Vatican Embassy

Exclusive: Accused Vatican diplomat wrote 2003 dissertation on sex abuse church laws

A Vatican priest and diplomat under suspicion for violating US child pornography laws wrote his 2003 doctoral dissertation on church laws addressing how the Holy See deals with clerics accused of molesting children. Monsignor Carlo Alberto Capella, recalled by the Vatican last week, wrote The criminal protection of ecclesiastical celibacy in the canonical laws of 1917…Continue reading Exclusive: Accused Vatican diplomat wrote 2003 dissertation on sex abuse church laws

He didn’t murder any of our students—so it’s ok

Schools need to rethink how they handle cases of teachers who are busted with child pornography and/or who molest. Imagine if you received a letter from your child’s school like this:   Dear Parents: Today, Mr. John Doe, a long-term substitute teacher and math tutor at our school, was arrested for murder. We learned that he…Continue reading He didn’t murder any of our students—so it’s ok

BREAKING: Gov. Brown signs bill that eliminates CRIMINAL SOL for rape!

In what can be called the “pleasant surprise of the decade,” I just got word that CA Governor Jerry Brown just signed SB 813 into law, which eliminates the criminal statute of limitations for rape going forward. From Senator Connie Leyva’s press release: Co-sponsored by San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos and the California…Continue reading BREAKING: Gov. Brown signs bill that eliminates CRIMINAL SOL for rape!

Keeping your teen safer from abuse has never been easier

You asked. I listened. And for a short time, the result is FREE. Parents of teens and tweens have special concerns about their children’s safety. They came to me in droves asking me to create a stand-alone book—a book that only talks about the issues that older children and their parents face. The Well-Armored Teen:…Continue reading Keeping your teen safer from abuse has never been easier

Archdiocese of OKC circulates Davila’s expungement record, misleads press/parishioners

In an attempt to mislead parishioners and the public and clear them of wrongdoing in hiring a priest who plead guilty to a sexual offense, the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is circulating the priest’s “expungement document.” In this document, Fr. Jose Alexis Davila’s record of unlawful sexual touching is expunged. It is dated in…Continue reading Archdiocese of OKC circulates Davila’s expungement record, misleads press/parishioners

Feds move to extend civil rights for sex abuse victims

Finally there is some good news. A reauthorization bill in the US Senate has a new provision that extends the federal civil rights of victims of child sex crimes, including child sexual abuse and child pornography. Last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to reauthorize the Adam Walsh Act, a federal program…Continue reading Feds move to extend civil rights for sex abuse victims

Bill Cosby arrested and charged with sexual assault

      Note: it was the release of previously sealed depositions in the CIVIL case against Cosby that finally encouraged Montgomery County, PA prosecutors to file criminal charges. In 2004, when former Temple University employee Andrea Constand originally reported the sexual assault, prosecutors would not charge Cosby. But 49 women and a 2005 deposition later, the…Continue reading Bill Cosby arrested and charged with sexual assault

Prestigious MN prep school/Uni in violation of Title IX for housing sex offending monks

  Newly released documents show how St. John’s Prep in Collegeville, MN is in direct violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and created a hostile environment where students can reasonably believe they are risk of sexual assault. At least 10 sex-offending monks—who have only been publicly exposed due to child sex abuse civil lawsuits…Continue reading Prestigious MN prep school/Uni in violation of Title IX for housing sex offending monks

Did Missouri’s taxpayers foot the bill for an out-of-state sex offending priest?

You bet they did. A wealthy Minnesota Catholic religious order and a Catholic-owned rehabilitation hospital engaged in potential Missouri Medicaid insurance fraud to get free health care for a sex-offending priest, a newly released document shows. The 2014 document, released as a part of a legal settlement against the Benedictines of Minnesota and sex-offending priests, show that the order withheld money…Continue reading Did Missouri’s taxpayers foot the bill for an out-of-state sex offending priest?

Sex offending monks have no contact with students … or do they?

  From the statement by St. John’s (MN) Abbey regarding the recent release of of the personnel files of five sex-offending monks: “The files provided include those of monks currently living on the Saint John’s campus under safety plans. Their actions are limited and they are closely supervised.” Hmmm … if the 6th though 12th graders…Continue reading Sex offending monks have no contact with students … or do they?

Vatican thwarts review boards, documents show

Everything the bishops have been led you to believe about the independent power of lay review boards is deliberately misleading. Citing a sex-offening priest’s “right to privacy,” a newly released Vatican document shows that priests are able to shield potentially damning evidence from review boards who are charged with determining whether abuse allegations against a priest…Continue reading Vatican thwarts review boards, documents show

Priest who destroyed evidence now taking reports of abuse in San Diego

A controversial priest accused of covering up abuse in the Diocese of San Diego is in charge of taking victims calls and emails. Msgr. Steven Callahan shot to the spotlight in 2014 after he became the temporary diocesan administrator after the death of Cirilo Flores. Victims, supporters and Catholics were rightfully upset: In 2007, Callahan…Continue reading Priest who destroyed evidence now taking reports of abuse in San Diego

MN Abbey: Prep School/University campus has housed abusers for decades

  Earlier today, attorneys for sex abuse victims by priests and monks at a prestigious Benedictine high school, university, and abbey released hundreds of pages of documents that show a decades-long cover-up of the sexual abuse of children and university students. It’s important to note that many of the credibly accused priests still live on…Continue reading MN Abbey: Prep School/University campus has housed abusers for decades