or had reason to know of such abuse and that such abuse resulted in injury to the plaintiff as established by competent medical or psychological evidence.”
Wilbanks’ initial gift, Rutledge said, will help fund a clinic director’s salary and fellowships, which could be summer jobs for law students or term-time jobs for law graduates.
The law school is conducting a search for a clinic director. Rutledge said the initial goal is to have six to eight students working in the clinic per term.
The clinic will add to the law school’s experiential learning offerings, he said, giving students the chance to serve as advocates for Georgians without adequate legal resources.
Wilbanks said it’s insufficient to rely on police, government prosecutors and the state child protective agency to protect children from sexual abuse. “Calling the cops does not immediately get the father or other family member out of the house. You do not get the injunctive relief,” he said, and intervention from the Division of Family and Child Services may not be effective.
“Nobody is advocating for the child,” Wilbanks said, adding that abuse victims often have very little money to hire lawyers. “Private attorneys need to get involved.”
Besides offering legal services, the clinic could serve as a liaison with the private bar, he said.
A child being abused in the home is often afraid to say anything, Wilbanks added. For this reason he envisions the UGA legal clinic partnering with medical providers and social services groups that assist sexual abuse victims.
“We want to connect the victims to their legal rights and identify their sexual predators,” he said. “They are falling through the safety net.”
The other impetus for Wilbanks’ gift was a big win in a whistleblower case. Wilbanks and other lawyers brought a Medicare fraud case against a dialysis chain, Da Vita Healthcare Partners, which resulted in a $495 million settlement earlier this year, including $45 million for legal fees and costs.
Another plaintiffs lawyer on the DaVita case, UGA Law graduate Stacey Godfrey Evans, also used some of her fee to make a big gift to the law school. Evans donated $500,000 in July to fund a scholarship for law students who, like herself, are first-generation college graduates.
Full article: http://www.dailyreportonline.com/id=1202741858356/University-of-Georgia-Law-Alumnus-Funds-New-Child-Sex-Abuse-Legal-Clinic?mcode=1202617074542&curindex=0&curpage=1
Sister Patricia Anastasio, Our duty to victims of priest sex abuse, Daily News
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformThe movie “Spotlight,” in theaters Friday, is refocusing the public’s attention on sexual abuse of minors and the failings of some Catholic Church leaders at the time to respond appropriately to this horrific crime and sin. While I have not yet seen the film, I have heard many positive things about it — even from a reviewer at Vatican Radio! — and I look forward to seeing it soon.
Catholic or otherwise, all of our eyes should be wide open to this story. It is wrenching but necessary truth to absorb.
It might at first seem odd to say, but we as a church owe a tremendous debt to the journalists — not only in Boston, but here at the Daily News, and at hundreds of other newspapers, radio stations and TV newsrooms — who exposed a serious and nauseating problem that needed to change.
The media scrutiny led to important reforms, and a vastly improved response to the evil of sexual abuse of minors, not just in the Catholic Church and other faiths, but at public elementary and secondary schools, sports leagues, the Boy Scouts and other institutions.
I’m tempted to say we learned a painful lesson, but I recognize that the pain experienced by the victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse far outweighs the sorrow and shame we feel as a church.
Since 2002, in the New York Archdiocese, we have adhered to a zero-tolerance policy — permanently removing any priest, deacon, religious or lay employee or volunteer who is found to have sexually abused a minor at any time. As someone who has spent most of her career as a teacher and principal in inner-city elementary schools and as the current chair of the Archdiocesan Review Board, which examines allegations of sexual abuse by clergy after the allegations have gone to the proper civil authorities, it is my responsibility to make sure that we do not back away from this policy.
Since the early 2000s, the New York Archdiocese has, like other dioceses in New York and around the country, conducted background checks on tens of thousands of volunteers, staff and priests who might interact with children. We participate in annual independent compliance audits to ensure our parishes, pastors, teachers and volunteers are following the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People adopted by the nation’s bishops in 2002. We have consistently been found to be in compliance with the provisions of that charter.
In fact, Dr. Paul McHugh, a leading expert on sexual abuse at Johns Hopkins University, who helped the bishops implement their strict procedures, has noted that today the Catholic Church is one of the safest places for children and minors .
Though isolated incidents continue to grab headlines today, the church has been working tirelessly to create a culture of accountability for adults and protection for children that is among the most robust of any institution in the country.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the Catholic Bishops of New York State are serious about protecting children from sexual abuse, not only in Catholic settings but throughout society. They support legislative efforts that would extend civil and criminal statutes of limitations going forward, wherever the abuse occurred, so survivors have more time to seek justice, as well as expanded mandated reporting laws that would include clergy and other professions, and mandatory background checks and safe environment training in any organization, public or private, where adults interact with children.
Having others focus intensely on your flaws is not pleasant, but bringing mistakes and shortcomings into the light is an important first step in fixing what is broken in ourselves and our institutions. I hope and pray that “Spotlight” will remind us of our need to never be afraid to face the truth and do everything in our power to protect God’s children placed in our care.
Patricia Anastasio_ Our duty to victims of priest sex abuse – NY Daily News
Jessica Mazzola, Sex abuse victim walks through Newark to raise awareness, change laws, NJ.com
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformIt was only a walk of about three miles along Broad Street – from Lincoln Park to Washington Park, and back. But, the Thursday morning walk through Newark made a difference for victims of sex abuse, its organizers said.
Fred Marigliano, who recently completed a 270-mile walk from Cape May to Mahwah to bring awareness to childhood sexual abuse, added a city walk to his agenda.
“A number of people from Newark reached out to me, asking why I hadn’t walked through the city,” Marigliano said Thursday.
Marigliano said he was abused by a family priest at age 11. It took him about 50 years to come forward with his story, he said. Marigliano is now a board member of Road to Recovery, Inc., a nonprofit that works to support other victims and their families.
The 68-year-old said he spoke to hundreds of people along the walk, and achieved his goal of spreading awareness about the issue.
“We were here to hear, and to help victims and supporters,” he said.
Robert Hoatson, Road to Recovery president and an abuse survivor, said he and Marigliano met four or five abuse victims while walking through Newark, and gave out more than 1,000 fliers with information about recovery.
The group also advocated in favor of state laws that would abolish the statute of limitations child sex abuse victims have to prosecute their alleged attackers.
The walk, he said, “was very effective.” The two said they may be in touch with other New Jersey cities to continue the walk.
“We are going to keep fighting to convince people of the right thing to do,” Hoatson said.
Full article: http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/11/sex_abuse_victim_walks_through_newark_to_support_s.html
Stephanie Barry, Childhood sex abuse victim from Ludlow wins $250,000 civil verdict in US District Court, Mass Live
/in Massachusetts /by SOL ReformA jury on Thursday awarded $250,000 to a 53-year-old Ludlow woman who sued her stepfather for raping her as a child after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court.
An eight-member panel found in favor of plaintiff Kathy Picard, who was at the forefront of pushing new legislation in 2014 to extend the statute of limitations to allow victims of sexual abuse more time to sue their alleged abusers.
Picard sued her stepfather, Louis Buoniconti, a Florida resident, arguing he began molesting her at the age of 7 in their home in Springfield, and escalated to raping her when she was a teen. The jury found in Picard’s favor on four counts: battery; intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy; and false imprisonment.
She testified that Buoniconti, whom she believed was her biological father until she was 17, molested her on a brown recliner in the basement of their Moss Street home in Springfield, then began pursuing her in a locked bathroom and her bedroom. She told jurors he appeased her when she was young by calling her “his special girl.”
Buoniconti and his biological family members who attended the trial contended the accusations were lies. He represented himself at trial. Buoniconti’s brother testified against him, telling jurors he heard “heavy breathing and crying” from Kathy’s bedroom after Louis Buoniconti entered on several occasions in the 1970s.
Buoniconti’s biological daughter testified, on the other hand, that her father had never been sexually abusive toward her.
Picard was present when former Gov. Deval Patrick signed into law a bill to extend the statute of limitations in question from age 21 to 35 years after a complainant’s 18th birthday – which puts Picard precisely at the deadline: 53. Picard filed her lawsuit on the same day in June 2014 when the legislation was passed.
It is the only case of its kind that has gone to trial in federal court in Springfield.
After the verdict, Picard said she wasn’t in it for the money.
“For justice. For vindication. And not just for myself, but for other survivors who also can get their day in court,” Picard said. “Justice was served. It was emotional. It was difficult, and I’m glad it’s over.”
Picard added that she was headed from court late Thursday to a weekly support group for victims of sexual abuse.
Her attorney, John B. Stewart, who took the case pro bono, said the trial experience will allow Picard to encourage others in the group to follow the same legal path if they wish.
Full article: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/childhood_sex_abuse_survivor_f.html