The era of secret child sex abuse settlements in California is over. I am usually quick to beat up on California Governor Jerry Brown for his poor record on protecting institutions who cover-up child sex abuse. But a new law enacted January 1, 2017, slipped under my radar— and organizations who harbor men and women who…Continue reading California outlaws secret abuse settlements, hidden evidence
From the October issue of OC Family, now online: Stopping Predators: Straight talk, honest, trust: tools for proving childhood sexual abuse You can read my whole essay here.
For the second time in four years, a San Diego priest credibly accused (and later criminally charged) with sexual assault was allowed to stay in a parish while parishioners were kept in the dark. Apparently, Bishop Robert McElroy doesn’t think that’s a big deal. He’s wrong. Priest charged under Minnesota Law Fr. Jacob Andrew Bertrand is…Continue reading San Diego parishioners kept in the dark about sexual assault
Yesterday, NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced the The Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, a plan to compensate victims of child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of New York. There are great articles discussing the neutral and negative aspects of the plan, but before any survivor begins the process of working with the committee, there are a few details…Continue reading The Devil is in the Details
There is a huge chance that the history of the Catholic Church on Guam will be rewritten … by Catholics. And it’s pretty awesome. All it will take is a small change in the law that will give victims of sexual abuse the opportunity to use the civil courts to expose their abusers and the…Continue reading Why is Hon so scared?
Back in December, I wrote about a US Senate bill that that would give states money if they enacted legislation that extended or eliminated unexpired statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse. Now, the House of Representatives has put together a bipartisan bill that “harmonizes the statute of limitations for sex abuse victims and sex trafficking…Continue reading House of Representatives introduces SOL reform bill
As I stated in my previous post, little has changed in the Diocese of Orange since 2005, when church officials settled sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits with 87 child victims. I’d thought I share a little Facebook proof with you. Now I will admit, I have been sitting on this information for a while. The…Continue reading Mater Dei: Loving abusers and cover-up after all these years.
I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who had just read a pretty expansive article on child sexual abuse and civil laws. What struck her was the author’s (correct) assertion that most child predators are NOT pedophiles. Of course, I said. True “pedophiles,” that is, adults who are sexually attracted to prepubescent children,…Continue reading Shifting the focus
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, CA, Western Regional Director of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPNetwork.org) Our hearts ache for Doris Concepcion, who has so bravely spoken out about the abuse her son endured. Parents of sexual abuse victims carry an awful and painful burden. Ms. Concepcion only wanted the…Continue reading Mother of second alleged victim of archbishop speaks, Victims respond
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
The answer is simple: they thought no one would notice. When Indian priest Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul pleaded guilty in 2012 to child molestation in the Diocese of Crookston, MN, Jeyapaul’s victims and their supporters (including SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) believed—at first—that they had won a huge victory. Not only had Jeyapaul fled the…Continue reading Why did the Vatican reinstate a convicted priest?
Joel Wright, the Steubenville seminarian caught trying to buy children in order to sexually molest them, pleaded guilty to federal charges of trying to entice a minor. He faces up to 10 years in prison. Authorities released some of the emails Wright exchanged with undercover agents. You can read some of them here. But a…Continue reading “Baby-buying” Ohio seminarian pleads guilty
My friend Manny Vega and I had the opportunity to make a video for Buzzfeed about our experience as survivors of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Thanks to producer Ricky Sans for the amazing end product.
The Gallup Independent does not have an online edition. The entire article is posted here. Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, NM, Feb. 1, 2016 Advocate publishes parent’s guide on sex abuse By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola Independent correspondent GALLUP — As an advocate for victims of sexual abuse, Joelle Casteix has used…Continue reading Well-Armored Child Review in Gallup Independent
Click here to hear my interview with Timothy Spangler on KRLA 870 AM. We talk about abuse, cover-up, and the Vatican’s role in the continuing scandal. I start at 29:00
What made the Stubenville diocese take a potential seminarian that 45 other dioceses and religious orders had previously rejected? Joel Wright is the 23-year-old Catholic seminarian who has been charged with attempting to adopt or purchase (for cash) a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old. He didn’t want to be a father. He wanted them for…Continue reading “Baby-buying” seminarian rejected by 45 dioceses, orders
THE WELL-ARMORED CHILD – the book that is being hailed as the “definitive child safety manual” – is on sale for only 99 cents (YAY!) for the Kindle and Nook. You can get the Kindle version here. The Nook version is available by clicking here. In the book, you can learn age-specific tools and strategies to…Continue reading The Well-Armored Child – FLASH SALE!
Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis has a problem that is never going to go away. Yesterday, a victim of sexual abuse filed the fourth abuse and cover-up lawsuit against the theater company. The latest civil lawsuit, brought by a woman who is now an academic advisor at the University of Minnesota,…Continue reading “He created the group to find children to abuse”
Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich has a lot of explaining to do about why he has allowed a priest—who has admitted to sexually abusing a child—to remain a priest and work with kids. In fact, in light of a Chicago Tribune article today, I think Cupich should step down for his blatant disregard for…Continue reading Cupich: Priest abused BEFORE ordination, so it’s okay
On the heels of proposed federal legislation and a CA ballot initiative to eliminate statutes of limitations for sex crimes, California State Sen. Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) is “seeking to introduce a bill in January that would eliminate the statute of limitations for rape and other related crimes.” According to the Vallejo Times-Herald:…Continue reading More moves to reform CA sex crime laws
