Bolivar man forms Faithful Catholics Against Pedophilia

Thomas Venditti wants Roman Catholics who are outraged by the cover-up of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Altoona–Johnstown and elsewhere to unite in an effort to remove pedophiles and their protectors from the institution.

So the Bolivar resident has formed the Faithful Catholics Against Pedophilia. “We are Catholics who are offended that this has happened within our church,” Venditti said.

http://www.tribdem.com/news/bolivar-man-forms-faithful-catholics-against-pedophilia/article_9d250dd8-53ca-11e7-acbd-ff5f3e048dda.html

If lawmakers do anything, pass Child Victims Act

New York state lawmakers have left a lot of important matters until the last minute before they end this year’s legislative session later this week.
If they do anything, they need to pass the Child Victims Act and give victims of child sex crimes more time to get the justice they deserve. The Assembly earlier this month passed a bill (A5885/S6722,S6575) that would do just that.

https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/06/17/editorial-if-lawmakers-do-anything-pass-the-child-victims-act

Kinky ‘cake porn’ priest in hot water over missing money

A Greek Orthodox priest who enjoyed kinky “cake crush” romps with a parochial school principal may now be in hot holy water over hundreds of thousands of dollars in missing money and murky credit-card expenses.
A forensic audit of St. Spyridon Church in Washington Heights found financial irregularities, according to a preliminary draft of the audit obtained by The Post. The May 19 report labeled “for discussion purposes only” is not final.

http://nypost.com/2017/06/17/kinky-cake-porn-priest-in-hot-water-over-missing-money/

Local judges continue to stay away from clergy sex abuse cases

Superior Court of Guam judges continue to recuse themselves from hearing Catholic clergy sex abuse cases, even as plaintiffs' lawyers have started exploring the possibility of an out-of-court settlement.
Sixteen clergy sex abuse lawsuits have been filed in local court between March 7 and May 10. The Archdiocese of Agana is a defendant in each case, along with some priests, the Capuchin Franciscans, or the Boy Scouts of America and its Aloha Council Chamorro District.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/06/18/local-judges-continue-recusals-clergy-sex-abuse-cases/402585001/ 

Fifteen Years After Dallas, Part Seven: Sister Cathy Turns Baltimore into a Troll

Netflix’s recent documentary, The Keepers, has been a blockbuster for true crime and documentary fans (it was the talk of CrimeCon).
A gripping tale of abuse, cover-up, and murder, the series tells the story of how a group of former students are trying to find justice for their teacher Sister Cathy Cesnik, a murdered nun from Baltimore.

http://theworthyadversary.com/4547-4547 

Catholic group calls for 5 to be removed

The Catholics of Guam cannot trust or have confidence in the Chancery leadership with these clergymen still enjoying some position of authority within our Archdiocese and benefits from our contributions." – David Sablan, president, Concerned Catholics of Guam

The Concerned Catholics of Guam is calling on the leaders of the Archdiocese of Agana to remove four priests and a deacon from administrative and ministerial duties within the church in order to "restore some trust in the leadership," according to CCOG president, David Sablan.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/catholic-group-calls-for-to-be-removed/article_fdab8160-5270-11e7-91b1-2706cc86083a.html 

Extradite former principal back to Australia, victim of alleged molestation asks Israel

A Jewish woman who said she had been molested repeatedly by her former principal called on Israel to extradite the woman back to their native Australia.
Dassi Erlich, a 29-year-old mother of one who said that her alleged molestation by Malka Leifer had left her emotionally scarred, made the plea Sunday during a speech before approximately 200 participants of Melbourne’s Limmud conference of Jewish learning.

http://www.jta.org/2017/06/18/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/extradite-former-principal-back-to-australia-alleged-molestation-victim-asks-israel

Sen. John DeFrancisco supports one-year window for malpractice cases — but not child sex abuse cases

Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco opposes opening a one-year legal window to revive old cases for child sex abuse survivors — yet he supports the concept for other victims.
The powerful Syracuse Republican opposes a bill designed to make it easier for child sex abuse survivors to seek justice, largely because of a provision that would give victims who can no longer sue under current law one year to bring cases.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/child-sex-abuse-victims-sympathy-n-y-senate-gop-article-1.3257570 

State urged to change sex-abuse law

MOUNT MARION - At age 60, Brian O’Leary is still deeply scarred from the sexual abuse a neighbor inflicted on him more than 40 years ago when he was growing up in Saugerties. The perpetrator lived across the street and worked at IBM with O’Leary’s father.
For five years, he repeatedly assaulted the boy in his home and his car, a string of violations that began when O’Leary was only 12 and ended when he stopped his tormentor at age 17 - because he realized how badly he wanted to kill himself.

http://www.recordonline.com/news/20170618/state-urged-to-change-sex-abuse-law 

'I was completely infatuated': Manny Waks confronts his alleged abuser

It's been three decades since Manny Waks last spoke to the man he alleges abused him as a child back in the late 1980s. 
But in a chilling confrontation caught on video and aired on Israeli television this week, the prominent child abuse survivor and activist confronted Velvel (Zev) Serebryanski, a former member of Melbourne's ultra-Orthodox community, to demand the elderly man admit "what you did to me".

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/i-was-completely-infatuated-manny-waks-confronts-his-alleged-abuser-20170614-gwrctc.html

Clerical sex-abuse cover-up in Australian church

Antipodean Booker-winner Thomas Keneally's new novel tells the story of a liberal priest's uncovering of paedophilia in the Catholic church during the mid-1990s.

In an early scene from Thomas Keneally's poignant new novel about clerical sex abuse, a young Australian woman called Maureen Breslin goes searching for her Irish roots on the Donegal coast. She is particularly impressed by an outdoor Mass stone, where fugitive Catholic priests used to hold ceremonies for their followers in defiance of Britain's Penal Laws.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/clerical-sexabuse-coverup-in-australian-church-35831397.html

Pastor accused of stealing church

The website of the Fountain of Youth Cathedral. Bishop Franklin L. Fountain, pastor of the Bridgeport church, is charged with first-degree larceny and second-degree forgery after police said he forged deed documents and sold the Madison Avenue church to himself for $1.
The pastor of the Fountain of Youth Cathedral won the hearts of his congregation — then stole their church, police said. Bishop Franklin L. Fountain may eventually have to answer to a higher authority but in the meantime he will face a Superior Court judge.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Pastor-accused-of-stealing-church-11220402.php

Fifteen Years After Dallas, Part Five: Naughty Nienstedt and the Vatican Shred

In 2013, Minnesota passed a landmark bill that allowed victims of child sexual abuse to use the civil courts to expose their abuser, no matter when the abuse took place. We are hoping to get one passed in New York right now.
Ensuing lawsuits showed that the Archdiocese under Archbishop John Nienstedt (pictured above) and his predecessors actively covered up the sexual abuse of minors for decades. It was bad. Really bad.

http://theworthyadversary.com/4532-fifteen-years-after-dallas-part-five