The Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, the former director of the Morning Star Boys’ Ranch, has been reinstated as an active priest after the last sex abuse claims against him were rejected by a retired federal judge hired to rule on the credibility of the cases.
Referred to as Father Joe by a Catholic community that admired his decades of work with troubled boys, Weitensteiner, now 82, has never wavered in his insistence that he didn’t molest boys entrusted to his care at the ranch southeast of Spokane.
But faced with a growing number of people who said they were sexually or physically abused by Weitensteiner or his staff at the boys’ ranch, former Spokane Bishop William Skylstad removed him from ministry in 2006.
The Morning Star allegations were made in 19 lawsuits that paralleled the bankruptcy of the Spokane Catholic Diocese. The Diocese case included more than two dozen clergy, 180 potential victims and ultimately cost more than $50 million to resolve.
While the Diocese paid out claims in bankrupcty rather than fight the allegations at trial, Weitensteiner and Morningstar employed attorney Jim King to fight the sex abuse claims in court. Only one of the lawsuits went to trial, and Weitensteiner won. Some claims against Morning Star were settled out of court.
One of King’s legal assistants said the attorney was traveling and unavailable for comment.
Other charges against Weitensteiner were investigated or reviewed as part of a broader Diocese process by retired federal judge Michael Hogan. The review was done outside the courts, and in secret.
“One by one each of those claims were denied or declared non-credible” by Hogan, according to the Diocese.
Last month Hogan rejected the last four claims of sex abuse brought against Weitensteiner by former Morning Star clients.
A review of Hogan’s rulings by two Diocese advisory groups – the Diocesan Review Board, group of mostly lay people who are not employed by the church, and a panel of priests called the College of Consultors — led to the recommendation that Weitensteiner be reinstated.
An organization advocating for clergy sex abuse victims criticized the reinstatement.
“No details were given about the unusual and untested process (Did the panel interview the accuser? How many other people did the panel talk with?),” David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, wrote in an email. “SNAP wants diocesan officials to be more forthcoming about the procedure he used in this case and others.”
The Rev. Michael Savelesky, who is leading the diocese until new Bishop Thomas Daly is installed May 20, announced the decision this week.
“There is no question that these past few years have burdened Father Weitensteiner with much anguish and personal suffering,” Savelesky wrote in a statement. “Father Weitensteiner has given amazing priestly witness to quiet suffering under duress.
“An individual’s good name, once besmirched, is hard to restore completely; the diocese stands at the ready to do what it can to that end for Father Weitensteiner,” the statement said.
Morning Star came under scrutiny in 2005 when The Spokesman-Review began reporting on sex abuse accusations made by former residents. Many said they were beaten, molested and raped by Weitensteiner, now-deceased Morning Star counselor Doyle Gillum and admitted pedolphile priest Patrick O’Donnell, who would visit boys at the ranch.
Weitensteiner has acknowledged that he used corporal punishment to keep order at the boys’ ranch. He has said those practices were within the accepted norms of the times – the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s.
Upon his retirement from the ranch in 2006, Weitensteiner issued a statement offering “forgiveness and reconciliation to those who are making these false accusations.”
He was hired as Morning Star’s first counselor in 1957 and soon after was asked to run the ranch in its formative years. He left in 1959 to study for the priesthood. By 1966 he was back in Spokane to run Morning Star for 40 years.
Savelesky said the diocese continues to take seriously allegations of clergy sex abuse.
“It would be unfortunate if this exoneration of Father Weitensteiner were seen as a generic sign of disrespect for any victim of abuse,” he wrote in the statement. “Hundreds of hours of careful listening have been devoted to these concerns. We share a common commitment to justice.”
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 Reform2015-04-19 04:04:462015-04-19 04:04:46John Stucke, Weitensteiner, longtime director of Morning Star Boys Ranch, reinstated as priest, The Spokesman-Review
A federal bankruptcy judge has indicated he will shorten the window for clergy sex abuse victims to file claims against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
US Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel signaled Thursday that he will agree with the archdiocese and set an Aug. 3 date for filing claims. However, Kressel said he would consider giving victims more time if needed.
Minnesota Public Radio News reported that August is much earlier than the filing deadline allowed under a Minnesota law that gives abuse victims until May 2016 to file lawsuits over abuse that happened years ago. The archdiocese said the earlier date could mean a quicker resolution for claims and reduced bankruptcy costs, leaving more assets available for victims.
Victims’ attorney Jeff Anderson argued the 2016 deadline should hold.
Cardinal Francis George is being remembered for his role in the clergy sex abuse scandal among other parts of his legacy.
George died Friday at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer.
Archbishop Blase Cupich praised him for leading a group of U.S. bishops to urge the Vatican to move more quickly to oust guilty priests. The policy was at the core of church reforms on the issue.
But George came under harsh criticism for allowing a local priest to remain in a parish for months despite allegations that he’d molested children. The priest ultimately pleaded guilty and George apologized.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests on Friday said that George could have prevented some of the abuse had he ‘done the right thing.”
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 Reform2015-04-19 03:59:502015-04-19 03:59:50Francis George recalled for role in sexual abuse scandal, Daily Herald
The Catholic Church in the US forked out $120 million to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy and $30 million on pedophile prevention programs over 12 months, according to an annual report out Friday.
The bulk of the $150 million between June of 2013 and 2014 was spent on compensation, therapy and legal fees for victims, the report said, and the rest went to preventing the abuse from occurring, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said.
The US bishops conduct an annual study of sexual abuse allegations following a church scandal over pedophile priests came under the spotlight in 2002. In the fallout senior church officials acknowledged they had protected priests responsible for the sexual abuse of children.
The report said there were 657 allegations of underage sexual abuse by priests, of which 130 have been recognized and 243 are still under investigation and the rest unproven. Most allegations relate to events that took place years earlier.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said: “Though our promise to protect and heal made in 2002 remains strong, we must not become complacent with what has been accomplished.
“It is my hope and prayer that as we continue to fulfill our promise, the Church will help model ways of addressing and bringing to light the darkness and evil of abuse wherever it exists.”
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 Reform2015-04-19 03:55:232015-04-19 03:55:23Agence France-Presse, US Catholic Church shells out $150M to sex abuse victims, prevention programs, InterAksyon
Jerry Sandusky’s adopted son Matt joined a handful of state lawmakers and others Wednesday to urge passage of proposals to expand or eliminate Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations in child sexual abuse lawsuits.
Advocates spoke in favor of proposals to raise the age limit on filing such lawsuits from 30 to 50, do away with the statute of limitations altogether or provide a window during which people can pursue claims, despite existing time limits.
“We have to start caring — we have to start caring about each other,” said Matt Sandusky, who settled a claim with Penn State over allegations that Jerry Sandusky abused him as a child. Matt Sandusky now runs a foundation to educate people about child sexual abuse.
Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, said the House of Representatives should allow floor votes on bills that he said are currently bottled up in committee.
Robert Hoatson, a former Catholic priest, said attendees were there “as a result of sexual abuse as minors. Our souls were murdered in many ways. There should not be a statute of limitations on soul murder.”
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference does not support the proposals, saying statutes of limitations help ensure fairness in verdicts.
“With the passage of time, evidence may be lost, memories may fade and witnesses may die,” said Amy Hill, a spokeswoman for the conference. “Repealing the statute of limitations would make it impossible for any individual, church or organization to defend itself against allegations 30, 40 or 50 years old.”
Pennsylvania criminal law allows charges when a child is abused until the victim turns 50, but civil lawsuits may not be filed after the victim turns 30.
A November 2012 report by a state Task Force on Child Protection, set up by the Legislature in the wake of the clergy abuse and Sandusky scandals, concluded the state’s current limits are adequate and the panel did not recommend that lawmakers change them.
The task force report said adults who were abused as children and who now cannot sue “justifiably want to revive their claims but are barred from doing so. The task force declined to recommend a ‘revival’ statute because of the potential for staleness of evidence and possible constitutional concerns.”
Jerry Sandusky, a retired Penn State assistant football coach, is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence after being convicted of abuse of 10 boys. Matt Sandusky’s allegations arose during his adoptive father’s 2012 trial, but Jerry Sandusky has not been charged with any crime in relation to Matt Sandusky.
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 Reform2015-04-17 03:05:132015-04-17 03:05:13Mark Scolforo,Sandusky's adopted son joins call for Pa. to expand statute of limitations in abuse lawsuits, The Republic
One in five. The White House says by the time women reach their senior year in college, this is the proportion who have experienced sexual violence. But this number is significant for more than one reason.
“We are in the same place that we were 40 years ago when we were working to eliminate sexual violence against women,” Stemple said.
Chris Anderson, executive director of Male Survivor, which provides support to men who have been sexually assaulted, said men have a hard time finding a place where they can tell their story.
“Almost every story I have heard has basically said there were no resources available to me that were easily available. If I were a woman, I knew where I would go,” Anderson said.
The comparison between genders is closer than most people think, which is evident in a report started by the CDC in 2010. The CDC includes more categories than the FBI or Bureau of Justice Statistics as to what constitutes sexual assault. It does a better job of including data about men and sexual assault than reports released by the FBI or Bureau of Justice Statistics.
According to the CDC, of all male rape victims, about 71 percent are raped for the first time before they turn 17.
More than 18 percent of victimized men are raped by a woman. Nearly half of the men who said they were raped identified the perpetrator as an acquaintance.
But a majority of cases are not reported to the police, which makes it hard for government agencies to accurately portray American victims of rape and sexual assault, especially men.
Even if these crimes are reported, some definitions do not classify the sexual violence men face as rape.
Consensual sexual intercourse is commonly described as sex between a man and woman when the man penetrates the woman. The problem with this definition — other than the fact that it leaves out lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples — is that it implies men cannot be forced to penetrate and women cannot be perpetrators.
One example is the Uniform Crime Report, which began in 1930. The UCR is based on voluntary information given to the FBI about crime reported to police.
Until recently, the FBI defined “forcible” rape as “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.” This definition meant only women could be raped.
After several groups pushed for a more up-to-date definition, the FBI changed the definition in 2013 to any kind of penetration, including oral or anal, for the first time.
David Cuthbertson, who retired in 2014 as the FBI assistant director of the Criminal Justice Information Services division, said he expects the number of reported crimes to grow to reflect more rapes of men.
“As we implement this change, the FBI is confident that the number of victims of this heinous crime will be more accurately reflected in national crime statistics,” Cuthbertson said in a statement.
This definition includes men and women, but Stemple pointed out that the FBI misses one form of sexual violence: forcing the victim to penetrate someone.
“The FBI definition is not really clear if it includes penetrating someone else or not,” Stemple said. “You just can’t tell. It’s really open to interpretation.”
The BJS has released a report annually since 1973 called the National Crime Victimization Survey using data collected by the Census Bureau. The census surveys every member of a household 12 and older in 90,000 households. Each household is interviewed every six months for a total of seven times.
The BJS and the CDC define rape in a way that includes both forced intercourse for men and women.
Being made to penetrate someone, a phrase not included in any national survey definition, is problematic. Stemple said modern-day researchers do include it in their definition of rape.
“I don’t know why they did it, but it certainly downplays male victimization in a way that’s problematic,” Stemple said.
Anderson said he quotes CDC data because it’s “the only national survey that has a comprehensive review of all forms of sexual violence.”
Brian O’Leary, 57, of Saugerties, N.Y., said he was sexually victimized and raped from age 12 to 17. But he said no one took notice of what was happening because “it was so far out of everyone’s reality.”
He said he is still traumatized by what happened to him and battles flashbacks every day.
“People have to stop pretending it doesn’t happen in your town,” said O’Leary, who is caring for his elderly mother.
In an effort to bring a voice to men who have been victimized, O’Leary is using April, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Month, to organize support in New York for a new state law: the Child Victims Act. The bill would eliminate the statute of limitations for child sex abuse.
In 2013, the last year data were available for both men and women, the FBI said almost 80,000 rapes were reported, while the JusticeDepartment said more than 300,000 rapes occurred. This wide gap between rape reported to the police and reported in surveys has been clear for years.
Even though the BJS counts more sexual assaults each year than the FBI does, the sample size is not big enough to have accurate data on male victimization. Lynn Langston, a BJS statistician, said 9 percent of the men surveyed said they had been raped.
“We have more power, more reliable numbers for females,” Langston said.
Both surveys rely on sexual assault survivors to volunteer this information, which means there could be more people not coming forward, especially men who might consider their masculinity to be lost.
“It doesn’t affect the law. It’s just a definition in a category, which is important symbolically, but when it comes to actually filtering down into states, there’s still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done,” Anderson said.
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 Reform2015-04-17 02:59:052015-04-17 02:59:05With rapes of women in spotlight, male victims still struggle, The Prospector
John Stucke, Weitensteiner, longtime director of Morning Star Boys Ranch, reinstated as priest, The Spokesman-Review
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformThe Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, the former director of the Morning Star Boys’ Ranch, has been reinstated as an active priest after the last sex abuse claims against him were rejected by a retired federal judge hired to rule on the credibility of the cases.
Referred to as Father Joe by a Catholic community that admired his decades of work with troubled boys, Weitensteiner, now 82, has never wavered in his insistence that he didn’t molest boys entrusted to his care at the ranch southeast of Spokane.
But faced with a growing number of people who said they were sexually or physically abused by Weitensteiner or his staff at the boys’ ranch, former Spokane Bishop William Skylstad removed him from ministry in 2006.
The Morning Star allegations were made in 19 lawsuits that paralleled the bankruptcy of the Spokane Catholic Diocese. The Diocese case included more than two dozen clergy, 180 potential victims and ultimately cost more than $50 million to resolve.
While the Diocese paid out claims in bankrupcty rather than fight the allegations at trial, Weitensteiner and Morningstar employed attorney Jim King to fight the sex abuse claims in court. Only one of the lawsuits went to trial, and Weitensteiner won. Some claims against Morning Star were settled out of court.
One of King’s legal assistants said the attorney was traveling and unavailable for comment.
Other charges against Weitensteiner were investigated or reviewed as part of a broader Diocese process by retired federal judge Michael Hogan. The review was done outside the courts, and in secret.
“One by one each of those claims were denied or declared non-credible” by Hogan, according to the Diocese.
Last month Hogan rejected the last four claims of sex abuse brought against Weitensteiner by former Morning Star clients.
A review of Hogan’s rulings by two Diocese advisory groups – the Diocesan Review Board, group of mostly lay people who are not employed by the church, and a panel of priests called the College of Consultors — led to the recommendation that Weitensteiner be reinstated.
An organization advocating for clergy sex abuse victims criticized the reinstatement.
“No details were given about the unusual and untested process (Did the panel interview the accuser? How many other people did the panel talk with?),” David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, wrote in an email. “SNAP wants diocesan officials to be more forthcoming about the procedure he used in this case and others.”
The Rev. Michael Savelesky, who is leading the diocese until new Bishop Thomas Daly is installed May 20, announced the decision this week.
“There is no question that these past few years have burdened Father Weitensteiner with much anguish and personal suffering,” Savelesky wrote in a statement. “Father Weitensteiner has given amazing priestly witness to quiet suffering under duress.
“An individual’s good name, once besmirched, is hard to restore completely; the diocese stands at the ready to do what it can to that end for Father Weitensteiner,” the statement said.
Morning Star came under scrutiny in 2005 when The Spokesman-Review began reporting on sex abuse accusations made by former residents. Many said they were beaten, molested and raped by Weitensteiner, now-deceased Morning Star counselor Doyle Gillum and admitted pedolphile priest Patrick O’Donnell, who would visit boys at the ranch.
Weitensteiner has acknowledged that he used corporal punishment to keep order at the boys’ ranch. He has said those practices were within the accepted norms of the times – the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s.
Upon his retirement from the ranch in 2006, Weitensteiner issued a statement offering “forgiveness and reconciliation to those who are making these false accusations.”
He was hired as Morning Star’s first counselor in 1957 and soon after was asked to run the ranch in its formative years. He left in 1959 to study for the priesthood. By 1966 he was back in Spokane to run Morning Star for 40 years.
Savelesky said the diocese continues to take seriously allegations of clergy sex abuse.
“It would be unfortunate if this exoneration of Father Weitensteiner were seen as a generic sign of disrespect for any victim of abuse,” he wrote in the statement. “Hundreds of hours of careful listening have been devoted to these concerns. We share a common commitment to justice.”
Weitensteiner, longtime director of Morning Star Boys Ranch, reinstated as priest – Spokesman
Judge might shorten window for clergy abuse claims, Crux
/in Minnesota /by SOL ReformA federal bankruptcy judge has indicated he will shorten the window for clergy sex abuse victims to file claims against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
US Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel signaled Thursday that he will agree with the archdiocese and set an Aug. 3 date for filing claims. However, Kressel said he would consider giving victims more time if needed.
Minnesota Public Radio News reported that August is much earlier than the filing deadline allowed under a Minnesota law that gives abuse victims until May 2016 to file lawsuits over abuse that happened years ago. The archdiocese said the earlier date could mean a quicker resolution for claims and reduced bankruptcy costs, leaving more assets available for victims.
Victims’ attorney Jeff Anderson argued the 2016 deadline should hold.
Francis George recalled for role in sexual abuse scandal, Daily Herald
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformCardinal Francis George is being remembered for his role in the clergy sex abuse scandal among other parts of his legacy.
George died Friday at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer.
Archbishop Blase Cupich praised him for leading a group of U.S. bishops to urge the Vatican to move more quickly to oust guilty priests. The policy was at the core of church reforms on the issue.
But George came under harsh criticism for allowing a local priest to remain in a parish for months despite allegations that he’d molested children. The priest ultimately pleaded guilty and George apologized.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests on Friday said that George could have prevented some of the abuse had he ‘done the right thing.”
Francis George recalled for role in sexual abuse scandal – DailyHerald
Agence France-Presse, US Catholic Church shells out $150M to sex abuse victims, prevention programs, InterAksyon
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformThe Catholic Church in the US forked out $120 million to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy and $30 million on pedophile prevention programs over 12 months, according to an annual report out Friday.
The bulk of the $150 million between June of 2013 and 2014 was spent on compensation, therapy and legal fees for victims, the report said, and the rest went to preventing the abuse from occurring, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said.
The US bishops conduct an annual study of sexual abuse allegations following a church scandal over pedophile priests came under the spotlight in 2002. In the fallout senior church officials acknowledged they had protected priests responsible for the sexual abuse of children.
The report said there were 657 allegations of underage sexual abuse by priests, of which 130 have been recognized and 243 are still under investigation and the rest unproven. Most allegations relate to events that took place years earlier.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said: “Though our promise to protect and heal made in 2002 remains strong, we must not become complacent with what has been accomplished.
“It is my hope and prayer that as we continue to fulfill our promise, the Church will help model ways of addressing and bringing to light the darkness and evil of abuse wherever it exists.”
US Catholic Church shells out $150M to sex abuse victims, prevention programs
Mark Scolforo,Sandusky’s adopted son joins call for Pa. to expand statute of limitations in abuse lawsuits, The Republic
/in Pennsylvania /by SOL ReformJerry Sandusky’s adopted son Matt joined a handful of state lawmakers and others Wednesday to urge passage of proposals to expand or eliminate Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations in child sexual abuse lawsuits.
Advocates spoke in favor of proposals to raise the age limit on filing such lawsuits from 30 to 50, do away with the statute of limitations altogether or provide a window during which people can pursue claims, despite existing time limits.
“We have to start caring — we have to start caring about each other,” said Matt Sandusky, who settled a claim with Penn State over allegations that Jerry Sandusky abused him as a child. Matt Sandusky now runs a foundation to educate people about child sexual abuse.
Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, said the House of Representatives should allow floor votes on bills that he said are currently bottled up in committee.
Robert Hoatson, a former Catholic priest, said attendees were there “as a result of sexual abuse as minors. Our souls were murdered in many ways. There should not be a statute of limitations on soul murder.”
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference does not support the proposals, saying statutes of limitations help ensure fairness in verdicts.
“With the passage of time, evidence may be lost, memories may fade and witnesses may die,” said Amy Hill, a spokeswoman for the conference. “Repealing the statute of limitations would make it impossible for any individual, church or organization to defend itself against allegations 30, 40 or 50 years old.”
Pennsylvania criminal law allows charges when a child is abused until the victim turns 50, but civil lawsuits may not be filed after the victim turns 30.
A November 2012 report by a state Task Force on Child Protection, set up by the Legislature in the wake of the clergy abuse and Sandusky scandals, concluded the state’s current limits are adequate and the panel did not recommend that lawmakers change them.
The task force report said adults who were abused as children and who now cannot sue “justifiably want to revive their claims but are barred from doing so. The task force declined to recommend a ‘revival’ statute because of the potential for staleness of evidence and possible constitutional concerns.”
Jerry Sandusky, a retired Penn State assistant football coach, is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence after being convicted of abuse of 10 boys. Matt Sandusky’s allegations arose during his adoptive father’s 2012 trial, but Jerry Sandusky has not been charged with any crime in relation to Matt Sandusky.
Sandusky’s adopted son joins call for Pa
With rapes of women in spotlight, male victims still struggle, The Prospector
/in New York /by SOL ReformOne in five. The White House says by the time women reach their senior year in college, this is the proportion who have experienced sexual violence. But this number is significant for more than one reason.
One in five men and half of women are likely to face sexual violence in their lifetimes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Women can get a lot of recovery help from groups who cater specifically to them, but men facing the same problems are largely ignored.
Lara Stemple, co-author of “The Sexual Victimization of Men in America,” said now is the time to provide them with equal help.
“We are in the same place that we were 40 years ago when we were working to eliminate sexual violence against women,” Stemple said.
Chris Anderson, executive director of Male Survivor, which provides support to men who have been sexually assaulted, said men have a hard time finding a place where they can tell their story.
“Almost every story I have heard has basically said there were no resources available to me that were easily available. If I were a woman, I knew where I would go,” Anderson said.
The comparison between genders is closer than most people think, which is evident in a report started by the CDC in 2010. The CDC includes more categories than the FBI or Bureau of Justice Statistics as to what constitutes sexual assault. It does a better job of including data about men and sexual assault than reports released by the FBI or Bureau of Justice Statistics.
According to the CDC, of all male rape victims, about 71 percent are raped for the first time before they turn 17.
More than 18 percent of victimized men are raped by a woman. Nearly half of the men who said they were raped identified the perpetrator as an acquaintance.
In 2012, more than 63,000 cases of child sexual abuse were reported to authorities, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
But a majority of cases are not reported to the police, which makes it hard for government agencies to accurately portray American victims of rape and sexual assault, especially men.
Even if these crimes are reported, some definitions do not classify the sexual violence men face as rape.
Consensual sexual intercourse is commonly described as sex between a man and woman when the man penetrates the woman. The problem with this definition — other than the fact that it leaves out lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples — is that it implies men cannot be forced to penetrate and women cannot be perpetrators.
One example is the Uniform Crime Report, which began in 1930. The UCR is based on voluntary information given to the FBI about crime reported to police.
Until recently, the FBI defined “forcible” rape as “the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.” This definition meant only women could be raped.
After several groups pushed for a more up-to-date definition, the FBI changed the definition in 2013 to any kind of penetration, including oral or anal, for the first time.
David Cuthbertson, who retired in 2014 as the FBI assistant director of the Criminal Justice Information Services division, said he expects the number of reported crimes to grow to reflect more rapes of men.
“As we implement this change, the FBI is confident that the number of victims of this heinous crime will be more accurately reflected in national crime statistics,” Cuthbertson said in a statement.
This definition includes men and women, but Stemple pointed out that the FBI misses one form of sexual violence: forcing the victim to penetrate someone.
“The FBI definition is not really clear if it includes penetrating someone else or not,” Stemple said. “You just can’t tell. It’s really open to interpretation.”
The BJS has released a report annually since 1973 called the National Crime Victimization Survey using data collected by the Census Bureau. The census surveys every member of a household 12 and older in 90,000 households. Each household is interviewed every six months for a total of seven times.
The BJS and the CDC define rape in a way that includes both forced intercourse for men and women.
Being made to penetrate someone, a phrase not included in any national survey definition, is problematic. Stemple said modern-day researchers do include it in their definition of rape.
“I don’t know why they did it, but it certainly downplays male victimization in a way that’s problematic,” Stemple said.
The CDC began the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey in 2010. It collects surveys about sexual violence in the last 12 months and over a lifetime.
Anderson said he quotes CDC data because it’s “the only national survey that has a comprehensive review of all forms of sexual violence.”
Brian O’Leary, 57, of Saugerties, N.Y., said he was sexually victimized and raped from age 12 to 17. But he said no one took notice of what was happening because “it was so far out of everyone’s reality.”
He said he is still traumatized by what happened to him and battles flashbacks every day.
“People have to stop pretending it doesn’t happen in your town,” said O’Leary, who is caring for his elderly mother.
In an effort to bring a voice to men who have been victimized, O’Leary is using April, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Month, to organize support in New York for a new state law: the Child Victims Act. The bill would eliminate the statute of limitations for child sex abuse.
In 2013, the last year data were available for both men and women, the FBI said almost 80,000 rapes were reported, while the JusticeDepartment said more than 300,000 rapes occurred. This wide gap between rape reported to the police and reported in surveys has been clear for years.
Even though the BJS counts more sexual assaults each year than the FBI does, the sample size is not big enough to have accurate data on male victimization. Lynn Langston, a BJS statistician, said 9 percent of the men surveyed said they had been raped.
“We have more power, more reliable numbers for females,” Langston said.
Both surveys rely on sexual assault survivors to volunteer this information, which means there could be more people not coming forward, especially men who might consider their masculinity to be lost.
“It doesn’t affect the law. It’s just a definition in a category, which is important symbolically, but when it comes to actually filtering down into states, there’s still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done,” Anderson said.
The Prospector _ With rapes of women in spotlight, male victims still struggle