Ann Lovett: Death at the grotto

As you read Ann's Story and even 20years later... People don't want to talk about it because then they can pretend it never happened... what does this tell you... OH MY GOD... if you don't know you must be blind... as well as deaf... The raped of innocent children of yesterday... right up to today... yes children as still being raped today... and abused... and still this is said... people do not want to know about it... because they do not want to believed that it happened... and it still is... Ann

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From the archive: Thirty three years ago, a 15-year-old girl in Granard, Co Longford, died giving birth in secret.  'It happened then, so it could happen again any time. 

I am sure it could.' one schoolgirl tells Rosita Boland in Granard, Co Longford. But mostly, the town wants just to forget

It's the first building you see as you approach Granard: St Mary's Catholic church, built high on a rise at the edge of the town, the steeple distinctive for miles around. Directly behind the church, on a grassy hill, is Granard's 12th-century motte. This is the highest point in Granard. From here, there is a panoramic view of the mainly flat surrounding countryside of Co Longford, accessed via the grassy lane that runs beneath the motte.

 http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ann-lovett-death-at-the-grotto-1.1304620

The Ann Lovett letters: sorrow, shame, anger and indignation

Why are the boys and men never mentioned... the blame is not only put wholly onto the mother... the baby carries the shame and blame... of the sins of both the mother... as well as their own sins... they are told time and time again... about their mother... while the father has a free life ahead of him... and some just keep on having sex... with young innocent girls...

In this time and age... he should be made accountable from the start... and maybe then... our young girls will be free... of the continuous harassment... of giving in to these boys and men... who can not control their hormones... the boys should be told at schools... as well from their parents... and that it lies with the boys... to be virgins as well as the girls... Ann

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From the archive: Thirty three years ago, a 15-year-old girl in Granard, Co Longford, died giving birth in secret. Here are letters written in response that were read on the ‘Gay Byrne Show’ in 1984

 As Gay Byrne said on his programme, just over two weeks after the Ann Lovett story broke, there were “too many letters. They couldn’t be ignored.” The schoolgirl was 15, when she was found in shock and close to death, having given birth to a baby boy at the grotto on a hill just outside her home town of Granard, Co Longford. Her son was dead by the time passersby discovered her, and Ann died later that day in hospital.

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-ann-lovett-letters-sorrow-shame-anger-and-indignation-1.1673920 

Pope Francis: ‘If you’re unstable, see a doctor – don’t become a priest’

POPE FRANCIS TODAY described some Catholic priests as so scary and neurotic he keeps well away from them.
In comments at a conference on training for the priesthood, the 78-year-old pontiff revealed he is instinctively suspicious of overly pious candidates. "I will tell you sincerely, I’m scared of rigid priests. I keep away from them. They bite!"

http://www.thejournal.ie/pope-francis-neurotic-priests-unstable-doctor-2458376-Nov2015/

State Senate reintroduces child sex abuse bill that lifts some time limits for lawsuits

In a surprise move Monday, a Senate panel resurrected and then unanimously approved a controversial bill to lift time limits for some child sex abuse victims to sue their alleged abusers and employers who protected them.
But the bill, which is identical to Senate legislation that failed last session, would not permit victims, if they are 31 or older, to retroactively sue their perpetrators as the House had sought following scathing grand jury report into child sex abuse at a Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-child-sex-abuse-bill-vote-20170130-story.html 

This is how to inquire into child abuse

On 20 January this year, Northern Ireland’s Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIA) published its report into institutional abuse at a number of children’s care homes and juvenile justice centres, some run by religious orders, and failings by state departments responsible for home affairs and social services.
This was a statutory inquiry chaired by a retired judge, Sir Anthony Hart. The inquiry was set up in 2012 by the Northern Irish Assembly, and commenced work in 2013. Its estimated cost is £13.2million. Of 526 who applied for their complaints of abuse to be considered, the inquiry accepted 493 as within its remit. The complainants were aged 55 and over; 10 per cent were aged over 75.

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/this-is-how-to-inquire-into-child-abuse/19403#.WJEwslzKF9a 

SNAP IMPLODES

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has been sued before, and while it has been hurt by those filings, the latest one suggests the end is near. It can’t come too soon.

The Catholic League has been tracking SNAP for years. From news releases to radio and TV interviews, we have kept the media abreast of just how corrupt the outfit is. We’ve sent people undercover to attend its public conferences; we’ve taken out ads in major newspapers; we’ve issued several lengthy reports; we’ve fielded complaints from its clients; and we’ve consulted with bishops and others. SNAP is a fraud.

http://www.catholicleague.org/snap-implodes/ 

Gordon Brown says ministers should pay out to UK child migrants as young as five who were sexually abused before being sent to Australia

Thousands of British children, some as young as five, who were sent abroad to start a new life may have been sexually abused - and then moved as part of a cover up.

Former Prime Minster Gordon Brown has accused the UK authorities of ­'criminal negligence' for ignoring the alleged abuse of children who were relocated under the Child Migrants Programme from the 1920s to the 60s.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4171258/Gordon-Brown-says-UK-child-migrants-sexually-abused.html 

‘Web spiders’ hunt down abuse images

The fight against the growth of online child abuse images is about to be transformed by a cyberweapon that scours the web for illegal material and demands its rapid removal.
Project Arachnid has released an army of “web spiders” that crawl across the internet tracking down abuse images, identifying the company hosting them and sending immediate take-down notices.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/web-spiders-hunt-down-abuse-images-gpb6mbmzq?shareToken=94c57262c4a79ed7419b02fca6843bfd 

Victims of sex beast Bill Kenneally want to meet his priest uncle

Victims wrote to Pope Francis saying the priest “played a key role in the shielding of Bill Kenneally after the Monsignor became aware of his nephew’s paedophile crimes as early back as 1987”.

Victims of sex beast Bill Kenneally are willing to meet the paedo’s priest uncle, who quit his role at a local primary school after they called for his dismissal. Monsignor John Shine, 91, was chairperson of the Holy Cross School in Tramore, Co Waterford, but victims of his abuser nephew said his position was “no longer tenable” after claims he knew about the abuse and did nothing.

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/victims-sex-beast-bill-kenneally-9718114

'The Church is in a state of utter collapse': Irish priests at odds with Vatican speak out

TWO PRIESTS HAVE said the Vatican should change how it deals with clergy and lay people. Fr Tony Flannery and Fr Sean McDonagh, co-founders of the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland, have both been at odds with the Vatican on more than one occasion. 
Speaking to Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio 1 today, they said the Catholic Church also needs to apologise for how it has treated women and give them more power in the Church.

http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-priests-vatican-3211418-Jan2017/ 

ONLINE POLL RESULTS: Authorities not doing enough to tackle carnal abuse

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Ninety-four per cent of the 746 respondents to a recent OBSERVER ONLINE poll said that the authorities are not doing enough to tackle carnal abuse in Jamaica.
Since the start of the year, the church has been tainted with the growing sex scandals involving members of the clergy and minors. To date at least four clergymen have been arrested for alleged sexual dealings with minors.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/ONLINE-POLL-RESULTS--Authorities-not-doing-enough-to-tackle-carnal-abuse 

Off-island law firms representing the Archdiocese of Agana visited the island last week

The off-island law firms who represent the Archdiocese of Agana visited the island last week. In a statement from the Archdiocese, they confirm members from law firms Swanson & McNamara, as well as Weintraub Tobin, visited to perform consultative work for the cases on sexual abuse. "We are grateful for their work."

http://www.kuam.com/story/34375686/2017/01/30/off-island-law-firms-representing-the-archdiocese-of-agana-visited-the-island-last-week 

Famous Scottish boarding schools named in child abuse inquiry

Some of Scotland’s most prestigious private schools, including the alma maters of the Prince of Wales and Tony Blair, are to be investigated as part of a national child abuse inquiry.
Gordonstoun near Elgin, attended by Prince Charles, and Fettes College in Edinburgh, where Mr Blair was a pupil, are among 100 locations where historical abuse is alleged to have taken place.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/31/famous-scottish-boarding-schools-named-child-abuse-inquiry/