When activists throughout the state intensely lobbied earlier this year for passage of the Child Victims Act, which would end the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases, state Sen. Jeff Klein didn’t lift a finger. The legislation did not even come to the floor of the Senate, where he leads a coalition with majority Republicans, or the Assembly for a vote.
Now Mr. Klein, the head of a group of breakaway Democrats in that coalition, is talking tough about sex offenders with a condition called antisocial personality disorder. He says convicts who fit the bill should be subject to New York’s “civil confinement” law, which gives the state morally and legally dubious power to detain rapists and others in special treatment centers even after they have served their sentences.
There are plenty of differences between the abusers at Horace Mann School, who never had their day of reckoning in court due to the statute of limitations, and the kind of sex offenders Mr. Klein is targeting now. But the salient difference in Albany is that the latter group isn’t protected by powerful lobbies like the Catholic Church, which has fought the Child Victims Act out of fear of the lawsuits that could result if the legislation passes.
Apparently, if you are an abuser with powerful backing, you have nothing to fear from Mr. Klein. If you’re an easy target like convicted sex offenders and can earn the senator a headline in The Daily News, start saying your prayers.
Mr. Klein’s recent proposal might just be forgotten once the legislature reconvenes in the fall. But if the Senate takes up his idea, lawmakers should subject it to the utmost scrutiny. Serious constitutional concerns are at issue. While the Supreme Court has previously ruled in favor of “civil confinement” laws, that ruling — and whether it should apply to the group Mr. Klein has in mind — are still debatable. There are also important questions about the connection between antisocial personality disorder and crime. Detaining people in treatment centers as a way to keep them off the streets seems like a bad way to treat offenders.
Rabbi Yaakov Deutsch, who was convicted of sexually assaulting young boys and girls, was sent to prison for nine years. Judge Teofik Katili from the Nazareth District Court also sentenced Deutsch to three years probation. Deutsch, who served as a congregational rabbi in Afula and was charged three years ago for serious offenses, will also be required to compensate the victims.
In 2012, an indictment was filed against Deutsch for sexual offenses against boys and girls aged 13-15. Although Deutsch pleaded not guilty, the Nazareth District Court convicted him last year and said that he took advantage of his religious status.
Among other things, the indictment detailed a case in which he ordered a 15 year old girl to touch him, claiming that in this way “energy would be transferred from his body to hers”, which he claimed would heal an illness that she was dealing with. After she recovered, the two resumed their relationship and had sex. According to the indictment, one of their meetings was held in the synagogue.
In another case, Deutsch took advantage of his authority as a rabbi and forced a minor to expose his genitals to him. When the defendant tried to touch him, he distanced himself and did not allow him to carry out his scheme. Another incident described in the indictment occurred when Deutsch was requested to bless a young boy to find a new framework of study. He asked to stay in the family’s home over Sukkot and one of the nights, he sexually assaulted the boy.
The parents of one of the youths who fell victim to Deutsch expressed their shock at his behavior: “These are very difficult things for children, members of communities in Afula and around the country. I support the ruling and it turns out that he sexually abused children and committed misdeeds.”
“We are shocked that a person like this is responsible for offenses against the holy Torah. He destroyed families and accused us all of being mentally ill,” added the parents. “Anyone who has been hurt, especially in the ultra-orthodox and religious community, should not be ashamed, but instead should stand up and complain.”
Full article: http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/prison-for-rabbi-who-sexually-assaulted-youths-14774
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 Reform2015-07-24 03:39:452015-07-24 03:39:45Gal Cohen, Prison for rabbi who sexually assaulted youths, Jerusalem Online
Three victims of clergy abuse have made a video appeal for other victims to come forward.
An attorney for victims is asking a judge to order the video be played in all 216 Minnesota parishes on Sunday, July 12. Victims have only until August 3 to file a claim.
The original deadline was May of 2016. That was part of the law passed by the Minnesota legislature that temporarily waived the civil statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases. But because the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy, the deadline had to be rolled back to August 3.
The seven minute YouTube video features an appeal by three abuse victims who have filed claims against the archdiocese.
“I used to be a victim but now I am a survivor you can be one too,” Marie Mielke said in the video. “I know it’s scary, but you are not alone.”
Mielke took part in the video because she wants other victims to know how much speaking out can help them heal.
“Coming forward has made me so much stronger,” she said. “I absolutely believe that it should be played in every single parish.”
It was in 2005 that Mielke first told church officials that Father Michael Keating had abused her in her family’s home starting when she was 12, though Keating has denied the abuse. She later filed a lawsuit against Keating, then Vicar General Kevin McDonough and the archdiocese.
To meet the August 3 deadline, victims do not have to file a lawsuit. They only have to fill out a 10-page form — which is available on the archdiocese’s website — and mail it to the bankruptcy court. Since that bankruptcy filing earlier this year, 103 new victims have come forward.
“There are some whose claims are as recent as a few years ago, and there are many whose claims are decades ago,” Mielke said
On Saturday, the archdiocese said it is currently discussing the request to show the video with individual parishes, and that it would be premature to comment further. The request is also in front of the of the bankruptcy judge, and there will be a hearing on this request in bankruptcy court on July 9.
Full article: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/06/29/clergy-abuse-victims-call-for-others-to-come-forward/
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 Reform2015-07-20 01:47:202015-07-20 01:47:20Esme Murphy, Clergy Abuse Victims Call For Others To Come Forward, CBS
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 Reform2015-07-20 01:12:252015-07-20 01:12:25Jill Stark, Porn, family violence linked to surge in child-on-child sex abuse cases, The Age Victoria
The Australian Lawyers Alliance has congratulated the Victorian parliament for extending the period in which victims of child abuse can pursue legal action.
The Limitation of Actions Amendment (Child Abuse) Act 2015, which came into effect on 1 July, removes time limits on actions relating to death or personal injury resulting from institutional child abuse.
ALA spokesperson Dr Andrew Morrison SC (pictured) said the historic legislation would give survivors of abuse greater access to justice.
“Such a move is in keeping with findings that survivors can take more than 20 years to disclose abuse,” Dr Morrison said.
The ALA urged the New South Wales Government to take similar steps to remove limitations periods.
“This would incorporate adopting Option A in the ‘Limitation Periods in Civil Claims for Child Sexual Abuse’ discussion paper issued by the NSW government earlier this year,” Dr Morrison said.
He said leadership by NSW “could see other states and territories fall into line”.
“It is clear that institutional responses to child sexual abuse to date have been grossly inadequate.
“It is time for other states to introduce similar legislation to ensure that there is a consistent approach nationwide for survivors of abuse to be able to access justice.”
Dr Morrison said the Fairbridge Farm child abuse compensation claim, which reached a $24 million settlement this week, was a “timely reminder that there are many victims of historical child abuse who still seek justice”.
The result represents the largest compensation settlement for institutional abuse in Australia’s history.
“The Fairbridge Farm settlement shows the amount of damages that are at stake for victims in their pursuit of justice,” Dr Morrison said.
Klein picks easy targets for justice reform, The Riverdale Press
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformWhen activists throughout the state intensely lobbied earlier this year for passage of the Child Victims Act, which would end the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases, state Sen. Jeff Klein didn’t lift a finger. The legislation did not even come to the floor of the Senate, where he leads a coalition with majority Republicans, or the Assembly for a vote.
Now Mr. Klein, the head of a group of breakaway Democrats in that coalition, is talking tough about sex offenders with a condition called antisocial personality disorder. He says convicts who fit the bill should be subject to New York’s “civil confinement” law, which gives the state morally and legally dubious power to detain rapists and others in special treatment centers even after they have served their sentences.
There are plenty of differences between the abusers at Horace Mann School, who never had their day of reckoning in court due to the statute of limitations, and the kind of sex offenders Mr. Klein is targeting now. But the salient difference in Albany is that the latter group isn’t protected by powerful lobbies like the Catholic Church, which has fought the Child Victims Act out of fear of the lawsuits that could result if the legislation passes.
Apparently, if you are an abuser with powerful backing, you have nothing to fear from Mr. Klein. If you’re an easy target like convicted sex offenders and can earn the senator a headline in The Daily News, start saying your prayers.
Mr. Klein’s recent proposal might just be forgotten once the legislature reconvenes in the fall. But if the Senate takes up his idea, lawmakers should subject it to the utmost scrutiny. Serious constitutional concerns are at issue. While the Supreme Court has previously ruled in favor of “civil confinement” laws, that ruling — and whether it should apply to the group Mr. Klein has in mind — are still debatable. There are also important questions about the connection between antisocial personality disorder and crime. Detaining people in treatment centers as a way to keep them off the streets seems like a bad way to treat offenders.
Klein picks easy targets for justice reform – The Riverdale Press
Gal Cohen, Prison for rabbi who sexually assaulted youths, Jerusalem Online
/in International /by SOL ReformRabbi Yaakov Deutsch, who was convicted of sexually assaulting young boys and girls, was sent to prison for nine years. Judge Teofik Katili from the Nazareth District Court also sentenced Deutsch to three years probation. Deutsch, who served as a congregational rabbi in Afula and was charged three years ago for serious offenses, will also be required to compensate the victims.
In 2012, an indictment was filed against Deutsch for sexual offenses against boys and girls aged 13-15. Although Deutsch pleaded not guilty, the Nazareth District Court convicted him last year and said that he took advantage of his religious status.
Among other things, the indictment detailed a case in which he ordered a 15 year old girl to touch him, claiming that in this way “energy would be transferred from his body to hers”, which he claimed would heal an illness that she was dealing with. After she recovered, the two resumed their relationship and had sex. According to the indictment, one of their meetings was held in the synagogue.
In another case, Deutsch took advantage of his authority as a rabbi and forced a minor to expose his genitals to him. When the defendant tried to touch him, he distanced himself and did not allow him to carry out his scheme. Another incident described in the indictment occurred when Deutsch was requested to bless a young boy to find a new framework of study. He asked to stay in the family’s home over Sukkot and one of the nights, he sexually assaulted the boy.
The parents of one of the youths who fell victim to Deutsch expressed their shock at his behavior: “These are very difficult things for children, members of communities in Afula and around the country. I support the ruling and it turns out that he sexually abused children and committed misdeeds.”
“We are shocked that a person like this is responsible for offenses against the holy Torah. He destroyed families and accused us all of being mentally ill,” added the parents. “Anyone who has been hurt, especially in the ultra-orthodox and religious community, should not be ashamed, but instead should stand up and complain.”
Full article: http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/prison-for-rabbi-who-sexually-assaulted-youths-14774
Esme Murphy, Clergy Abuse Victims Call For Others To Come Forward, CBS
/in Minnesota /by SOL ReformThree victims of clergy abuse have made a video appeal for other victims to come forward.
An attorney for victims is asking a judge to order the video be played in all 216 Minnesota parishes on Sunday, July 12. Victims have only until August 3 to file a claim.
The original deadline was May of 2016. That was part of the law passed by the Minnesota legislature that temporarily waived the civil statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases. But because the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy, the deadline had to be rolled back to August 3.
The seven minute YouTube video features an appeal by three abuse victims who have filed claims against the archdiocese.
“I used to be a victim but now I am a survivor you can be one too,” Marie Mielke said in the video. “I know it’s scary, but you are not alone.”
Mielke took part in the video because she wants other victims to know how much speaking out can help them heal.
“Coming forward has made me so much stronger,” she said. “I absolutely believe that it should be played in every single parish.”
It was in 2005 that Mielke first told church officials that Father Michael Keating had abused her in her family’s home starting when she was 12, though Keating has denied the abuse. She later filed a lawsuit against Keating, then Vicar General Kevin McDonough and the archdiocese.
To meet the August 3 deadline, victims do not have to file a lawsuit. They only have to fill out a 10-page form — which is available on the archdiocese’s website — and mail it to the bankruptcy court. Since that bankruptcy filing earlier this year, 103 new victims have come forward.
“There are some whose claims are as recent as a few years ago, and there are many whose claims are decades ago,” Mielke said
On Saturday, the archdiocese said it is currently discussing the request to show the video with individual parishes, and that it would be premature to comment further. The request is also in front of the of the bankruptcy judge, and there will be a hearing on this request in bankruptcy court on July 9.
Full article: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/06/29/clergy-abuse-victims-call-for-others-to-come-forward/
Jill Stark, Porn, family violence linked to surge in child-on-child sex abuse cases, The Age Victoria
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformFelicity Nelson, Remove time limits on child abuse claims nationally: ALA, Lawyers Weekly
/in Australia /by SOL ReformThe Australian Lawyers Alliance has congratulated the Victorian parliament for extending the period in which victims of child abuse can pursue legal action.
The Limitation of Actions Amendment (Child Abuse) Act 2015, which came into effect on 1 July, removes time limits on actions relating to death or personal injury resulting from institutional child abuse.
ALA spokesperson Dr Andrew Morrison SC (pictured) said the historic legislation would give survivors of abuse greater access to justice.
“Such a move is in keeping with findings that survivors can take more than 20 years to disclose abuse,” Dr Morrison said.
The ALA urged the New South Wales Government to take similar steps to remove limitations periods.
“This would incorporate adopting Option A in the ‘Limitation Periods in Civil Claims for Child Sexual Abuse’ discussion paper issued by the NSW government earlier this year,” Dr Morrison said.
He said leadership by NSW “could see other states and territories fall into line”.
“It is clear that institutional responses to child sexual abuse to date have been grossly inadequate.
“It is time for other states to introduce similar legislation to ensure that there is a consistent approach nationwide for survivors of abuse to be able to access justice.”
Dr Morrison said the Fairbridge Farm child abuse compensation claim, which reached a $24 million settlement this week, was a “timely reminder that there are many victims of historical child abuse who still seek justice”.
The result represents the largest compensation settlement for institutional abuse in Australia’s history.
“The Fairbridge Farm settlement shows the amount of damages that are at stake for victims in their pursuit of justice,” Dr Morrison said.
NJ Action Alert–7/28/15 Flemington NJ
/in New Jersey /by SOL ReformPlease come out to support the brave survivors of Bullock and to stand in solidarity with them.