Author, a former victim at Mater Dei, is raring to take on Pope Francis over Catholic Church sexual abuse

On the day that longtime Subway spokesman Jared Fogle admitted to having had sex with minors and possessing child pornography, Joelle Casteix's phone started ringing before 5 a.m.

Media outlets seeking the perspective of a survivor of child sexual abuse knew to contact the 44-year-old mom in Newport Beach, known for her advocacy and incisive – sometimes blunt – commentary.

So as her husband and 9-year-old son slept, Casteix swung into action, talking to reporters over the next six hours.

That was last month. September is even busier for Casteix (pronounced cass-tix). She's got a new book to promote. And Pope Francis will visit the United States, meaning she'll be busy speaking out about the church and sexual abuse.

Casteix was victimized by a former choir director at Mater Dei High when she was a student at the Santa Ana school in the late 1980s.

She emerged in 2003 as one of the Catholic Church's most outspoken critics during the height of the civil lawsuits filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange by victims of predators in the priesthood and the laity.

In 2005, Casteix won a $1.6 million settlement after documents released by court order confirmed her account of molestation over a two-year period and how school administrators had knowledge of abuse but did nothing to stop it.

Ever since, she has stood up for victims – wherever and whenever she believes it's needed.

On the day of the Fogle story, MSNBC was among those who interviewed Casteix, speaking with her via Skype for a mid-morning show. Her husband, Mike Winter, and their son, Nicholas, blended into a routine they see a few times a year.

“When Nicholas came downstairs, he saw a very normal sight – Mom with make-up and a nice shirt on … but wearing pajama bottoms.”

PROTESTING THE POPE

Casteix – a photogenic brunette who likes to ski, enjoys a good glass of wine, and is training for a half-marathon – is heading to New York next week for the visit of Pope Francis. She'll be joined by other critics of church action on clergy abuse.

She and other advocates say the Vatican continues to fall short of complete transparency and true zero tolerance in addressing the Catholic Church's decades-long coverup of pedophile clergy abuse that left thousands of children victimized.

Casteix says her goal is to counter what she calls “the Francis effect.”

The charismatic pope has wowed Catholics and non-Catholics alike with his outreach to the homeless, the imprisoned, the poor. He also met last year with six victims of clergy abuse.

“Any time you talk to anyone about the cover-up scandal, they say, ‘Well, Francis is changing things,'” Casteix says. “Not really.”

She and others from such groups as Bishop Accountability and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests plan protests and media outreach intended to keep pressure on the pope.

One action Casteix and other critics would like to see from Pope Francis is a direct order to release the names of priests – numbering thousands in the U.S. alone – who have been credibly accused of abuse, along with publicly revealing the manner in which church officials handled those accusations.

The church has cited confidentiality in keeping those documents sealed.

Says Casteix: “What's the No. 1 thing that Francis can do if he's really adamant about protecting kids against sexual abuse? He opens up the files.”

‘WORTHY ADVERSARY'

Casteix fights child sexual abuse mostly as a volunteer or sponsored by advocacy groups. Her work doesn't end in front of a microphone.

She leads workshops and speaking engagements for audiences large and small. She's worked with mothers groups in Orange County, in remote villages in Alaska and in the jungles of Guam.

In May, she did a TEDx talk in Pasadena on responsibility and empowerment.

Last week, she presented a workshop on cultural sensitivity at a conference held in Orange County by the National Center for Victims of Crime.

Behind the scenes, Casteix is available by phone at any time to abuse victims and their families. She posts information and resources, along with strongly worded calls to action, on her website and blog, theworthyadversary.com.

Casteix has tapped her experience and skills to shape her role as a “worthy adversary.” Along the way, she's evolved from victim to survivor to advocate.

Articulate and sharp-witted, Casteix had previous stints as a school teacher, a journalist at a weekly newspaper and a public relations specialist.

All that was before the litigation with the Catholic Church. It was during those court fights a dozen years ago that Casteix volunteered to work as the western regional director of SNAP, a role she still holds.

Prudent care of her settlement, along with her husband's job with an automaker, gives her the latitude to do expansive outreach.

“She's helped hundreds of victims break the silence, go to police and seek justice,” says David Clohessy, the Missouri-based executive director of SNAP.

“It's not an exaggeration to say that from coast to coast, she's had an impact.”

PAYING A PRICE

Getting to where Casteix is today didn't come without a personal toll.

In her teens, she suffered a sexually transmitted disease and an aborted pregnancy as a result of encounters with choir director Thomas Hodgman that started when she was 15.

She confided in a few friends, but not until her senior year of high school.

She was 19 and in college when she finally told her parents what had happened at Mater Dei.

They blamed her.

Public revelations ostracized her from family and friends.

Hodgman was never criminally prosecuted but left Mater Dei in 1989, the year after Casteix graduated. He ended up teaching in the Midwest.

In her early 30s, Casteix found a way to work through her feelings of guilt and shame. But her mother died in 1997 without them reconciling.

Casteix says she truly forgave her mother only this past year.

“I needed to make peace with her.”

Casteix had already re-established a bond with her father after years of emotional distance.

John Casteix is a loyal alumnus of Mater Dei, with family ties in Santa Ana dating to the 1920s. He sent Joelle and her sister, five years older, to his alma mater.

When his daughter first revealed the abuse, John Casteix says, “I could not and did not want to believe her.”

His anguish over what happened to Joelle still lingers. His second wife helped him see that his daughter was the victim, not the perpetrator.

When Joelle Casteix decided in 2002 to sue the Orange County diocese, her father offered his support. And he continues to cheer her work today, remembering how, even as a youngster, she recognized wrongs and tried to make them right.

“It seems like a logical follow-up that she would carry on that belief,” John Casteix says. “Although taking on the Catholic Church abuse scandal was not on anyone's mind 25 years ago.”

WORK AHEAD

Casteix's new book is called “The Well-Armored Child: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse.” It was released this week by River Grove Books for online sales.

The advice offered by Casteix is aimed at helping protect people from toddlers through working-age adults.

“I wanted it to be something that grows with you and your child.”

“The Well-Armored Child,” priced at $12.99, aims to be accessible and is written with plenty of pop culture references, including Harry Potter, the Enron scandal and Van Halen's “Hot for Teacher.”

“It's not painful story after painful story. It's not theory after theory,” says Clohessy, the SNAP leader.

“It's just specific things you can do to protect your child.”

Biannet Vargas, a newly hired advocate with Santa Barbara County's Victim Witness Assistance Program, bought a copy after hearing Casteix at the victims of crime conference.

“It's not just another person talking,” she says. “Her story is human.”

In October, Casteix will be in Hawaii to appear on morning talk shows and discuss a law enacted by that state in June 2014 that opened a two-year window for adult survivors of child sex abuse to pursue civil lawsuits.

And in November, she expects her phone to be ringing again as media covers the theatrical release of “Spotlight,” the movie about the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé of child molestation by Catholic clergy in Massachusetts.

Like those journalists, she simply refuses to give up.

In 2005, when the settlements were reached with the Orange County diocese, two friends, also victims involved in the lawsuits, encouraged Casteix to move on from the sex abuse scandal and do something else with her life.

“They said, ‘Joelle, you need to get a job. This isn't good for you. You can't just be tilting at windmills.' I understand where they were coming from, but I decided no.

“There's so much else to be done.”

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/casteix-683000-abuse-year.html

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Philadelphia

Victim Advocates Seek Vatican Inquiry Into 2 US Cardinals

by AP -- New York Times

PHILADELPHIA — Priests, nuns and canon lawyers who advocate for clergy sex abuse victims urged Pope Francis, on the eve of his U.S. visit, to investigate the child protection records of Cardinal Justin Rigali, the former archbishop of Philadelphia, and Cardinal Raymond Burke, who led dioceses in Wisconsin and Missouri.

The group, which calls itself the Catholic Whistleblowers, wants an inquiry of Rigali, who was Philadelphia archbishop from 2003 to 2011 and retired amid an uproar over grand jury allegations that he was keeping about three dozen suspected abusers in ministry. His successor, Archbishop Charles Chaput, has removed several priests from church work since he took over.

The advocates are also calling for an investigation of Burke, who led the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and the Archdiocese of St. Louis before leaving for Rome to lead the Vatican's highest court. The advocates have accused him of insensitive treatment of victims and their families.

The Rev. James Connell, a canon lawyer and member of the group, said that in La Crosse, Burke used a very strict definition in canon law to evaluate abuse cases — equivalent to guilty beyond a reasonable doubt — instead of a lesser standard called for in the U.S. bishops' own policies, and therefore left abusers in ministry.

"I think the church would like people to think this is over, this is finished, we've handled it," said Sister Maureen Paul Turlish of Delaware, a member of the advocacy group, who spoke at the news conference Wednesday in Philadelphia. "It's not true. It's not over."

Rigali, who now resides in the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, declined to comment, a spokesman for the diocese said. Burke is now patron of the Order of the Knights of Malta, a global organization that helps the sick and vulnerable. Through a spokeswoman, he declined to comment.

Francis arrives in the U.S. on Tuesday in Washington, and will visit Philadelphia on Sept. 26 and Sept. 27 for the World Meeting of Families, a Vatican conference.

The advocates want Francis to investigate the cardinals through a planned tribunal, announced in June, to hear cases of abuse of office by bishops over failures in handling sex abuse cases. But no developments have been announced to indicate the tribunal will be set up anytime soon — such as the publication of statutes outlining the panel's mandate or the appointment of staff.

Since the abuse crisis erupted in the U.S. in 2002, a few U.S. bishops have been allowed by the Vatican to step down amid scandals over sheltering guilty priests, but no bishop has been publicly disciplined for his failures.

"We're not going to wait for the Vatican," said Tom Doyle, a member of the advocacy group and a canon lawyer who was shunned by American bishops for his advocacy on behalf of victims. "We're going to get this information out there in the hope that someone over there realizes it might be a good idea to follow up their promise with some action."

While in the United States, Francis is widely expected to meet with abuse victims, as his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, did when he traveled to the country in 2008. Church officials have said any such meeting between Francis and victims would only be announced after it occurred.

Arthur Baselice, a retired Philadelphia police detective, said his son, also named Arthur, was abused by a priest and a religious brother, became addicted to drugs and killed himself. Baselice said the Vatican needed to find ways to hold church leaders accountable for sheltering predators.

"The easiest way is to tell the truth," Baselice said. "They say forgive. It's easy to say forgive when you haven't lost a child. I say forgiveness begins when justice is served."

~~~~~

AP Religion Writer Zoll reported from New York. Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed from Rome.

Mom's Tough Ultimatum For 13-Year-Old Son Goes Viral

"Mama's done playing games and being a doormat."

by Yagana Shah

"When I am ignored time and time again, there are going to be greater consequences," wrote one fed-up mom to her son, after growing tired of "playing games and being a doormat."

A single mom who goes by the name Estella Havisham -- which she says is to protect her identity, as a domestic abuse survivor -- was angry about her son's disregard for her rules. She said her 13-year-old son lied about his homework, said his mom wasn't the boss of him and even claimed he could pay his own way, with his earnings making videos on YouTube.

Not willing to put up with his attitude any longer, Estella penned the note below, telling her son that if he wanted to act like an adult, he'd have to pay his way like one.

She wrote in an update that her son initially crumpled up the note and stormed out when he saw it, but later came around. She says he apologized and asked what he could do to earn back items she had taken from his room -- including some electronics, his favorite sheets and some clothes.

The post has gotten over 85,000 likes and has been shared over 160,000 times on Facebook. Though she's gotten mixed responses -- everything from parents applauding her hard stance to those saying she was too tough -- Estella said the letter was only meant for family and friends -- and never for public consumption. But once she realized her mistake, she figured there was no point in removing the letter as it had already made the rounds.

She did, however, post a follow-up note, for her critics and supporters alike, explaining her actual expectations of her son and her parenting philosophy. "Let's get serious! I am not going to put my 13 year old on the street if he can't pay his half of the rent. I am not wanting him to pay anything. I want him to take pride in his home, his space, and appreciate the gifts and blessings we have. I wrote him a “bill” to make a point. Nothing comes free," she wrote.

She insists she's not disciplining him, but rather teaching him about the real world. "He wants the perks of growing up without the responsibility that comes with it."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/moms-tough-ultimatum-for-disrespectful-13-year-old-goes-viral_55fad07fe4b0fde8b0cd2702

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From ICE

Operation Predator App turns 2

Protecting children from online sexual predators is one of the highest priorities within the mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). To combat those efforts, Operation Predator was created in 2003 as the agency's flagship initiative to combat the sexual exploitation of children.

In 12 years since the launch, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors and sex trafficking of children.

In September 2013, the success of Operation Predator received an additional boost with the creation of the Operation Predator App. With the ever-changing technology landscape, ICE made a bold move to keep up with the times and stay ahead of those looking to prey on children in the online space. At the time of its creation, the Predator App was the first of its kind used by any U.S. federal law enforcement agency.

"This app crowdsources the ability to identify and locate suspected fugitive child predators, protecting victims from further abuse, said Kevin Downey, ICE's Digital Marketing and Outreach Unit Supervisor, who designed and developed the app. "As more people download the app, the world becomes a smaller hiding place for these predators. Producing the app was a total team effort and it took the collective talents of the agency."

As the Predator App celebrates its second birthday this week, its effectiveness was on full display on July 24, when Jeremiah Malfroid was sentenced to 18 years in prison following pleading guilty to the production of child pornography in April.

The sentence came after an investigation by HSI, in a joint effort in conjunction with the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task (ICAC), that resulted in the discovery of nearly 300 files of child pornography. Malfroid's identification and subsequent arrest came as a result of him being profiled on the Predator App. After being charged in the Southern District of Ohio for production, receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography, Malfroid was added to the app. He absconded after the ICAC search and investigators believed he was in Northern California.

Authorities followed up on several tips in the intervening months and began to close in on Malfroid's exact whereabouts. On Dec. 9, 2014, a user-generated Facebook post indicating Malfroid's fugitive status was created using content published by ICE and information from Malfroid's app profile. By Dec. 15, the post had been shared nearly 200,000 times. Authorities believe the additional pressure from social media contributed heavily to Malfroid's surrender.

"Having the public's help through social media continues to be a game changer for law enforcement," Marlon Miller, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Detroit said at the time.

The Predator App enables users to receive alerts about wanted predators like Malfroid. In just two years, it has provided a platform to share the information with friends via email and social media tools, and to HSI by calling or submitting an online tip. Additionally, the app allows users to view news about arrests and prosecutions of child predators and additional resources about ICE and its global partners in the fight against child exploitation.

In its short existence, the Predator App has also been recognized by industry leaders as an effective online tool. In 2014, it received honorable mention for "Best App" in the PR News' Social Media Icon Awards in New York City.

According to Downey, the original goal of the app was to take fugitive child predators off the streets. With effective collaboration between the government and the American people the Predator App has been a success.

Here's to many more birthdays.

The app is available for both iOS and Android smartphone devices. Download the app through Apple's App Store or iTunes, or the Google Play store.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/operation-predator-app-turns-2

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Ohio mom accused of decapitating baby is competent for trial

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio woman accused of decapitating her 3-month-old daughter has been found competent to stand trial.

Twenty-year-old Deasia (dee-AY'-shuh) Watkins was ordered to a psychiatric center for treatment and evaluation in April. The judge has since found her competent to stand trial on an aggravated murder charge in the March death of Jayniah Watkins.

Watkins pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. She is scheduled for an October hearing where a trial date could be set.

Watkins' attorney, Norman Aubin, said Thursday he believes her competency has been restored. But he says mental illness prevented her from understanding her actions at the time of the slaying.

Police found Jayniah decapitated in the home of an aunt who was temporarily caring for her. They found Watkins in bed, covered with blood.

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Ohio-mom-accused-of-decapitating-baby-competent-6510913.php

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United Kingdom

Protecting children from sexual abuse

by Jane Carwardine and Emily Roberts

More than 2,800 children in the UK were identified as needing protection from sexual abuse last year, and with the physical signs sometimes hard to distinguish, child protection experts have launched updated guidance for all healthcare professionals to support examinations for child sexual abuse (CSA) – The Physical Signs of Child Sexual Abuse.

The guidance, also known as The Purple Book, brings together the latest knowledge and evidence to aid clinical decision making. This second edition includes three new chapters; anogenital signs of accidental injuries in girls and boys, genital bleeding in prepubertal girls and healing in anogenital injuries.

As some physical signs of child abuse can be difficult to interpret, this resource ensures that decision making is underpinned by scientific evidence. It also provides good practice guidance for health professionals to piece together additional information in order to inform the assessment such as: the history and context, the child or young person's behaviour and demeanour, and statements made by the child to professionals.

The Purple Book is predominantly aimed at clinicians who undertake forensic sexual abuse examinations, however, all healthcare professionals have a responsibility to protect children. Therefore it is a useful point of reference for any clinician who comes into contact with children, including primary care nurses.

Child protection – it's everyone's responsibility

A number of job roles fall under the umbrella term relating to the function of a primary care nurse. For example, a practice nurse, an advanced nurse practitioner or a nurse partner, however, irrespective of the job role, each nurse has the same professional standards to adhere to in the awareness and recognition of CSA and its forms. 1,2

Child sexual abuse, whether recent or historic, is currently of elevated national importance, due to further high-profile historical CSA cases being reported to the lead authorities, the ongoing independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, 3 and continuing reports that highlight systematic failures in protecting children and young people from child sexual exploitation (CSE), a form of CSA. 4,5 This increased and continuing focus is likely to result in key changes to the child protection landscape, including consideration by governments for the introduction of legislation such as mandatory reporting of child protection concerns. Any potential change in both legal and professional duties for the reporting of child abuse will have implications for nurses in primary care settings along with other healthcare professionals and multiagency professionals.

Compared with some other nursing professions and multiagency professionals, primary care nurses have traditionally been very much on the sidelines of partnership working and have not been notably involved in multiagency CSA safeguarding interventions. However, with the emergence of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) there is increasing recognition and expectation of these professionals' role in the management of CSA.

Despite this increasing role, learning opportunities may at times be limited. A recent report highlighted that CSE did not routinely appear in mandatory child protection training courses, and current knowledge was worryingly based on what participants heard or read in the media. 6 The development of competencies through a variety of high-quality multiagency learning opportunities is therefore essential for enabling this professional group to reach the expected practice standards in respect of CSA.

Primary care nurses in a unique position

Primary care nurses with responsibility for their general practice population are in a unique professional position to support the identification of CSA, 7 and are well placed to work with the short and long-term health consequences for victims of child sexual abuse.

In community based healthcare premises, practice nurses consult and deliver clinical interventions with children, young people and their families on a daily basis. The intelligence they gather during consultations and communications with children and young people could support the detection of CSA at both an individual and community level.

Detecting CSA

Effective professional communication helps establish a trusting and nurturing environment for a child or young person to disclose CSA, and can provide opportunities for nurses to assess for some of the less obvious signs that a child may have been or is at risk. The primary care nurse needs to understand the principles of this communication to support effective disclosure, while not compromising a criminal investigation. Although some children and young people seek an opportunity to disclose around the time the sexual abuse occurs, others may not present for several months or years after the abuse has taken place, with many waiting until adulthood to disclose. It's clear that disclosure has no fixed pattern so the primary care nurse must be able to develop his or her skills and competencies sufficiently to be able to recognise and respond sensitively yet professionally to any indicator or disclosure.

Children and young people who are victims of CSA may present alone or with others in primary care settings for services relating to the aftermath of CSA such as injuries, pregnancy, termination services, contraception advice, sexual health services, depression, self-harm, suicide attempts e.t.c. Therefore, it is vital that the nurse is able to assess and manage the clinical situation while being alert to the possibility of CSA. The aftermath of CSA is evidenced globally to have significant short and long-term physical and psychological health consequences on child victims and adult survivors. Evidence suggests that these victims will use primary care services more often than the non-abused general practice population.

Ensuring appropriate support

Nurses should have a clear understanding of the local procedures and protocols to follow for referring cases of CSA and know how to manage professional disagreement in respect of the management of these cases.

Speaking out about abuse requires a huge level of courage by the victim, so it is vital that the nurse believes a child who discloses CSA, supports other appropriate adults to respond sensitively to the child or young person, and avoids making false promises, clearly communicating to child, young person and/or family their duty as a health professional to proceed in the best interest of the child, remaining professional and sensitive at all times.

If sexual abuse is identified, it is crucial that the child or young person and their family are appropriately supported. Primary care nurses cannot provide interventions for all the health consequences that may arise following abuse, however they should know how to access local specialist and other support services such as sexual assault and referral services. In all cases consideration should be given as to the need for specialist therapeutic support, given the numerous emotional, behavioural and psychological consequences of CSA. To support practice nurses to refer appropriately, a toolkit or local directory of reputable and accessible services, developed in partnership with named and designated professionals, may be useful.

It is helpful for nurses to have an understanding of the emotional response families may have to a disclosure of CSA, particularly when the alleged abuser is a family member. It is also helpful for nurses to be prepared for situations where an allegation is retracted, and why some criminal investigations may not be successful.

While other professional groups involved in the assessment and management of an allegation of CSA may only have limited involvement with a child, young person or their family, practice nurses have the privileged position of being able to develop long-term, positive relationships, potentially maintaining the relationship when all other services have left and the investigation is completed.

The Purple Book can help

We are turning a corner in the way CSA is reported. And at a time where all professionals will be held accountable for not reporting suspected cases, it is vitally important that primary care nurses as well as other professionals that work with children understand the law and the requirements placed upon them.

The Purple Book is a useful resource for ensuring that all health professionals, including primary care nurses can access the knowledge, skills and evidence for identifying CSA.

Resources

To find out more about The Physical Signs of Child Sexual Abuse please visit the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's website:

http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/physical-signs-child-sexual-abuse

http://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/protecting-children-sexual-abuse

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United Kingdom

Brave Rotherham families tell police bosses of their child grooming ‘hell'

by Chris Burn

A father arrested as he tried to get his daughter out of a property where she was being abused, a mother told she could be charged with kidnap after locking her daughter in the house to keep her away from offenders and now-adult victims whose childhoods were destroyed all spoke at an often-emotional event yesterday.

The event at the Rotherham Holiday Inn was organised by Working Against Grooming group and was attended by more than 100 people, including South Yorkshire Police chief constable David Crompton, police commissioner Alan Billings and Rotherham councillors and officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Ingrid Lee said the force's failings ‘have been laid bare' since the Jay report - but insisted improvements are being made.

One survivor spoke of how she was taken from her ‘normal, everyday family' and groomed by a white woman who had converted to Islam into being a victim of abuse.

She said the police and social services were well aware of her abuse, but failed to act. She said she will never get justice as the woman involved has now died.

Her father also spoke of his struggle to cope with his daughter's abuse and the lack of response from the police at the time.

He said: “They made sure I couldn't help my child going through hell. On a couple of occasions, I was placed under arrest for trying to get my daughter out of a flat and trying to keep her safe.

“All I felt was guilt which I still carry to this day. What was the point of having a family when I couldn't help them or protect them?”

The woman's mother said her daughter repeatedly went missing, but the police didn't act, even when she was found with a 39-year-old man.

She said: “Everything was a nightmare from hell.

“At one point I locked her in the house and locked all the windows. She opened a window lock with kitchen scissors and went. The police told me not to do it again or I could be arrested for kidnap.”

ACC Lee said many of the stories shared at the event ‘make me want to hang me head in shame'.

But she added that the force was making improvements, with 54 people charged with CSE offences since the Jay report was published.

“We got it badly wrong and let people down,” she said.

“Our failings have been laid bare and there has been no hiding place. In a painful and public way, South Yorkshire Police have learned from victims and survivors.

“It is only when you understand, you can do something about it.

“I know from the victims and survivors, and the offenders being brought to justice, we are making a difference. But there is much more to do.

“Hearing the voice of witnesses and survivors has been central in changing what we do. I do believe we are making progress as a consequence.”

Gary Smith, co-founder of Working Against Grooming and a father of an abuse survivor, said it is hoped similar conferences can be held across the UK.

“This is not just a Rotherham problem, this is a national problem,” he said.

“It will take time and things are going in the right direction, both with South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council.

“It is going to be a long haul, but we will get there in the end.”

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/brave-rotherham-families-tell-police-bosses-of-their-child-grooming-hell-1-7467373

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United Kingdom

Methodist Church appoints national Safeguarding Adviser

by Hannah Tooley

The Methodist Church in the UK has appointed a national Safeguarding Adviser to protect children within the Church.

Tim Carter has been appointed to the post of Connexional Safeguarding Adviser to the Methodist Church.

Mr Carter has worked in the area for a number of years, most recently as a member of the connexional Safeguarding Committee and he worked as Assistant Director for children's charity Barnado's.

His new role will involve working in partnership with the Church of England.

Commenting on his appointment, Tim Carter said: "It's not every day that an opportunity like this presents itself and I am really pleased to have been appointed to advise the Church through the next chapter in the on-going story of how we rise to the challenge of making sure our work with children and vulnerable adults is safe and well supported.

"We know that our practice has made significant advances and yet the world does not stand still and we have to be constantly reviewing our effectiveness and adherence to new legislation and research evidence.

"I am looking forward to leading this."

In May 2015 the Church released it's Church's Past Safeguarding Review which highlighted the progress the Church had made on safeguarding as well as the plans it had in the future to address the issue.

23 recommendations were made, including improvements for record keeping and storage, as well as reviewing safeguarding training materials and the identification of further resources to support victims and survivors of abuse.

One of the most urgent concerns highlighted was the need for greater levels of accountability and supervision.

A formal code of conduct for ministers was also brought up.

Other suggestions included selection criteria for senior church positions that will be developed to include awareness of and ability to deal effectively with safeguarding issues.

A decision was also made that until Methodist Church has more robust accountability processes in place there will be an independent review of progress on the recommendations every year.

Tim Carter will officially take to his role in November.

http://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Methodist-Church-appoints-national-Safeguarding-Adviser

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United Kingdom

Asian Victims Of Child Abuse Suffer More Than White Girls Due To Arranged Marriage Prospects, Rules Judge

by Nick Hallett

Mr Justice Walker said it was proper for Jamal Muhammad Raheem Ul Nasir to have been given a harsher sentence as Asian sex crime victims suffer more than whites.

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner says that Ul Nasir was jailed for seven years at Leeds Crown Court in December last year for attacking two underage girls. He was found guilty on two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 and four counts sexual activity with a child.

Sally Cahill QC, the judge who jailed him, said the fact his victims were Asian was an “aggravating factor” when passing sentencing. Their families had experienced “shame” in their community due to what happened, she said, and there were concerns it would be harder to arrange good marriages for the girls when they were older.

Ul Nasir's lawyers appealed the sentence at London's Criminal Appeals Court, arguing it was unfair to make such a distinction. However, Mr Justice Walker rejected their complaints, saying: “The victims' fathers were concerned about the future marriage prospects for their daughters.

“Judge Cahill was having particular regard to the harm caused to the victims by this offending.

“That harm was aggravated by the impact on the victims and their families within this particular community”.

UKIP MEP Jane Collins said, “This ruling is essentially telling sex attackers to make sure their victims are white because they'll get a softer sentence if caught. So what the legal system has done is make the world a more dangerous place for young white girls.”

A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said after the case: “British justice should operate on a level playing field and children need to be protected irrespective of cultural differences.

“Regardless of race, religion, or gender, every child deserves the right to be safe and protected from sexual abuse, and the courts must reflect this. It is vital that those who commit these hideous crimes are punished to the full limit of the law.”

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/09/18/child-abuser-given-longer-sentence-victims-asian/

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Colorado

CASA: Help prevent child abuse and neglect

by Sue Fegelein

Adults in our community share a responsibility to protect against and report child abuse and neglect. The number of substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect in Moffat County increased from 49 in 2013 to 60 in 2014. We need to work together to continue to lower this number.

Parents, help protect your children by following these suggestions: Listen to your children and let them know it is safe to talk about anything. Get to know your neighbors, child's friends and their families. Teach your children the difference between "good touches" and "bad touches."

Screen babysitters and day care centers and assess their knowledge and training in child health, development, and care. Take a break if you feel overwhelmed. Get help if you have ever been a victim of abuse. Find local resources at https://211colorado.communityos.org/cms/node/142.

Recognize the signs of abuse and neglect. Warning signs of physical or sexual abuse include:

• Behavior changes such as fear, anxiety, depression, aggression, or withdrawal; not wanting to go home; or appearing afraid of certain individuals

• Overly sexualized behavior or use of explicit sexual language inappropriate for the child's age

• Changes in sleeping patterns including frequent nightmares or difficulty falling asleep, which may result in the child appearing tired or fatigued

• Changes in school performance and attendance — frequent absences or being unable to concentrate in class

• Eating habits that lead to extreme weight gain or loss

• Visible unexplained injuries such as burns, bruises, or broken bones

• Use of drugs or alcohol

• Trouble walking or sitting

Warning signs of neglect include:

• Clothes that are ill-fitting, filthy or inappropriate for the weather

• Consistently bad hygiene (unbathed, matted and unwashed hair, noticeable body odor)

• Untreated illnesses and physical injuries

• Frequently unsupervised, left alone, or allowed to play in unsafe situations and environments

• Frequently late or missing from school

Advocate for children. If a child reports that he/she has been harmed or hurt, keep calm, reassure the child that you believe him/her. Support groups that help parents at risk of abusing their children. Offer to help new parents. Many new parents do not have the support of extended family.

Children or teens who are being abused: do not keep it secret. You are not at fault. Please tell a trusted adult immediately.

Speak up quickly if you suspect abuse or neglect — a child's life may depend on it. Report child abuse and neglect anonymously at 1-844-CO-4-KIDS (1-844-264-5437), or call the Moffat County Department of Social Services between 9a.m. to 5 p.m. at 970-824-8282 ext. 2042, or 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. at 970-824-8111. If a child has been hurt or is in imminent danger, call 911.

Visit www.rockymountaincasa.org to learn more about Northwest Rocky Mountain CASA or to volunteer to advocate for the best interests of child victims of abuse and neglect.

Sources: "Child Abuse and Neglect-Topic Overview." Webmd.com June 17, 2015, Helpguide.org, safehorizon.org, Colorado Department of Human Services.

Sue Fegelein is the executive director of Northwest Rocky Mountain CASA.

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2015/sep/17/casa-help-prevent-child-abuse-and-neglect/

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Brazil

U.S. priests accused of sex abuse get second chance in South America

by Will Carless

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The Catholic Church has allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children in the United States and Europe to relocate to poor parishes in South America, a yearlong GlobalPost investigation has found.

Reporters confronted five accused priests in as many countries: Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Peru. One priest who relocated to a poor parish in Peru admitted on camera to molesting a 13-year-old boy while working in the Jackson, Miss., diocese. Another is currently under investigation in Brazil after allegations arose that he abused disadvantaged children living in an orphanage he founded there.

All five were able to continue working as priests, despite criminal investigations or cash payouts to alleged victims. All enjoyed the privilege, respect and unfettered access to young people that comes with being clergy members.

In the U.S., Catholic leaders have come under intense pressure for concealing priests' sex crimes, and for transferring perpetrators among parishes rather than turning them over to law enforcement. The scandal has cost the church billions of dollars and led to a sharp decline in new clergy.

In response, in 2002 U.S. bishops approved a “zero-tolerance” policy, under which priests who molest children are no longer allowed a second chance to serve in the clergy.

Victim advocates say that relocating priests to poorer parishes overseas is the church's latest strategy for protecting its reputation.

“As developed countries find it tougher to keep predator priests on the job, bishops are increasingly moving them to the developing world where there's less vigorous law enforcement, less independent media and a greater power differential between priests and parishioners,” said David Clohessy, spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. “This is massive, and my suspicion is that it's becoming more and more pronounced.”

The priests GlobalPost confronted on camera, far from the U.S. and European churches where the sexual abuse allegations occurred, include:

• Father Carlos Urrutigoity, accused of sharing beds with and fondling teenage boys in Scranton, Pa. The bishop of Scranton called him a “serious threat to young people,” but in Paraguay, reporters found him leading Mass in a major church. He had been promoted to second-in-command of the diocese of Ciudad del Este.

• Father Francisco “Fredy” Montero, accused of abusing a 4-year-old girl in Minneapolis, Minn. He relocated to his native Ecuador, where he was placed in a succession of remote parishes — despite a dossier sent by the Archdiocese of Minneapolis to his new diocese, warning of Montero's past.

• Father Paul Madden, who admitted molesting a 13-year-old boy on a mission trip when he was stationed in Jackson, Miss. The diocese paid the victim's family $50,000 and Madden moved to the diocese of Chimbote, Peru, where he still celebrates Mass each week.

• Father Jan Van Dael, accused of molesting several young men in his native Belgium before moving to northeastern Brazil, where he started an orphanage for street kids. Van Dael is under investigation by Belgian and Brazilian authorities after accusations of abuse arose in Brazil, too.

• Another priest we tracked down, Father Federico Fernandez Baeza, was indicted by a grand jury in 1987 on two second-degree felony charges of indecency with a child.

A family in San Antonio, Texas accused Fernandez in a civil lawsuit of ritually raping two brothers over a two-year period. Prosecutors dropped the criminal case after the diocese of San Antonio reportedly paid the family more than $1 million. Fernandez flew to Colombia, where he continued a high-profile career in the church. We traced him to the city of Cartagena, where he's a senior administrator and priest at a Catholic university.

After consulting with Fernandez's office, university guards prohibited us from entering the campus, and Fernandez has not responded to requests for comment.

The priests told us they have been allowed to continue preaching unfettered, without facing internal investigations, despite Pope Francis' pledges to clean up the church.

Last year, the pope sent a letter to every bishop in the world, ordering them to follow a global “zero tolerance policy” on child abuse. This year he created a commission tasked specifically with protecting children from church sex abuse.

Following repeated phone calls and emails, both the Vatican's press office and the head of the commission, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, declined to provide comment for this story.

The cases GlobalPost found are exactly what the church and Cardinal O'Malley's commission need to be focusing on, said Peter Saunders, an advocate for abuse survivors and a lay member of the church's commission.

“Zero tolerance is meaningless unless it applies to the whole institution,” he said. “Arguably, some of the biggest problems are in the less well-off parts of the world, South America, Africa, the Far East. This is where we know many priests flee to in order to carry on their abuse, which is an absolute outrage.”

New York

Letter to the Editor

Words hurt child sex-abuse victims and adult survivors

The headline of Sunday's paper seared many of our souls. Just to see the phrase "child victims partly to blame" was wrenching. Thinking about the impact on victims and survivors who read those words was truly overwhelming.

Children who are victims of sexual abuse can tell you how horrifying it is to have a trusted adult in their life violate their body and spirit with no regard for the consequences. Unfortunately, they can also tell you how many adults deepen that violation through words that deny and minimize their experience. Worse even than denial and minimization for victims and survivors is the fear of being blamed for what happened to them.

Child molesters threaten and manipulate children and assure them that no one will believe them. These "trusted adults" also try to make their victims complicit in the crime against them by telling them that they "wanted it" or that they somehow enticed the adult to commit this heinous act.

At this time of difficult conversation in the community, we ask each and every one of you to look deep within your heart about the messages you have given, or would give, to a child victim of sexual abuse. When talking in general, almost everyone would say that no child should ever be sexually abused and that a child is never responsible for being abused.

Unfortunately, when someone you know and trust is accused of sexual abuse, the response typically becomes much more convoluted. That is how child molesters thrive, because we, both as individuals and as a community, allow them to manipulate and confuse us. We too, deny and minimize their behavior and blame their victims. We implore each and every one of you to take this opportunity to firmly stand beside child victims and adult survivors throughout our community and refuse to ever again allow child molesters to use us as their collaborators.

The staff of Vera House

Located in Syracuse, Vera House is a domestic and sexual violence service agency providing shelter, advocacy, and counseling services for women, children and men. It also provides education and prevention programs and community coordination.

http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/09/vera_house_words_hurt_child_sex-abuse_victims_and_adult_survivors_your_letters.html

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California

Author, sex abuse victim is raring to take on the pope

by Theresa Walker

On the day that longtime Subway spokesman Jared Fogle admitted to having had sex with minors and possessing child pornography, Joelle Casteix's phone started ringing before 5 a.m.

Media outlets seeking the perspective of a survivor of child sexual abuse knew to contact the 44-year-old mom in Newport Beach, known for her advocacy and incisive – sometimes blunt – commentary.

So as her husband and 9-year-old son slept, Casteix swung into action, talking to reporters over the next six hours.

That was last month. September is even busier for Casteix (pronounced cass-tix). She's got a new book to promote. And Pope Francis will visit the United States, meaning she'll be busy speaking out about the church and sexual abuse.

Casteix was victimized by a former choir director at Mater Dei High when she was a student at the Santa Ana school in the late 1980s.

She emerged in 2003 as one of the Catholic Church's most outspoken critics during the height of the civil lawsuits filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange by victims of predators in the priesthood and the laity.

In 2005, Casteix won a $1.6 million settlement after documents released by court order confirmed her account of molestation over a two-year period and how school administrators had knowledge of abuse but did nothing to stop it.

Ever since, she has stood up for victims – wherever and whenever she believes it's needed.

On the day of the Fogle story, MSNBC was among those who interviewed Casteix, speaking with her via Skype for a mid-morning show. Her husband, Mike Winter, and their son, Nicholas, blended into a routine they see a few times a year.

“When Nicholas came downstairs, he saw a very normal sight – Mom with make-up and a nice shirt on … but wearing pajama bottoms.”

PROTESTING THE POPE

Casteix – a photogenic brunette who likes to ski, enjoys a good glass of wine, and is training for a half-marathon – is heading to New York next week for the visit of Pope Francis. She'll be joined by other critics of church action on clergy abuse.

She and other advocates say the Vatican continues to fall short of complete transparency and true zero tolerance in addressing the Catholic Church's decades-long coverup of pedophile clergy abuse that left thousands of children victimized.

Casteix says her goal is to counter what she calls “the Francis effect.”

The charismatic pope has wowed Catholics and non-Catholics alike with his outreach to the homeless, the imprisoned, the poor. He also met last year with six victims of clergy abuse.

“Any time you talk to anyone about the cover-up scandal, they say, ‘Well, Francis is changing things,'” Casteix says. “Not really.”

She and others from such groups as Bishop Accountability and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests plan protests and media outreach intended to keep pressure on the pope.

One action Casteix and other critics would like to see from Pope Francis is a direct order to release the names of priests – numbering thousands in the U.S. alone – who have been credibly accused of abuse, along with publicly revealing the manner in which church officials handled those accusations.

The church has cited confidentiality in keeping those documents sealed.

Says Casteix: “What's the No. 1 thing that Francis can do if he's really adamant about protecting kids against sexual abuse? He opens up the files.”

‘WORTHY ADVERSARY'

Casteix fights child sexual abuse mostly as a volunteer or sponsored by advocacy groups. Her work doesn't end in front of a microphone.

She leads workshops and speaking engagements for audiences large and small. She's worked with mothers groups in Orange County, in remote villages in Alaska and in the jungles of Guam.

In May, she did a TEDx talk in Pasadena on responsibility and empowerment.

Last week, she presented a workshop on cultural sensitivity at a conference held in Orange County by the National Center for Victims of Crime.

Behind the scenes, Casteix is available by phone at any time to abuse victims and their families. She posts information and resources, along with strongly worded calls to action, on her website and blog, theworthyadversary.com.

Casteix has tapped her experience and skills to shape her role as a “worthy adversary.” Along the way, she's evolved from victim to survivor to advocate.

Articulate and sharp-witted, Casteix had previous stints as a school teacher, a journalist at a weekly newspaper and a public relations specialist.

All that was before the litigation with the Catholic Church. It was during those court fights a dozen years ago that Casteix volunteered to work as the western regional director of SNAP, a role she still holds.

Prudent care of her settlement, along with her husband's job with an automaker, gives her the latitude to do expansive outreach.

“She's helped hundreds of victims break the silence, go to police and seek justice,” says David Clohessy, the Missouri-based executive director of SNAP.

“It's not an exaggeration to say that from coast to coast, she's had an impact.”

PAYING A PRICE

Getting to where Casteix is today didn't come without a personal toll.

In her teens, she suffered a sexually transmitted disease and an aborted pregnancy as a result of encounters with choir director Thomas Hodgman that started when she was 15.

She confided in a few friends, but not until her senior year of high school.

She was 19 and in college when she finally told her parents what had happened at Mater Dei.

They blamed her.

Public revelations ostracized her from family and friends.

Hodgman was never criminally prosecuted but left Mater Dei in 1989, the year after Casteix graduated. He ended up teaching in the Midwest.

In her early 30s, Casteix found a way to work through her feelings of guilt and shame. But her mother died in 1997 without them reconciling.

Casteix says she truly forgave her mother only this past year.

“I needed to make peace with her.”

Casteix had already re-established a bond with her father after years of emotional distance.

John Casteix is a loyal alumnus of Mater Dei, with family ties in Santa Ana dating to the 1920s. He sent Joelle and her sister, five years older, to his alma mater.

When his daughter first revealed the abuse, John Casteix says, “I could not and did not want to believe her.”

His anguish over what happened to Joelle still lingers. His second wife helped him see that his daughter was the victim, not the perpetrator.

When Joelle Casteix decided in 2002 to sue the Orange County diocese, her father offered his support. And he continues to cheer her work today, remembering how, even as a youngster, she recognized wrongs and tried to make them right.

“It seems like a logical follow-up that she would carry on that belief,” John Casteix says. “Although taking on the Catholic Church abuse scandal was not on anyone's mind 25 years ago.”

WORK AHEAD

Casteix's new book is called “The Well-Armored Child: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse.” It was released this week by River Grove Books for online sales.

The advice offered by Casteix is aimed at helping protect people from toddlers through working-age adults.

“I wanted it to be something that grows with you and your child.”

“The Well-Armored Child,” priced at $12.99, aims to be accessible and is written with plenty of pop culture references, including Harry Potter, the Enron scandal and Van Halen's “Hot for Teacher.”

“It's not painful story after painful story. It's not theory after theory,” says Clohessy, the SNAP leader.

“It's just specific things you can do to protect your child.”

Biannet Vargas, a newly hired advocate with Santa Barbara County's Victim Witness Assistance Program, bought a copy after hearing Casteix at the victims of crime conference.

“It's not just another person talking,” she says. “Her story is human.”

In October, Casteix will be in Hawaii to appear on morning talk shows and discuss a law enacted by that state in June 2014 that opened a two-year window for adult survivors of child sex abuse to pursue civil lawsuits.

And in November, she expects her phone to be ringing again as media covers the theatrical release of “Spotlight,” the movie about the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé of child molestation by Catholic clergy in Massachusetts.

Like those journalists, she simply refuses to give up.

In 2005, when the settlements were reached with the Orange County diocese, two friends, also victims involved in the lawsuits, encouraged Casteix to move on from the sex abuse scandal and do something else with her life.

“They said, ‘Joelle, you need to get a job. This isn't good for you. You can't just be tilting at windmills.' I understand where they were coming from, but I decided no.

“There's so much else to be done.”

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/casteix-683000-abuse-year.html

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Georgia

Sexual abuse survivor shares story to help others

by Gale Horton Gay

C. David Moody Jr.'s professional life has focused on building highly visible structures that endure the stresses and strains of time.

However the man behind the award-winning Lithonia-based C.D. Moody Construction Company has kept a secret that has tormented him throughout most of his adult life. Now he's taking every opportunity to turn his former burden into a blessing to help heal, uplift and inspire others.

On Aug. 30 Moody added his voice to those of four others featured in the TLC documentary Breaking the Silence. In it, Moody talked candidly about being a survivor of sexual abuse when he was a child.

The program also features an array of other survivors sharing their experiences including an 11-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted when she was about 4, a woman recalling being raped by her father and former Dancing With the Stars dancer Cheryl Burke discussing being sexual abused when she was in kindergarten by someone she trusted.
Moody, 59, is the only male featured in the documentary.

“It's bad enough that it happens, but it's really tough for men to talk about it,” he said.

Moody watched the program alone, outside at his Lithonia home.

“During the two days of filming, I was very comfortable sharing my journey—maybe because I have gotten stronger over the last three years telling my story,” he stated on his Moody Speaks blog. “I knew I could have a big impact on survivors—especially male survivors—by sharing my journey. As the day and hour approached, I became anxious and nervous.”

When the show ended, he said he thanked God for giving him “the strength and courage to keep speaking up.”
According to the nonprofit organization Darkness to Light's website, one in seven girls and one in 25 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18, and 60 percent will not tell anyone what has happened to them. “This year, there will be about 400,000 babies born in the U.S. that will become victims of child sexual abuse,” the site states.

Moody fell victim to sexual abuse when he was 9 and the abuser, a male babysitter, was 17. He said he kept it bottled up most of his life, not even sharing it with his wife Karla until a family member revealed sexual abuse, and Moody blurted out that the same thing had happened to him.

While his business was in its infancy in the 1980s and 1990s, Moody began experiencing panic attacks and severe shakes, he said. It became so debilitating that often, with the assistance of his wife, he would pull himself together enough to attend a meeting or do some work at the office or job site, then come home and collapse. In 1992, he had what he describes as a nervous breakdown after saying out loud, for the first time, that he had been sexually abused. In time, through counseling, Moody said he learned that he was suffering post-traumatic stress.

“I finally came to realize it all stemmed from the childhood sexual abuse,” he said.

He credits his faith, his family and his wife (a former nurse) of 33 years with helping him through the roughest parts of his journey. With the help of counseling, Moody has learned what triggers his anxiety and fear and has learned how to overcome it.

Moody opened up to a tight circle—his parents, his children and a friend—but said it took another 20 years to discuss it further.

It wasn't until 2011 that Moody spoke publicly about his experience at a Georgia Center for Child Advocacy breakfast. He said he cried “tears of freedom” throughout his speech.

“The response was overwhelming,” recalled Moody. “I knew I had to do something but I was not sure what.”

In 2012, Moody started writing a blog, now followed in 112 countries, about his 25 years in the general contracting and construction business.

“I realized I had to be honest, I had to tell the whole story,” Moody said. It was then that he started sharing what had occurred when he was a child and how it had affected his personal and professional life.

Moody is in the process of writing a book about his journey, and he's also selling a line of T-shirts with inspirational sayings and using a portion of the proceeds for donations to organizations that provide help to sexually abused children.

Moody continues to seek opportunities to share his journey with others. In his talks he doesn't dwell on the negative.
“I focus more on how we can still do incredible things with our lives regardless of our past. I believe there are so many that aren't achieving what they could because they are suffering from childhood trauma,” he said.

In August, at the request of a juvenile court judge he spoke before a group of teens who had started getting in trouble with the law. Afterward one boy told the judge and his mother that he was being sexually abused by his stepfather.

“That's why I do it,” said Moody. “There are so many suffering in silence…It's more prevalent than we realize.”

And he said in other settings he is approached by men who whisper to him that a similar abuse happened to them 30 to 40 years ago. And he added that on one day after the documentary aired he received emails from two men—one 47 years oldand the other 62—who contacted him about how they are dealing with having been sexually abused. The men told him he gave them courage and hope.

While he previously focused on the possible negative reactions to disclosing his past, Moody said he's no longer is concerned what people might think or say.

Talking about his journey has been therapeutic and has made him stronger, Moody said, adding that now he wants to make his life an open book.

http://thechampionnewspaper.com/news/local/sexual-abuse-survivor-shares-story-to-help-others/

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California

Court: Teen cannot be held responsible for sex with teacher

by The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles school district was wrong when it argued that a 14-year-old girl shared responsibility for sexual abuse by a teacher because she consented to the sex, a California appeals court said Wednesday, overturning a jury verdict in favor of the district.

Lawyers and advocates for sexual abuse victims had said the legal tactic used by the district was surprising, and the appeals court seemed to agree in its ruling.

As a minor, the girl was a crime victim even if she agreed to the sex, and crime victims cannot be held responsible for the harm they suffer, a division of the 2nd District Court of Appeal said.

The girl had accused the district in a lawsuit of failing to adequately supervise her 8th grade math teacher, Elkis Hermida. She appealed after a jury found the district was not negligent.

“On appeal, the district continues to maintain that a minor student who is the victim of sexual abuse by a teacher bears responsibility for preventing that abuse,” Judge Richard Kirschner wrote. “The district was wrong in the trial court and is wrong now.”

The court said a judge was wrong to instruct jurors that they could find the girl at fault and to allow the introduction of her sexual history.

The district said it was still reviewing the decision and had no comment.

“The court of appeal echoed what we were saying, which is that children who are abused by their teachers at school can never be blamed for their injury,” said Holly Boyer, an attorney for the girl.

Boyer said the case prompted passage of state legislation that prohibits consent from being used as a defense in civil cases alleging sexual battery of minors by adults in positions of authority.

Hermida first had sex with the girl in March 2011, according to the appeals court ruling. He was arrested after one of the girl's friends told a teacher two months later.

Hermida pleaded no contest to one count of lewd acts upon a victim aged 14. The Associated Press does not name victims of sex crimes.

http://wkrg.com/ap/court-overturns-verdict-in-los-angeles-school-abuse-case/

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Texas

Officials: Preventing child abuse is community effort

by Krista Torraiva

Too often, after a child has died at the hands of his or her parent; an aunt or uncle will cry out about abuse they witnessed.

By then it's too late.

The Child Protective Services case worker interviewing the family member can't do anything to save the child.

It's a familiar scenario, frustrating to the department and court. After two recent child deaths — an infant who was shaken to death and police arrested the father, and a 2-year-old dying of a head injury police believe the mother's boyfriend caused — court and department officials are pleading with the community to watch out and report child mistreatment.

"I would really like it if the community would ... step in and intervene versus worrying about not wanting to get involved or (saying) 'That's not my business.' Children are their business," said Tara O'Connell, a CPS Services Program Administrator. "Children should not just be the business of child protective services. Everybody should stand up for the children of our community because they can't stand up for themselves."

Between Sept. 1, 2010, and Aug. 31, 2014, the department determined 20 children in Nueces County died as a result of abuse or neglect and 977 across the state died.

Danger may not be as obvious as a parent slapping or kicking their child. Warning signs can include a parent speaking negatively of their child, calling them names, seeming detached from the child and unaware of the child's age or school grade.

"That's a sign they might not be very bonded with their own child and sometimes that leads to abuse and neglect," O'Connell said. "So it's important that when people see something, if it makes them uncomfortable, that they reach out and figure out what kind of help they can get them ahead of time."

County Court at Law No. 5 Judge Timothy McCoy suspects part of the reason neighbors or family members don't report suspicious activity is because they have a misunderstanding about the department and court's role. The purpose is not to take a parent's children away forever, he said. Many times, parents just need training or counseling and the court has a host of programs, he said. Substance abuse is a problem in most of the cases and there are programs to help curb drug and alcohol usage.

"We don't break up families. Our intent and goal is to reunify families and that's the law," McCoy said. "Punishment is second to rehabilitation."

CPS had custody of 441 children — enough students to fill Sanders Elementary School — as of Sept. 7. Most of the children are under 10 years old and more than 100 are under 3 years old, according to CPS data. Those numbers include pending cases, meaning some of the children may return to their parents. In other cases, the department and court tries to place the children with other relatives or family friends to maintain as much familiarity as possible, O'Connell said.

Between Sept. 1, 2013, and Aug. 31, 2014, 45 percent of the children that exited the department in O'Connell's 19-county region were returned to their parents. Of those who were not, 75 percent went to live with a relative.

"Even though their mom or dad may have done things to them that are not OK, it's still a dramatic change so we want to get them back to someone they know and someone they're familiar with as soon as possible," O'Connell said.

Not speaking about specific cases, the abuse is often perpetrated by a parent's boyfriend or girlfriend, O'Connell said.

Lionel Pena, who has been charged with capital murder in the death of 2-year-old Juan Joseph Hinojosa Gonzalez, was dating the boy's mother. The siblings of 6-year-old Xadrian Martinez, who died last year, told investigators their mother's boyfriend beat him and slammed him against a refrigerator. Both the boyfriend, Albert Villarreal, and the mother, Nancy Martinez, are jailed awaiting separate capital murder trials.

"It's really important that people who are parents if they start spending time with someone and they notice this someone has violent tendencies, they get angry very easy, they should not leave their children at home alone with them," O'Connell said.

Parents can seek help themselves if they recognize signs of struggling with parenting. The Department of Family and Protective Services launched a website in 2012 with tips for parents to cope with stress or find help in their community. The website, www.helpandhope.org, has been viewed about 1.5 million times since it's June 2012 launch, agency spokesman John Lennan said.

Twitter: @CallerKMT

by the numbers

Source: Department of Family and Protective Services

PARENTING TIPS

Keys to Successful Parenting

Spend a few minutes every day doing something with your children.

Ask your children for their opinions.

Ask your children for help with simple tasks.

Never tell your children that they are bad. Instead, tell them the behavior is bad.

Discipline your children for bad behavior when you are calm. If you need to address the behavior while you are angry, remember that you are angry and that people have a tendency to go too far when angry.

Make rules you can and will enforce. If you say five more minutes of TV, don't give them ten more minutes.

Spend Time with Your Kids

Do simple activities at home with your children. Giving your time and attention to your children is a gift they will remember for a lifetime.

Eat Meals Together at Least Once a Day

Mealtime can be a time to give advice and support as well as talk about one another's lives. The "Eat Healthy" section of Your Texas Benefits website includes cost saving tips, recipe planning, information on exercise and other resources to help make your mealtime a great bonding experience.

Talk about the good things and bad things that happened that day.

Spending Time Together Can Be Simple

Enjoy one another's company at home. Play a board game or work on a puzzle together.

Doing chores together can be fun. Have your child help fold laundry or dry dishes. Name colors while folding or see who can fold the fastest.

Family Time Builds Memories and Values

Talk with your children about what is important to you.

Tell them what you liked to do when you were their age.

Spend time with each child one on one. Read aloud or make up a story together with your family or friends as the characters.

Outdoor Activities

Go outside and play with your kids. It's good for you and for them.

Play in the grass or leaves.

Go for a nature walk.

Have a scavenger hunt.

Go to the library to find books about the season, upcoming holidays, or your child's favorite animal.

Start a new family tradition, like going to the zoo or a local festival, or baking something together.

Monitor what your child watches on TV. Make sure shows and movies are age appropriate.

Source: Prevent Child Abuse Illinois. www.preventchildabuseillinois.org

Dealing with Stressful Situations

Children can become more difficult to deal with when they are sleepy. Make sure you set a bedtime routine and understand how to manage a whiny child or a child who talks back.

Helping with Bedtime Struggles

Soothing baby. Set a bedtime routine to help babies fall asleep. Always place babies alone and on their backs to sleep. Remove toys and loose blankets from the crib.

Help your children unwind. Start talking in a quieter voice. Turn off the TV, computer, and video games at least 30 minutes before bed.

Set a routine. Help kids follow a pattern of bath time, brushing teeth, and story time. Give hugs and say good-night in a fun way. Leaving a night light on can help children feel more at ease.

Keep kids in bed. If children cannot sleep, tell them to stay in bed and sing a song, cuddle a stuffed animal, or remember a happy time.

Wipe Out Whining

Whining can be frustrating and hard to listen to. Be patient and use these tips to help stop or prevent it.

Look first for an obvious physical cause like hunger, thirst, being tired, uncomfortable clothing or shoes, position, or even illness.

Show the difference between a whiny voice and a normal voice. Ask your child to tell you which voice is more pleasant.

Stay calm. When children know whining will upset you, they might not stop.

Ignore whining by limiting eye contact and talking.

Make sure children have contact with children their own age. It can be tiring for a child to keep up with older kids.

How to Manage Kids Talking Back

It is common for kids of all ages to talk back. Stop back talk with these suggestions:

Give choices: "Do you want grapes or an apple for a snack?"

As soon as back talk happens, tell your child it is not OK: "We don't talk that way. Please speak nicely."

Praise good behavior: "You were quiet and helpful at the store!"

Provide appropriate consequences. Give a time out. The length of time out needs to correspond to age the child (three minutes for a 3-year-old, four minutes for a 4-year-old). Or withhold privileges like watching TV or going to a friend's house.

Simple Things You Can Do When You Feel Stressed

When you feel overwhelmed, take a break and try one of the following:

Take a deep breath and count to 20.

Phone a friend.

Take a walk outside.

Ask for help.

Take time out and leave your children with a responsible adult.

Put your children in a safe place and leave the room.

Catch up on sleep.

Be aware of your body language and try to change it so that you are more relaxed.

Source: www.HelpandHope.org

http://www.caller.com/news/local/officials-preventing-child-abuse-is-community-effort-1fcb21a5-6eb3-7780-e053-0100007fbbac-327960741.html

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State support group's program aims to prevent child abuse

by Mark Gilger Jr.

Everyone can do something to prevent child abuse, but only if they know what to do.

Schuylkill County residents learned just that Wednesday from the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance program called The Front Porch Project.

The free, community training program was held in the county for the first time thanks to two community sponsors: John Crane, Crane Insurance Agency, and his wife, Dr. Carol Bilinski, IMG Blue Mountain Pediatrics. The program ran from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce in Union Station in Pottsville. It featured discussions, video clips and activities to educate participants on how to deal with real-life situations involving child abuse and prevention. The training educates individuals on how to recognize and report suspected child abuse and neglect to schools, early childhood education centers, law enforcement agencies, religious institutions and social service agencies.

Beth Bitler, program director, said the state initiative started in 2011. The program Wednesday was its 52nd training session.

“It's really just about what one person can do to help kids, no matter their role in that child's life,” Bitler said. “They could be a parent, a friend or a neighbor.”

According to a PFSA survey conducted on more than 1,000 state residents in 2013, 33 percent said they had known a child who they suspected was being abused, while only 32 percent of them actually reported the suspected abuse.

Last year in Schuylkill County, there were 437 reports of suspected abuse, nine more than in 2013. Of them, 57 — or 13.3 percent — were substantiated, which is above the state average, according to the PFSA. There were no child deaths due to abuse in 2014; however, there were two children, a 5-month-old girl and a 3-month-old boy, who nearly died from injuries as a result of abuse.

More than a dozen individuals attended the educational event Wednesday. Bitler said they were from a variety of professional backgrounds in the community and will be able to teach others what they learned Wednesday.

“We are all human and parenting is the hardest job in the world,” Bilinski said. “We all have to take part in making our community safe.”

Bilinski said she contacted PFSA about bringing the program to Schuylkill County after learning about it online. She is hoping it will be the first of many training sessions on preventing child abuse in the county. Anyone interested in hosting the program can call IMG Blue Mountain Pediatrics, Schuylkill Haven, at 570-366-7337.

“Struggling parents may just not know what to do, and some people don't want to ask for help because they are embarrassed,” Crane said.

Bilinski said the training covered many things people can do to help, such as offering positive empathy to struggling parents by letting them know they are not alone.

“It's not just confront or ignore,” Crane said. “You can intervene in a positive way.”

For more information about PFSA and the Front Porch Project in Pennsylvania, visit www.pa-fsa.org or call 717-238-0937.

http://republicanherald.com/news/state-support-group-s-program-aims-to-prevent-child-abuse-1.1943875

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Georgia

The invisible signs of child abuse

A teacher at a Columbus daycare center suspected child abuse after seeing a toddler with cigarette burns on his arm. According to the Columbus Police Department, Little Angels Daycare Center did a commendable act by reporting the parents who are suspected of abusing their toddler. The facility called the parents saying their child was involved in an incident at the center to lure them to the daycare facility. This then allowed police to arrest the couple for not only child abuse, but for possession of drugs in a safe and secure manner.

Once the couple arrived at the daycare center, police say they found marijuana, cocaine and hydrocodone pills in the couple's car.

Because the daycare facilitator called police, a life may have been saved.

The dangers of child abuse is being taught in school today, now more than ever. This education may be leading to more child abuse reports being made by not only the child, but by people who suspect it.

Alma Torres, who is a Family Advocate at Russell County Child Advocacy Center in Phenix City, Alabama says "people tend to look for the physical signs of abuse whether it's the bruise, whether it's the burn, cigarette burn on the face but it's the invisible signs that we don't see that we should be more concerned."

Torres also says reporting abuse is anonymous and will remain confidential.

WLTZ's Cristina Mendez spoke to the owner of Little Angel's Daycare, Mr. Dickerson, who told her about the incident and how his facility helped prevent further abuse on that child. Mr. Dickerson was unable to do an on-camera interview.

Torres also says "people who report abuse should be happy that you have saved a life and maybe even more because usually when you get these kinds of cases of abuse, there's always more. There's domestic violence involved, there's drugs, there's homelessness, lack of food so there's more issues going on in that household."

Services from the Russell County Child Advocacy Center are free to parents and guardians to get children the help they need. The advocacy center allows children to feel like they are in a safe environment, where people will believe their story.

Torres says this part is crucial.

"It's important to support the victim and to believe them, always. The number one thing a child asks when they're a victim of abuse is to 'believe me, believed by their loved ones. Believe me that this has happened."

http://www.wltz.com/story/30048923/the-invisible-signs-of-child-abuse

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Washington

Opinion

Myths and facts about child sexual abuse | Sex in the Suburbs

by Amy Johnson

As kids go back to school following a Federal Way second grade teacher's arrest for sexual abuse, let's review some myths and facts about child sexual abuse.

Myth: Child sexual abuse is really rare.

Fact: About one in 10 children will be sexually abused before they are 18. That's too many. One child is too many.

Myth: I don't want to scare my child. I'm going to wait until they are older to talk about it.

Fact: Twenty percent of these children who are abused will have this happen before age 8.

There are great books that can help you bring up the topic, without scaring your kids — such as “It's My Body” by Lory Britain, “It's Not the Stork” by Robie Harris and “Telling Isn't Tattling” by Kathryn M. Hammerseng — to name just a few.

Darkness to Light, a training program to prevent sexual abuse, recommends “open conversations with children about body safety, sex and boundaries” as one of their top five steps to prevent sexual abuse (www.d2l.org).

Teaching kids correct body parts and celebrating what is good about their bodies helps them recognize when something is wrong.

Myth: We've covered “stranger danger,” so we've done all we need to do.

Fact: Ninety percent of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser. Though family members account for only 30 percent of abusers, the vast majority of children know their abusers.

Pedophiles groom children, so abuse happens gradually and sneakily. They may also threaten the child with harm to loved ones.

This doesn't mean you need to be suspicious of every friend, coach, teacher or relative. It does mean you need to talk about body safety with your child so they know what's OK and what isn't, even if it's someone they know who's touching them.

Make sure they know that the area under where they'd wear a bathing suit is private.

They are the only ones who should touch their body there unless it's a doctor doing an exam with a parent in the room, or someone helping them take a bath. Even then, if they are uncomfortable, they should let you know.

Myth: Kids make up stuff all the time.

Fact: Child sexual abuse reports are false only four to eight percent of the time. In fact, 60 percent of child sexual abuse victims never tell anyone ( www.d2l.org ).

It's really rare for a child to make up sexual abuse. Most of the time when reports are made up, it's an adult in a custody dispute. If a child tells you about abuse, believe them.

Myth: You can't really tell if a child is being abused.

Fact: It can be challenging, because there are not always obvious signs. Look for physical changes like redness in the genital area or an onset of chronic headaches or stomach pain.

Emotional and behavioral changes are more common and may include anything from perfectionist behavior to withdrawal, depression or anger.

Another red flag can be sexual behavior and language that are not age-appropriate. If you see these things, get help.

If your child or any child talks to you about abuse, believe them, and make sure they know you believe them. Thank them for being brave enough to share with you.

Then get help. It's not your job to investigate the abuse, but it is your ethical duty to report it.

Let the child know you will do what you can to protect them.

And don't panic. There is hope. Many children who receive support heal and even go on to help others.

Where to report: 1-866-ENDHARM (1-866-363-4276)

For more information, see “How to Report Child Abuse or Neglect” at www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/child-safety-and-protection/how-report-child-abuse-or-neglect.

Federal Way resident Amy Johnson, MSW, is a trainer, educator and coach in the Pacific Northwest. She is co-author of the books, “Parenting by Strengths: A Parent's Guide for Challenging Situations” and “Homegrown Faith and Justice.” Amy facilitates classes and workshops in the Puget Sound area and online. She specializes in working with parents and in sexuality education. Amy can be reached at comments@diligentjoy.com.

http://www.federalwaymirror.com/opinion/327512921.html#

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Texas

Sexual assault in schools, internet crimes against children, to be addressed at Valley conference

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – Child abuse prevention, intervention and investigation in the Valley — including sexual assault in schools and internet crimes against children — will be addressed during the 12th Annual Rio Grande Valley Seminar in Forensic Sciences, which will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4 through Friday, Nov. 6 at the Isla Grand Beach Resort, 500 Padre Boulevard on South Padre Island.

The symposium, which is hosted by Valley Baptist Health System, will provide current information to those involved in child abuse investigations, including law enforcement officers, Child Protective Services workers, social workers, attorneys, nurses, pediatricians, medical examiners, forensic pathologists, coroners, psychologists, EMS personnel, school and day care personnel, clergy, and other professionals. The special three-day conference will address ways to prevent child abuse, techniques used in child death investigations, and other current issues involving child abuse.

Dr. Stan Fisch, Pediatrician and Medical Director of the Child to Adult Abuse Response Team (CAART) program at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, said the forensics seminar will help attendees become “better prepared to deal with the many issues surrounding injuries to children and help provide a basis for the prevention of child abuse.”

Speakers for the conference will include Lyndel Williams, Training Director for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, who will speak on “Sexual Assault on Campus” on the second day of the conference (Thursday, November 5) at 9:15 a.m. (part 1 of her talk) and at 10:30 a.m. (part 2). While sexual assault cases on college and high school campuses have been prominently featured in the national news recently, Ms. Williams will also discuss cases that have occurred involving younger students in middle and elementary schools.

Then on Friday, Nov. 6, at 8:15 a.m., a related topic will be discussed, “Internet Crimes against Children,” by Kimberly Bustos of the Child Exploitation, Human Trafficking, and Digital Forensics Units of the Texas Attorney General's office.

Tragedies against children of another type will be addressed during talks on “Postpartum Psychosis, Child Abuse, and the Law,” on the opening morning of the conference, Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 9:15 a.m. (part 1) and at 10:30 a.m. (part 2). This issue has been highlighted in several high-profile cases of mothers suffering from post-partum depression, including a case in Houston where a mother, Andrea Yates, drowned her five children in a bathtub. The presenter for this topic will be Diana Barnes, Psy.D, LMFT, with the Center for Postpartum Health in Los Angeles.

Preventing tragedies against children will be the topic for a talk on “DFPS Child Death Prevention Initiatives” by Sasha Rasco, Director of Prevention and Early Intervention for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. She will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 11:30 a.m.

Emotional abuse of children will also be addressed, during a presentation which will look at how children can be used as “pawns” during power struggles between divorced or separated parents. Linda Gottlieb Kase, LMFT, LCSW-R, a family and relationship therapist from New York, will speak on “Parental Alienation: a Form of Emotional Abuse of Children,” on Friday, Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m.

In addition, Dr. Dyann Daley of thee Cook Children's Center for Prevention of Child Maltreatment in Fort Worth, will speak on “Tracking Child Maltreatment” on Wed., Nov. 4 at 3:15 p.m.

Among several other talks will be one on “Understanding and Overcoming the Cycle of Adverse Childhood Experiences” on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 3:45 p.m. The presenter, Dave Lockridge of “ACE Overcomers” of California, will also speak at a separate but related event on Friday, Nov. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m., also at the Isla Grande hotel at South Padre Island (during a free presentation for church youth directors, pastors, Girl Scout and Boy Scout leaders, and other interested people in faith-based communities or the general public).

To register for his talk, please contact the “Blue Sunday” child abuse prevention program at (956) 454-4531.

Those interested in the entire three-day forensic conference — or in attending one or two days of the conference, or a case review — can get information on registration, fees, and scholarships by calling Stephanie Hamby at (956) 389-1721, or visiting www.RegOnline.com/caep_1753597. (Scholarships are made possible by a grant from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation.) Continuing education credits for the seminar will be available for nurses, social workers, physicians, law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists. The seminar is sponsored by Valley Baptist Health System, Blue Sunday, and the Child Abuse Education Program of South Texas.

From ICE

Combating child exploitation is top priority for ICE's HSI special agents

Each year, millions of children fall prey to sexual predators. These young victims are left with permanent psychological, physical and emotional scars. One of the top priorities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is to combat child exploitation, and rescue these innocent victims from further abuse.

A recent investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Portland underscores this priority, and resulted in the rescue of a two-year-old child from continued sexual abuse. Furthermore, the investigation resulted in a 25-year federal prison sentence for a woman accused of sexually exploiting the child on multiple occasions, and also allowing the child to be sexually abused by another person.

"HSI is glad we were able to rescue this child and bring her abusers to justice," said HSI Portland Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge James Hernandez. "There are a lot more monsters who prey on children, and HSI and our partners will continue to find them and take them out of our communities."

Names, dates and certain details of this case have been omitted from this article to protect the privacy of the victim of this crime.

Following a search warrant at the home of the second abuser, who is male, and a subsequent interview, the man admitted to downloading child pornography, which he said he and his adult son both watched.

The younger man said the accused woman, who was his girlfriend, sent him sexually suggestive photos of the two-year-old. He also drove to the woman's residence, where he picked up the woman and the toddler and took them back to his home in the Pacific Northwest, where they both sexually abused the child.

The next day, a special agent from HSI Portland and a detective from the local police department conducted a welfare check on the toddler.

HSI conducted this investigation together with the Interagency Child Exploitation Proactive Task Force (INTERCEPT), consisting of HSI special agents, police officers from the Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington County Sheriffs' Offices and the Oregon Department of Justice. INTERCEPT is tasked with the prevention, interdiction, investigation and prosecution of Internet and computer-related state and federal crimes against children.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/combating-child-exploitation-top-priority-ices-hsi-special-agents

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Survivors of childhood abuse by Catholic priests: The word 'culpable' as a living wound

by Sean Kirst

At the beginning of the meeting, Dan Leonard was seated toward the back. He went Monday night to the Craftsman Inn in Fayetteville, where two adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse by parish priests - Charlie Bailey and Kevin Braney - shared their stories with a crowded room of listeners.

Once the meeting began - as Leonard saw the pain in the expressions of the two men in front of the audience - he moved to an open seat in the third row, where Braney and Bailey could see Leonard's face and hear his voice.

His presence was a message:

They are not alone.

At the meeting, Bailey and Braney expressed a central thought: They're dismayed by the words of Bishop Robert Cunningham, the top official in the Diocese of Syracuse. During a 2011 deposition involving allegations of abuse against a local priest, Cunningham was asked if an abused child has committed a sin.

"The boy is culpable," Cunningham responded. He went on to say it was impossible - without full knowledge of the situation - to ascertain whether the child encouraged the abuse or "went along (with it) in any way."

John O'Brien of The Post-Standard reported on that deposition in Sunday's Post-Standard. Cunningham responded with a letter to Central New York's Catholic community stating he regretted choosing those words, and that he does not believe a child can be a party to his or her own abuse.

Bailey and Braney maintain the statements were indicative of a diocese that has moved too slowly, historically, in taking the side of young victims. At the meeting, the two men said they're starting a movement that calls for Cunningham to either resign, or to be replaced as bishop.

But the symbolic purpose of the gathering was also clear, a specific reaction to wording in the deposition, and it was a major part of why Leonard attended as a show of support:

Cunningham's sentence - "The boy is culpable" - summarized the notion at the core of decades of silent pain, endured by survivors. The idea of "culpability," that somehow victims brought this suffering upon themselves, explains why so many men and women never seek help or counseling for what happened to them as children, Leonard said.

Bailey and Braney wanted to make it evident to the community - through the almost unbearable example of their own stories - that the notion of blaming a child can amount to a second wave of abuse.

"It's so far out of whack, it's unbelievable," said Leonard, 58.

He is part of two local counseling groups of men who were sexually abused as children. Leonard, as a child in Pittsburgh, was targeted not by a priest, but by a youth football coach, a serial pedophile. The coach ingratiated himself to Leonard's family, convinced the boy's parents the child would be safe with him, brought the 11-year-old to his house, pushed him to drink beer as a show of masculine camaraderie ....

And then abused the boy, repeatedly.

Think about it, Leonard said. If you're a parent, think of your own children at 10 or 11 or 12 or in their early teenage years, still finding their way, still unsure, still with childhood trophies and posters in their bedrooms ....

And then imagine that child - your child - in the crosshairs of a skilled, patient and seasoned predator, some adult who's earned your trust, who understands the dynamics of a family, who puts your boy or girl in a terrifying, impossible corner.

To use the word "culpable," to Leonard, enables the whole sickness.

Bailey and Braney, 42, reinforced the point. In both of their cases, the diocese has ruled their accounts of abuse against Catholic priests are "credible." The two men warned the quiet audience, before they shared their stories, that the details would be difficult to hear.

Braney - an honorable mention All-American lacrosse player at Brown who then became a high school administrator - spoke of how Monsignor Charles Eckermann would take him to a room in the basement of St. Ann's Church in Manlius, often on quiet mornings when few people were around. Eckermann would assault the child while the boy wore his altar boy's cassock, Braney said, and the monsignor threatened to kill him if he ever disclosed the ordeal.

Once, Braney said he fled upstairs, ran to another priest, told him what had happened, cried out for help.

That priest struck him and said never to speak of it again.

Braney was 15. He was terrified.

How could any of that, he wondered, somehow make him culpable?

Story told, Braney struggled to contain his emotions. Bailey, 64, a friend and confidant, walked over and put his arm around Braney's shoulder, before Bailey began his own narrative:

He was 10 when the Rev. Thomas Neary began "grooming" him, Bailey said. The priest, in the classroom, would single out Bailey for praise, telling other pupils how Bailey was especially bright, building a connection of trust and loyalty. Neary would walk to the bus with the child after school, Bailey said, making a point of reminding him of how special he was.

Then Neary came to the Bailey home, and he told Bailey's parents he was going to offer special teachings, difficult spiritual lessons, on becoming a priest.

They would need privacy, the priest said. He warned that learning to serve God was a hard journey, and the boy might be upset, emotional, after the demands of each session.

Bailey said the word "abuse" is a euphemism: Neary took the child to a room and raped him, a routine that would be repeated dozens upon dozens of times. Bailey offered horrific details of the abuse, including physical damage to his body. He said Neary told him he was worthless. Bailey said the priest threatened to hurt others in his family if Bailey revealed the truth.

And what Bailey understood - amid the social and cultural structure of the time - is that few if any would believe him even if he did say something. What the priest did, Bailey said, in a brilliant and searing way that caused lifetime damage:

He made a little boy feel culpable.

When the presentation was over, listeners - stunned and quiet - stood in line to speak with both men. Leonard, too, waited patiently to thank them, to shake their hands. What's important to remember, he said, is that only one or two of every 10 victims of childhood sexual abuse will step out and seek help. The others carry their burdens as a poisonous secret, almost always - in some way - blaming themselves.

So every time a Charlie Bailey or a Kevin Braney stands up, Leonard said, they're offering strength to someone on the brink of finally seeking comfort for those wounds.

"You can't know," Leonard said, "how many people they might have helped today."

mailto:skirst@syracuse.com

http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2015/09/survivors_of_childhood_abuse_by_catholic_priests_the_word_culpable_as_a_living_w.html

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New Jersey

Priest sex abuse survivor to walk 270 miles hoping to change N.J. laws

by Don E. Woods

Abused by a priest at 11 years old and quiet about it for most of his life, 68-year-old Fred Marigliano is making up for his silence.

For each step of a 270-mile walk he's making across New Jersey, he is stopping people on the street and educating them about what it's like to be a survivor of abuse and how much further the justice system needs to go to make it right.

"If Jesus was here, he'd be walking with us," said Marigliano, of Green Brook, while sitting on a bench in Millville.

He works with Road to Recovery, Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and MaleSurvivor.

When he stops each person on the street, he asks for their support of legislation that would remove the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits involving sexual abuse.

With the current laws, abuse survivors have two years to file a lawsuit against their abuser. Proposed legislation (A3664/S868) intends to remove that statute of limitations and Marigliano wants to help make that happen. The legislation will apply to all cases of sexual abuse and not just instances related to priests.

For him, it took 40 years to speak up about being abused by a family priest — well beyond the statute of limitations.

"When you're a child, you are terrified that someone might find out that you were raped or molested," he said. "Once you become an adult you're terrified that somebody might look at you as less than a man or less than a woman. At this point in my life, I don't care anymore."

He started his journey on Sept. 11 in Cape May and is walking the entire 270-mile distance to Mahwah. On Monday, he made it to Millville. He walks 10 miles a day and every hour he tries to take a break to hydrate himself and massage his feet.

His wife, 64-year-old Maggie Marigliano, walks with him when she can but also follows him in their car.

The outside of the car is plastered with magnetic blue ribbons they've been giving out to people. The ribbons direct people to their website about the statute of limitations.

He is also joined by Annette Kissell Nestler, 51, of Upper Deerfield, of SNAP.

"It's about educating others and about getting the word out there for those people who are still hiding out, living in shame, living in guilt to say, here is my hand," Nestler said. "It's OK. You don't have to feel like that."

According to Nestler, abuse destroyed her family. Her father was abused by a priest as a child and, when she was 7 years old, he killed himself in front of her. Fourteen months later, her mother died and she became an orphan. Years later when she was seeing a psychologist, she was raped. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder to this day.

On the journey, Nestler is also carrying letters, legal documents, newspaper clippings, photographs and even jewelry from her family to help tell her story.

"I want them to answer for this," Nestler said while taking out photographs, one at a time, of her mother's funeral. "No more," she pauses, fighting back tears. "I want them to answer for all of this."

As Nestler and Marigliano each get emotional talking about their experiences, Maggie Marigliano is there to comfort them both.

"When I was raped I couldn't speak out and because I couldn't," Marigliano said, pausing to regain himself, "because I couldn't speak out there were so many other people that were raped."

Maggie Marigliano moved next to her husband and began to hold his hand.

"They don't stop they just move on to someone else," she said, finishing his thought.

Despite his ordeal, Marigliano is still a practicing Catholic. He goes to Mass and prays the rosary. According to him, it's not the church or the people in the church who cause the harm but certain priests and bishops who enable the behavior.

He also wrote a letter to Pope Francis hoping that he would join him on his walk. The pope will be in Philadelphia later this month for the World Meeting of Families.

"This war is not against the Catholic Church like some bishops will say," Marigliano said. "It's against the pedophiles and against these people who have protected the pedophiles and move them around."

The legislation they are supporting was previously up for a vote in 2012 but was not voted on by the New Jersey Senate in time. The bills were then reintroduced in 2014 and remain in committee.

During their walk, the victim advocates hope to stop by legislative offices and homes of lawmakers — especially Senate President Stephen Sweeney's home.

Along the way, they invite anyone who wants to walk with them to join them — whether it's for a mile or a block.

"It's redemption for all of the people who could not speak out," Marigliano said. "It's redemption for me. This walk is medicine for my soul and I will never stop fighting for justice. I just pray that the politicians in this state will wake up and do the right thing and protect our kids, not protecting the pedophiles. I pray that they have the courage to pass this bill and to bring justice to so many people."

For more information about their walk and about the statute of limitations, visit www.walktoendsolnj.weebly.com, www.sol-reform.com or www.Facebook.com/walktoendsolnj.

For more information about recovering from abuse, visit www.road-to-recovery.com.

http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2015/09/sex_abuse_survivor_to_walk_270_miles_hoping_to_cha.html

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Florida

North Lauderdale mom would beat teen if he failed to steal food, detectives say

by Wayne K. Roustan

A North Lauderdale woman is accused of sending her son out to steal food and then beating him if he came home empty-handed.

Marlina Kaye Shellman, 32, was ordered held on $3,500 bond at her first-appearance court hearing Tuesday.

She was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated child abuse after investigators found her 13-year-old son's body covered with about 25 fresh and healed bruises and scars, according to the arrest report filed in the case.

The Broward Sheriff's Special Victims Unit launched the investigation March 15 and presented the findings to the State Attorney's Office before making the arrest.

Detectives learned there had been 28 reports of domestic violence and child abuse listing Shellman as the caregiver. Her children were removed from their home twice in March 2007 and again in May 2011, records showed.

At her Tuesday court appearance, Broward Judge John Hurley summarized the abuse allegations listed in the arrest report.

"[She was] hitting him numerous times with a broom, her fists and hands," Hurley read. "[He was] medically examined [with] positive findings of physical abuse [and] he had over 25 marks and bruises."

Shellman would send the teen out to steal from stores that included Wal-Mart and Walgreens, and if he came back with no food he was beaten, detectives said.

The boy was placed with relatives when the investigation began in March. The father is imprisoned in Georgia, sheriff's officials said.

Shellman told Hurley she has a case pending in family court regarding her four children.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Shellman has been arrested for grand theft, domestic violence, battery, resisting arrest without violence and driving with a suspended license and has been convicted of battery and theft in the past.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/north-lauderdale/fl-north-lauderdale-child-abuse-20150915-story.html

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Canada

Video of restrained boy silences Ottawa Mountie's child abuse trial

WARNING: This story contains graphic and disturbing details

by CBC News

An Ottawa courtroom was silent and the judge at one point shielded his face from onlookers as videos of an 11-year-old boy naked and restrained in the basement of his family's home were shown at the trial of a former Ottawa RCMP officer and his wife.

The trial continued Tuesday for the 44-year-old former Mountie and his 36-year-old wife who face several charges alleging severe long-term child abuse.

Each is on trial for aggravated assault, forcible confinement and failing to provide the necessaries of life. The woman is also charged with assaulting the child with a weapon, while the man is charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.

Both have pleaded not guilty. Neither accused can be named to protect the victim's identity.

The five videos, made one month before the couple was arrested in February 2013, were seized from the father's cellphone.

They show the small boy, breathing heavily and looking gaunt, with his ribs sticking out. In the videos, a man is heard repeatedly taunting and humiliating the boy, who was tied to the basement wall.

In some of the videos, the boy is shivering. In others, he breaks down crying, reported the CBC's Laurie Fagan.

Onlookers inside the courtroom were seen wiping away tears and the last video left Justice Robert Maranger shielding his face from those in court, who were left in a stunned silence, Fagan said.

Father admitted to tying down boy

The father has previously admitted in court to restraining the boy with a chain and plastic ties.

On Monday, the court saw the woman's police interview via video, which was taken after her arrest. She told police her 11-year-old stepson was "out of control" and that she feared for her safety, but denied any wrongdoing.

In 2013, the RCMP said the father had been on leave since May 2011. The reason for that remains under a court-ordered publication ban.

Police sources previously told CBC News the man was a member of the force's counter-terrorism unit.

The trial continues Wednesday as the court is expected to watch videotaped interviews with the victim.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/video-of-restrained-boy-silences-ottawa-mountie-s-child-abuse-trial-1.3229591

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Ahead of Pope Francis' Visit, Survivors of Sexual Abuse Take Stock

by Vivian Yee

Dan Ogrodowski stayed silent into middle age. He expected to go to the grave, he said, without speaking out about the Milwaukee priest who had raped him as a child.

But now, embittered by what he calls the Roman Catholic Church's continued betrayal of abuse survivors, he is publicly describing his childhood torment for the first time, hoping that Pope Francis will prioritize the needs of victims and will hold priests and bishops accountable during his visit to the United States this month.

“Pope Francis said these beautiful words about reparations and weeping for us,” Mr. Ogrodowski said. “How could he watch us be pummeled for years?”

Francis is likely to meet privately with victims of abuse during his visit, as Pope Benedict XVI did during his 2008 trip to the United States, according to church officials. But Mr. Ogrodowski and many other survivors of abuse say the church has yet to live up to its promise of reconciliation. They want Francis to stop the church from spending millions of dollars to fight sexual abuse lawsuits and keeping sealed the names of thousands of accused priests, as well as the outcomes of some disciplinary cases sent to the Vatican.

“I think the time for lofty words has kind of passed,” said Barbara Blaine, the president of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a victims' advocacy group that is planning events in a dozen cities to highlight the issue during the pope's visit.

She added: “He's going to be addressing the man-made problems that contribute to global warming and the destruction of the earth. What about the man-made problem of destroying the innocence and the lives of so many?”

New cases involving active priests are rare, but there are still indications of a continuing struggle over transparency. Last week was the start of the federal trial for a Pennsylvania priest, the Rev. Joseph D. Maurizio, who is accused of sexually abusing boys in an orphanage in Honduras for which he raised money.

Allegations of abuse were reported to his diocese nearly five years before church authorities removed him as a pastor last September, according to court records.

Advocates and victims say that while the church has improved in preventing abuse, it is still resisting full accountability. It blocks efforts to overhaul statute of limitations laws that protect many priests from prosecution and the church from lawsuits that could lead to more payouts to victims, they say. Outside the United States, the church still does not require those who face accusations of abuse to be removed from active ministry. And the Vatican has never explicitly punished a bishop for shielding accused priests, instead quietly accepting a few resignations.

Francis has already taken several clear steps to confront the scandal, creating a commission on sexual abuse prevention, which includes abuse survivors, and expressing his intention to appoint a Vatican tribunal to judge bishops accused of shielding priests accused of abuse. During meetings with victims, he has begged for their forgiveness.

This year, he also accepted the resignations of three American bishops — one in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri, and two in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — who were criticized for failing to act against pedophile priests.

To Kenneth M. O'Renick, 72, who said he was 6 when a priest offered him milk and cookies and groped him at his parish school in Kansas City, Mo., the bishops' removal offered proof of Francis' sincerity.

“This pope has only begun, and I only hope and pray he lives long enough to continue the changes that he has begun,” he said.

To some advocates, however, the move was incomplete: Francis could have done much for transparency simply by confirming that the bishops were removed because of their negligence in abuse cases, they said.

He could also direct archdioceses to release the names of credibly accused American priests, at least 2,400 of whom have never been identified, said Terence McKiernan, the president of BishopAccountability.org, a group that documents clerical sexual abuse.

“One obvious reform Francis could start would be to say to dioceses, ‘Transparency means really being honest about what happened in the past,' ” Mr. McKiernan said.

Another powerful change, advocates said, would be to extend to the rest of the world the rule, adopted in 2002, that requires American bishops to strip from active ministry priests facing credible accusations of abuse.

“Pope Francis could say that if you've ever abused a child, you're out,” said Joelle Casteix, an abuse victim and longtime victims' advocate who is publishing a book about preventing sexual abuse. “If you've ever covered up for child sexual abuse, you're out. Everyone reports to the civil authorities, no matter what.”

Mr. Ogrodowski said that only bold action from Francis would allow the healing so many need, even after so many years.

He said that when he was an altar boy in Milwaukee in the early 1970s, he asked a priest, the Rev. Frederick Bistricky, for advice. He was afraid, he said, that his father would go to hell for having killed people in World War II.

The priest was reassuring, saying he had special powers to keep the boy's father safe. But the priest then began abusing him after Mass every Sunday, Mr. Ogrodowski said, first twisting his nipples after he made mistakes at Mass, then raping him.

Mr. Ogrodowski said he would climb into a trash hauling bin, crying, to throw away his underwear on the way home. He believed that if he told his parents, his father would kill Father Bistricky.

He did tell the pastor of his parish where he was abused, he said, but was brushed off — the last attempt he would make to reveal his abuse for four decades. Father Bistricky was transferred to another parish in 1976. Others later reported that he had abused them, leading to his removal from ministry, but he died in 2006 without ever facing criminal prosecution.

Mr. Ogrodowski, 52, is one of 570 people who have filed reports of abuse against the Milwaukee Archdiocese after it declared bankruptcy in 2011. After long and rancorous negotiations, Archbishop Jerome Listecki announced in August that the archdiocese had reached a $21 million settlement with 330 of the victims.

The amounts for each victim have not been determined. Jerry Topczewski, an archdiocese spokesman, said the number of people receiving payments would most likely rise, but lawyers for the victims said the settlement should have been larger. They also accused the archdiocese of keeping under seal the names of at least 100 priests facing accusations.

Mr. Topczewski said the archdiocese had published the identity of every diocesan priest with a substantiated allegation of abuse — virtually all of whom have died, been removed from the priesthood or barred from public ministry — and had voluntarily posted 60,000 pages of documents about those priests online. The archdiocese is not responsible for accusations against priests in religious orders or lay employees, he said.

“We've been very forthcoming, very transparent, very open about all our records, documents, finances,” he said. “We reached an agreement consensually in mediation, and so we hope we can move forward with some resolution, some reconciliation.”

Mr. Ogrodowski said he had hoped the archdiocese would soften its stance and would stop fighting reports of abuse after Francis appeared to be to setting a new course. But little has changed, he said. Far from healing him, he added, coming forward and becoming involved in such a contentious process had only intensified his suffering.

“Who would think that an innocent decision, a decision to be closer to Jesus as a little boy, would result in trauma?” he said.

“I signed up for ‘healing and resolution,' ” he added. “Not the pain.”

Maryland

Mom found pushing her dead toddler on swing is charged with manslaughter

by Dana Hedgpeth and Fenit Nirappli

A 24-year-old mother who was found pushing her dead toddler on a swing in Southern Maryland has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of manslaughter and first-degree child abuse.

Romechia Simms, who was found with her 3-year-old son at a park in La Plata in May, was arrested Saturday and arraigned in Charles County Circuit Court on Monday.

At the arraignment, Simms objected when prosecutors declared her a danger and a flight risk, Kristen Ayers, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney, told the Associated Press.

“I'm not a risk to anybody,” Simms said before her public defender advised her to be quiet. “I didn't even mean for this to happen.”

She was being held on a $150,000 bond, authorities said, in a case that has generated headlines around the world. She could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

Charles County State's Attorney Anthony Covington declined to say whether he thinks that Simms — who was hospitalized for a mental breakdown in the months leading up to Ji'Aire Donnell Lee's death — intentionally killed her son.

“The way the system works here in Maryland, those mental issues can't be taken into account until somebody is charged,” Covington said.

The medical examiner's report, Covington noted, suggests that Ji'Aire was alive when he reached the park and died after 40 hours outside, including in the rain, without anything to drink. Authorities said they think that his mother may have been pushing him all night before a resident noticed how long they'd been there.

On Monday, his maternal grandmother, Vontasha Simms, said she was still grieving for Ji'Aire, a chubby-cheeked boy who was nicknamed “Sumo” and loved McDonald's french fries and Dr. Seuss books. But she is also upset by the charges against her daughter. She described her as being in a “mental state” at the time of Ji'Aire's death. Romechia Simms suffers from depression and bipolar disorder, her mother has said in the past.

“I feel like those are totally the wrong charges,” Vontasha Simms said in a phone interview. “I don't understand how you're going to charge someone who was mentally incompetent.”

She said she thinks that the charges were brought against her daughter months after the high-profile incident because “they had to do something” and were under a lot of public pressure.

“This is uncaring and unfair,” she said. “They knew she would never do anything harmful to him to cause his death.”

Charles County District Public Defender Michael Beach declined to comment on the specifics of Simms's case or whether her attorney would raise a mental health defense. He said his office is pushing for Simms's release from jail because she is receiving mental health treatment and is able to live with relatives.

Ji'Aire's father had sought custody in D.C. Superior Court just weeks before he died. James “Donnell” Lee told the court in his custody petition that he was worried about Simms's mental stability after episodes of erratic behavior led to her hospitalization. But Simms argued in court documents that she'd recovered from her breakdown and was the more capable parent.

At a brief custody hearing May 11 before D.C. Superior Court Judge Peter A. Krauthamer, the parents agreed to share custody of Ji'Aire, with his father getting the boy on the weekends. Lee didn't bring up Simms's mental state or his fears about his son's safety.

The mother and son were living with Vontasha Simms in a La Plata motel when sheriff's deputies found the two in the park on May 22.

The swing where Ji'Aire was sitting had to be removed because police could not easily extricate the boy's body from it. Charles County authorities ruled his death a homicide. He died of hypothermia and dehydration.

At the boy's funeral in June, he was dressed in white and laid out in a white casket with a spray of white roses. Both his parents attended.

In the funeral program, Romechia Simms included a letter she had written to Ji'Aire: “Son, the joy you brought to my life is unexplainable. I miss you so much, Ji'Aire, way more than I could possibly express through words. I am slowly accepting your passing. I want you to know that I have always been extremely proud of you, and I love you until the end of time. Ji'Aire Donnell Lee, you are amazing. Love always, Mommy.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/mom-found-pushing-her-dead-toddler-on-swing-is-charged-with-manslaughter/2015/09/14/81a591b8-5ade-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html

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In Letters to World Leaders at the U.N., Children Describe Horrific Abuse

by UNICEF

The following are excerpts from letters that children who survived abuse and violence have sent to world leaders who will gather at the United Nations in September. The children joined UNICEF goodwill ambassador David Beckham in appealing for the leaders to do more to end violence against children.

Mohammad, 15, Syrian Refugee Living in Jordan

"Where were you when the planes came and bombs fell, and there was crying and screaming, and people dying and injured? Where are you now when we are safe but living with no hope in sight?

"I want to go back to Syria, but I am scared to see the bombings and shelling. Even though we currently live in a harsh desert, where this camp is located, where even animals could barely live, we prefer it because we feel safe here.

"I have heard that there are snakes and scorpions, and I felt scared because my sister still crawls on the ground, and I do not want her to get hurt. We also heard some mothers say that there are hyenas that wander around the camp, and since there is no electricity in the camp, we sometimes gather the whole family to go to the communal toilets."

Ashley*, 23, From Jamaica

"Rape is such a cruel and inhumane thing that just talking about the subject matter makes you cringe and tremble inside. It makes your belly burn inside of you because of fear just thinking about it, because whenever they rape you, most times they end up killing you—and even if they don't outright kill you, from the mere fact that they commit that act, they have already killed you.

"I am a survivor of sexual abuse. I was raped by my uncle at the age of 12. Until 15, my abuser had sex with me almost every night for three years straight. It was a painful three years. I wanted to kill myself because of what he did to me. I was not ready for sex. I wanted to enjoy my childhood days, and the worst thing is that it happened over and over."

Joao*, 18, From Brazil

"Believe it or not, I do not feel safe in the school."

Akhrat, 16, From the Netherlands

"I came to the Netherlands when I was 6 years old. I'm 16 years old now. I spent my youth on an asylum-seeking center. And that is an awful place to grow up. I've never felt safe there."

Boto*, 16, From South Sudan

"I spent two years in the Cobra Faction. We went to fight. Many died—adults and children. I lost friends. We had to fetch water. We were beaten."

Magu*, 17, From Spain

"I don't know why I didn't tell anyone this, but every time I tried to talk about it to my mother, the words got stuck in my throat, and I couldn't do it. I relived this nightmare every night. If anyone would look at me, either on the street, at school or anywhere else, I'd wish that they would realize what was happening. It was the thing that I wanted most in the world."

Zina, 10, From Ukraine

"We weren't leaving our house, weren't going out to see our friends. We weren't studying or having some extra classes like we used to. And then the shelling began. Fighters were driving down to our street. Some fragments of mines broke our window and parts of the roof. Mom has realized that we could be killed any day now, and so our parents packed up, took our documents, and we left."

Names marked * have been changed to protect their identity.

http://europe.newsweek.com/letters-world-leaders-u-n-children-describe-horrific-abuse-332987

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David Beckham: It's Time to Protect Children

by David Beckham

In February this year, I made a commitment to spending the next 10 years doing everything I can to make the world a safer place for children. In my role as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, I launched 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund, promising to use my voice and influence to help raise vital funds and to speak up for children who need it most.

After the launch of the fund, I traveled to Cambodia in June to focus attention on the issue of violence and how it affects children. I visited Siem Reap, a busy tourist town right next to Angkor Wat. In the intense heat, amongst thunder and rainstorms, I spent time talking to children and young people about some of the devastating experiences they'd gone through at the hands of the people who were supposed to protect them.

I'd traveled with UNICEF many times before. I'd met children living in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. I'd met children and mothers in South Africa living with HIV. But I'd never traveled anywhere to focus on the issue of violence. This was different. I quickly became aware of how difficult it was going to be to find out about the children's experiences.

At the end of a dusty street, set back from the road behind a big iron gate, I visited a refuge run by one of UNICEF's partners, Friends International, which was a temporary home for around 50 children who've all had incredibly tough lives. Many of the children have been subjected to violence and abuse.

It was very quiet when I arrived, unusually quiet for a place with so many children. I met 18-year-old Saron* first. I sat with her and her social worker whilst she was brave enough to tell me what had happened to her. Saron was abused and raped by her stepfather when she was 15 years old. It was from being raped that Saron became pregnant and gave birth to a little boy.

I saw that Saron was deeply traumatized and she clearly struggles to cope. Her son has been placed in foster care while she stays at the refuge, getting the help she needs to try to overcome what happened and rebuild her life.

I find it devastating to think that any child should have to suffer pain like this, to wake up at night in fear and to have to live with the memories of this type of violence every day, but sadly Saron is not alone.

Every five minutes, somewhere in the world, a child dies from violence. Millions more are in danger of physical, emotional and sexual abuse that could destroy their childhoods forever. Violence is often hidden from view, making children invisible and easy to remain unnoticed.

Another girl showed me around the refuge with Saron, Tavey*, a 13-year-old girl with a bright smile. She was very excited to challenge me to a game of volleyball, laughing as she talked. Despite the happiness she appeared to show, I couldn't help but feel deeply distressed and saddened about what she had been through.

Before she arrived at the center, Tavey had run away from home after being beaten by her brother-in-law. She found herself alone, walking the streets at night, too afraid to return back to her house. To me, this is every parent's nightmare—the thought of someone beating their child so badly that he or she needs to escape and ends up alone, wandering the streets and being put at risk of even more violence. My heart broke that day thinking that anyone could ever hurt someone like her. A stranger saw Tavey and called a dedicated hotline for violence cases like this run by UNICEF's partners in Cambodia, and she was immediately referred to the refuge. Thankfully, she is now safe and happy.

During my visit, I also visited a Friends International drop-in center, another facility supported by UNICEF to keep children safe. Here, children who live on the streets go for a shower, to rest, play and talk to social workers; it's a place to get some help when there is nowhere else to turn. I was shocked to meet teenage girls who have been forced into prostitution to help support their families or to simply survive on their own. Sitting on the floor of the center, the girls told me about their lives, "working" all night and then coming to the center to get some sleep and respite. One of them slept on the floor the entire time I was there, exhausted. The others sat making flowers out of tissue paper and doing origami. It was deeply disturbing to hear how these young girls had grown up without a childhood and were forced to work on the streets.

I asked one of the girls where she would go if she couldn't come to the center, and she said "nowhere." It really hit home at that moment that for these children the drop-in center is their only lifeline. They haven't got anywhere else, and I don't want to imagine what would happen to them if it didn't exist.

UNICEF is working with the government and its partners on the ground in Cambodia and across the world to protect vulnerable children. The amazing social workers at the refuge and center that I met are helping children get off the streets, out of violent homes and back into school. I could see how deeply they care about the children they are helping, and to me, they are heroes.

Nothing could have prepared me for what these children and young people in Cambodia have experienced, and it is devastating to know that children in all corners of the world, in all communities and all countries, are suffering the same violence.

I feel honored to be in a position to do something to help if I can. After listening to Saron and Tavey, I now want to do more to shine a light on what is happening to children across the world. Things have to change. It's time for the world to come together and do more to actually prevent violence against children, not just respond to it when it happens.

If these children are brave enough to tell their stories, then we all have to be brave enough to take on the responsibility to listen to them and do something to help.

Some young people have already taken this step. Eighteen child survivors of violence have addressed a letter to world leaders calling on them to end violence once and for all. The letter comes at a time where the world is about to have a new set of Sustainable Development Goals—a set of goals that can shape the future for all of us for the next 15 years. This is a moment to make sure that world leaders take note of the letter, and make sure that children grow up in a world where they are not beaten, where they are not raped and where they are not neglected or traumatized by violence.

The individual stories from the 18 young people are heartbreaking. Zina, 10, from Ukraine, is a survivor of war; Rabia*, 9, from Pakistan, a survivor of child trafficking; and Ravid, 16, from Cambodia, a survivor of domestic abuse. And they have come forward to fight for a world free from violence.

I think everyone needs to understand what these children have been through, that they hear their stories and that we all do what we can. This September, I will travel as UNICEF goodwill ambassador to the United Nations in New York and will stand alongside the secretary-general to make sure global leaders understand how children are affected by violence and help put children at the heart of the new goals.

I want a world where children grow up safe: safe from war, violence, poverty and preventable disease. I hope others will join me to call on world leaders to put children, especially the most disadvantaged, at the heart of the new global goals and commit to ending violence against children. For Saron and Tavey, for all children everywhere, let's end the threat of violence right now.

What follows is a joint letter from 18 children to world leaders urging them to end violence against children.

Dear World Leaders,

Every five minutes, somewhere in the world, a child dies as a result of violence.

We are young people from 18 different countries, survivors of violence who have experienced pain and abuse.

There are millions of children just like us.

We have been forced to flee our homes, fight as child soldiers and work as domestic slaves. We have been raped, beaten and attacked in our own communities. We have watched, powerless, as our parents, siblings and friends were murdered in front of us. Memories like these make our bellies burn with fear.

No child should start their life like this.

In September, you will meet to agree new global development goals, a plan of action for the next 15 years. As young citizens of the world, we call on you to come together to build a safer world for children.

We hope that one day the only bruises on the skin of children will be the ones they get from playing in the playground.

You must act now to end violence against all children.

Do not wait another five minutes. Our lives depend on it.

Parwana* (20), Australia; Joao* (18), Brazil; Ravid (16), Cambodia; Laetitia (14), Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sabreen (15), Gaza; Daldís (19), Iceland; Tommy* (16), Ireland; Ashley* (23), Jamaica; Mohammad (15), Syrian refugee in Jordan; Akhrat (16), Netherlands; Babagana* (12), Nigeria; Rabia* (9), Pakistan; Alice* (18), Portugal; Sane* (18), South Africa; Boto* (16), South Sudan; Magu* (17), Spain; Zina (10), Ukraine; Jodie (20), United Kingdom.

Australia

Sex abuse royal commission: Federal, state governments should compensate survivors when churches, schools fail to, report recommends

by Jane Lee

Churches, schools and other institutions where child abuse occurs should pay adult survivors up to $200,000 in compensation under a national redress scheme, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse says.

And when institutions fail to cover the full cost of compensation, federal and state governments should cover the difference, the royal commission concluded in its long-awaited report on redress on Monday.

The commission has stood by its position that there should be a national redress scheme for victims of child sexual abuse, despite the federal government's staunch opposition to the proposal in March.

Survivors of the most severe abuse cases should be paid a maximum of $200,000, with a minimum payment of $10,000. Average payments to survivors should be $65,000, the report said.

The federal government, the commission's preferred administrator for a redress scheme, should announce whether it will establish a scheme by the end of the year, the report said.

If it would not do this "the next best option" for ensuring justice for survivors is for each state and territory government to establish "a redress scheme covering government and non-government institutions in the relevant state or territory".

The commission has said that it could cost $4.3 billion over 10 years to provide redress to the 65,000 victims of child sex abuse in Australia.

The commission left it open to both levels of government to negotiate the share they would each pay as a "funder of last resort" when institutions fell short.

The government which ultimately took responsibility for the scheme should decide how to raise funding for it, including requiring payment form certain institutions.

Medicare funding for counselling and psychological care services should also be expanded for survivors who are eligible for redress under the scheme, it said, including "longer-term interventions that are suitable for treating complex trauma, including through non-cognitive approaches".

The commission did not recommend a time period for the redress scheme, but said that at least a year's notice should be given if it does end, with the closing date widely advertised.

The federal government has questioned whether it had the legal and constitutional power to co-ordinate the scheme in a submission to the commission, prepared by the Australian Government Solicitor: "Responsibility for providing redress should lie with the institution that failed to provide the individual survivors."

"Institutions must accept the legal, financial and moral responsibility for failing to protect children. Such recommendations would send a clear message to those institutions that they have no choice, for the future, but to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of those children entrusted to their care."

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/sex-abuse-royal-commission-federal-state-governments-should-compensate-survivors-when-churches-schools-fail-to-report-recommends-20150914-gjlyt5.html

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Indiana

Pastor accused of child abuse

by Taylor Telford

SELLERSBURG, Ind. — Less than two weeks after he was arrested, Pastor Gerald “Jerry” Harris stood before his shrunken congregation and spoke of mercy.

He did not talk about the charges against him — beating and neglecting children in the Well of Grace Boarding Academy, which he oversaw.

Instead, he stood at the pulpit, shifting his weight and tugging his lapels. He alluded to his tarnished reputation and spoke of mankind's need for grace.

“Mercy is not getting what I deserve,” said Harris, 47. “I deserve a place in hell.”

Two weeks ago, police officers and Child Protective Services visited the boarding school at Crossroads Baptist Church, 6109 Appleleaf Lane.

After Harris welcomed them, they interviewed children ranging in age from 8 to 19. Several of the children showed the officers severe bruising on their buttocks and legs, which they attributed to punishments from Harris and Christopher Williams, 21, a student coordinator at the school.

One child said Williams beat him with a wooden paddle after he wet the bed.

Another said the boys were prohibited from using the bathroom after lights were turned out and ordered to relieve themselves before bedtime or after they woke up.

One said Harris hit him with the paddle in front of other students during class, because Harris thought the boy was smirking while reading the Bible.

Another claimed Williams tied a rope around his waist and jerked him around, as punishment for disobedience.

Harris and Williams were arrested on felony counts of battery on a child younger than 14 and criminal neglect of a dependent.

They were both released on $15,000 bonds. The two men plead not guilty to the charges in court Sept. 8. Now, they await their Jan. 26 trial date.

After the arrest, the boarding school was officially shut down by the Clarksville building commissioner, because it was not equipped to house its 20-some students — most from out of state — in the permanent dormitories behind the church.

During his sermon Sunday morning, Harris addressed a congregation of just 20 people.

Those in attendance provided support for their pastor, crying generous amens with hands high above their heads.

Red faced, with his glasses in hand, Harris spoke of his upbringing — how he was shuffled through 17 foster homes in 10 years and eventually found salvation in an Oklahoma boy's home at the age of 15.

Harris told his audience that those who most need God's love often are the hardest to reach.

“If children are being rebellious or disrespectful, you don't want to do anything for them,” Harris said. “The moment they are corrected and they change is the moment you start wanting to help them.”

Well-mannered and well-behaved, the boys of Well of Grace Boarding Academy seemed to reflect such corrections, said Bob Sutherland, owner of the neighboring Southern Indiana Tennis Center.

“They always seemed very well-disciplined,” Sutherland said. “I don't know about how they're being raised, but they were always very polite.”

Until the recent allegations, Well of Grace Boarding Academy had drawn scant attention. Pastor Ric Catlett of nearby Covenant Life Church said he wasn't even aware that Crossroads had a boarding school on its property until he heard the tales of abuse.

Catlett said the case at Crossroads raises questions for other churches, especially in regard to how well they screen their personnel and their accountability for their members.

“It keeps us understanding the importance of safety, especially in our day cares,” Catlett said. “We have to do background checks, we have to be thorough with our employees. We have to do what's right.”

Behind him, the marquee read, “God still heals!”

During the service on the other side of town, Harris trembled while he told his congregation about the struggle to constantly serve God.

It can't be an occasional effort. It should be constant and exhaustive, Harris said.

In front of miniature American flags that bristled in the air conditioning, beneath the glow of the church lights, Harris admitted even man's greatest efforts cannot eclipse their flaws.

“Often, when I try the hardest to serve God is when I fail the most,” Harris said.

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2015/09/pastor

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Pennsylvania

Nearly 6,000 Adults Trained to Fight Child Sexual Abuse

by Centre County Gazette and Alexa Lewis

One in 10 children will suffer some form of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday, according to Darkness to Light, a national nonprofit organization that raises awareness of and educates on child sexual abuse.

Using Darkness to Light's Stewards of Children training program, Centre County is fighting that statistic.

By mid-August, 5,822 adults in Centre County ? or about 5 percent of the adult population ? went through the two-and-a-half-hour Stewards of Children preventative child sexual abuse training.

Darkness to Light encourages every community to educate 5 percent of its population to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse, creating a foundation for widespread social change, according to a press release. The 5 percent tipping point increases the chance that every child in the county will come in contact with at least one adult who has taken the training.

“Five percent is a small, attainable goal that has a dramatic effect on community prevention efforts,” said Darkness to Light director of program Cindy McElhinney in a press release.

The 5 percent tipping point in Centre County comes after a three-and-a-half-year collaboration between the Youth Service Bureau, Centre County Women's Resource Center, Centre County United Way and the YMCA of Centre County in response to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

After the Sandusky scandal came to light, “We all looked at each other and said, 'What can we do to better educate our community on sexual abuse?',” said Howard Long, CEO and president of the YMCA of Centre County.

The four organizations brainstormed on what they could do to create a “cultural shift” in the community, said Jody Althouse, director of outreach and communication at the Centre County Women's Resource Center. The answer was Stewards of Children, which Long said was the only evidence-based program on the subject.

When the program first came to Centre County just over three years ago, the collaborated organizations reached out to schools, police departments, churches and other community groups.

“At first it was a real grassroots effort to get the word out, but once the word was out, participation was exponential,” Long said.

While the county has met Darkness to Light's recommended population percentage, the organizations continue to offer the training to any interested adults through community training sessions, online or privately.

The YMCA of Centre County has free community training scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15, Tuesday, Nov. 17, and Thursday, Dec. 10. Mary DeArmitt, of the YMCA of Centre County, said the organization can also send facilitators to administer the training privately to interested organizations, businesses and agencies.

“You are supposed to aim for tipping point, but we are not ending in our efforts. We will do free training for whoever requests it,” Althouse said.

Putting the tipping point aside, Stewards of Children has benefited the community internally, with many adults who go through the training disclosing their own sexual abuse as a child for the first time.

“For some of them, they are getting help for the first time. This program is giving them a voice that they never had before,” Althouse said.

It is also changing the perception of the adults who go through the training. That's 5 percent of the population that previously did not know how to protect a child who might be a victim of sexual abuse, or who to report the abuse to, Long said.

“It's a happy but bitter celebration, all in the same sense,” Long said. “You are happy you have reached so many people, but the content it heavy. It's a tough conversation.”

http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/nearly-6000-adults-trained-to-fight-child-sexual-abuse,1465371/

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New York

Bishop Cunningham clarifies remarks about victims of sexual abuse by priests

The Syracuse diocese responds to criticism of statements in a 2011 deposition

Bishop Robert Cunningham is clarifying his views on victims who were abused as children by catholic priests.

The bishop released a long statement on Sunday, responding to an article on the front page of the Post-Standard with the headline: Bishop: Priests' Victims Share Blame.

"Allow me to be clear: I in no way believe a child is responsible for being abused by any person," Cunningham stated. "I also believe and have clearly stated that a priest who abuses a child is wrong as is any adult who takes advantage and harms a child."

The defense comes in response to reporter John O'Brien's review of a 2011 deposition, filed as part of a federal lawsuit accusing a priest in the Syracuse diocese of sexually abusing a man when he was a child.

Initially, it appears that the questioning was general, not in reference to a specific case.

Cunningham is quoted as saying "The boy is culpable", in response to a question about whether the church feels a child has committed sin if they have been molested by a priest. He's then quoted asking if the child did "go along with (it) in any way".

"The plain and simple fact is that depositions are difficult by their very nature. The line of questioning varied between specific and generic scenarios concerning the Sacrament of Confession," Cunningham explained in his statement this weekend. "I was trying to explain that in general I do not know what is on the minds and hearts of individuals and failed to state clearly what I believe, particularly as it pertained to the case at hand."

When the questions focus on a specific case, the debate seems to turn to semantics - how each side interprets words like "accomplice" and whether the term carries the same meaning under canon law.

The article states that, in transcripts from 2011, Cunningham suggested the diocese would see it as wrong for a child to confess to their abuser because "The priest does not have the ability to absolve an accomplice in a sin such as this."

The bishop apparently went on to say that "the priest is clearly wrong" and later adds, "Certainly, I don't think there would be culpability, but I mean, I can't make that judgment."

Today, Cunningham admits that he wishes he phrased his response differently.

"It is obvious that my choice of words should have been better. Bottom line is, I cannot go back and change my words but I can assure you that I did not believe the individual involved in the case was at fault," he states.

He also repeatedly reiterates that he doesn't believe children are responsible for being abused.

Victims of childhood sexual abuse told the Post-Standard they will host a meeting on Monday to start a petition as they push for the ability to prosecute priests beyond the statutes of limitation.

Cunningham wraps up his statement on Sunday addressing criticism.

"I am aware that there are those who do not agree with decisions that I have made and those who will take these words as truth and those who will not," he writes. "It is a painful reality but one I cannot change."

http://www.localsyr.com/news/bishop-cunningham-clarifies-remarks-about-victims-of-sexual-abuse-by-priests

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Minnesota

Child-molester priest and sexually abused woman team up to open resource center

by Elizabeth Mohr

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A victim of sex abuse and a priest convicted of child molestation have formed an alliance with a noble goal: to create a hub of resources for victims of sexual abuse and those fighting to stop it.

The pair is raising funds and hope to buy the Chancery building of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which has an assessed value of about $6 million.

The building, in the shadow of the St. Paul Cathedral on Summit Avenue, is the administrative epicenter for the Roman Catholic archdiocese. The archdiocese placed the building on the market, along with other properties, as part of its bankruptcy process.

Susan Pavlak and Gil Gustafson envision a rebirth of the Chancery as a Christian-based center for “all those affected by sexual abuse.” The building would become home to the Gilead Project, which they describe as an effort to address the systemic change needed to help victims and people of faith heal from the sex abuse crisis, and also to prevent abuse.

The programming would include: training for churches, clergy or child-protection professionals; research grants and development of publications.

“The Gilead Project, and thus the center as an instrument of the project, is really aimed at transformation of individuals and systems so that we can have a safe and healthy society,” Gustafson said in an interview Friday.

Pavlak, who was molested as a teen by a former nun at a Catholic high school, and Gustafson, convicted in the 1980s for sexual misconduct involving a minor, met years ago through a restorative justice program and began to collaborate on their program called Uncommon Conversations. Both had done previous work with groups focused on sex abuse.

The Gilead Project is a natural follow-up to Uncommon Conversations, panel discussions centered on how the clergy sex-abuse crisis has affected the Catholic community, Pavlak said.

“It is a bold choice for us to work together,” Gustafson said. “It goes against the tendency to keep us in different camps. But our desire is to effectively work together, integrating our two unique perspectives to create a new approach.”

Their partnership has come under fire amid recent media attention, as some denounce Gustafson's involvement in what some reports have dubbed a “healing center” and call for donors to withhold donations.

“We never said it was a healing center,” Pavlak said. “Healing is an inside job. It is a resource center.”

While the center would not be a place for those seeking therapy, it could be a space for community gatherings or conversations on the topic, Pavlak said.

The local arm of SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) issued a statement Thursday saying, “Just like an alcoholic shouldn't seek a brewery job, a predator shouldn't seek a position of power over others.”

Those assertions are misconceived, Pavlak said. Gustafson is a co-creator of the idea for the Gilead Project and is helping to promote it, but will not have a management position or direct involvement with victims, she said.

Frank Meuers, leader of the southern Minnesota chapter of SNAP, said his statements on the issue were perhaps borne of misinformation or a lack of information.

“His motivation might be as pure as the driven snow, but it sounds awfully suspect to me,” Meuers said. “I don't think at this point there's any clarity at all as to what exactly they're setting up. And it's been unclear what role he's going to take. … Most people I know would never go into a facility that is run by a former abuser.”

Gustafson defends his role in the Gilead Project, saying he has always accepted responsibility for his actions and has “worked very hard for 30 years” to address his past actions.

“My motive to be involved is to make amends,” he said.

Gustafson has been out of active ministry since 2002, when the archdiocese stripped him of his official ministerial faculties after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' adopted of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

He met Pavlak at a Minnesota chapter of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers conference. They met again years later while participating in a Minnesota Department of Corrections restorative justice program, an effort to promote victim healing and offender accountability. And in 2012, they joined to launch Uncommon Conversations.

The Gilead Project “is an opportunity for me to say, how can I use what I've learned to help create a better response to sexual abuse?” Gustafson said.

An expert in sexuality says that sex offenders are the pariahs of society.

“What we believe about the long-term risk of sex offenders is, quite frankly, just wrong,” said Dr. Michael Miner, a University of Minnesota Medical School professor and research director for its program for human sexuality.

He said people believe the “common myth” that perpetrators can never be reformed and are at great risk to re-offend.

“There are a variety of different databases and studies over last 20 years and they routinely find that lowest recidivist crime is murder and the second lowest is sex offenses,” said Miner. “It goes against everything we think we know. There is this idea that once a sex offender, always a sex offender, and that they don't age out.”

Those assumptions perhaps caused the reactions people have had to news that Gustafson is working to promote a resource center to address the crime he committed.

But Gustafson's motivations may be based on a desire to give back and make amends, Miner said.

“Sometimes we need to take people at face value,” Miner said. “If he says that's what his goal is, maybe we need to give him an opportunity to show whether he is truly repentant and is truly trying to give back. I don't think that's impossible.

In addition to Pavlak and Gustafson, a 10-person steering committee has been working on the Gilead Project idea since mid-July. The members include a parish administrator, a therapist with expertise in sexual abuse, a retired church employee, a health care policy expert, a former priest and an established researcher/author on the subject of child sex abuse, Pavlak said.

Pavlak calls herself the president of the Gilead Project, a registered nonprofit corporation that gets its name from an American spiritual song containing the lyrics “There is a balm in Gilead … To cure a sin-sick soul.”

The organization's bidding price for the Chancery building isn't rock bottom, Pavlak said, but is less than the asking price. She said it's “in the millions,” but didn't say how much they've raised so far. The recent negative reactions have hindered fundraising, she said.

The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy in January, citing an operating deficit and pending clergy sex abuse lawsuits.

Five of its properties, with a combined assessed value of more than $10 million, were placed on the real estate market. At last check, none had sold. Negotiations and bids are confidential, an archdiocese spokesman said.

Pavlak and Gustafson said their efforts to grow the Gilead Project will not end if the Chancery deal falls through.