In my talks to groups, I always try to impress on people how child sexual abuse destroys communities. When a predator undermines family and community bonds to target a child, the ripples of sexual abuse damage radiate farther than the child victim. It happened in my case—affecting (and destroying) my family, my peers, and the…Continue reading “Can’t you just let it go?”
In public schools, there is a prevalent problem called “Passing the Trash.” It’s when a teacher accused of sexual abuse is quietly moved from school to school within a district once allegations come to light. Evidence is buried by the district, witnesses and victims graduate or move, and the school district relies on the short civil statutes of…Continue reading A Primer on “Passing the Trash”
The recent lawsuit against Fr. Richard T. Coughlin, The All-American Boys Chorus, and the Diocese of Orange has sparked a flurry of conversation and controversy online. Why? A whole generation of kids was destroyed by Coughlin. And of course, a lot of people were quick to defend the chorus and say, “Things are different now.”…Continue reading The All-American Boys Chorus and the Cycle of Abuse
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
It’s been a roller coaster ride for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. For those of you who are not familiar with the group, this is an organization where I donate a ton of time, and an organization that’s responsible for whom I have become as an advocate. Lately, SNAP has been in the news…Continue reading SNAP: What’s next?
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
All I wanted to do this week was scream NO! at sportswriters and pundits. The Rose Bowl Game and the Pox of Jerry Sandusky You can’t compare a wide-spread criminal child sex abuse scandal to a free apartment for a running back. You can’t. Sports writers and talking heads said that both Penn State’s and USC’s…Continue reading A Week of Bad Comparisons and Conclusions
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.
Today, Guam Governor Eddie Calvo “signed a bill that allows victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers as well as anyone who helped them and the institutions with which they are affiliated.” I am overjoyed for Guam’s victims of sexual abuse and Catholics as a whole. They have fought long and hard for…Continue reading Guam Gov signs Civil Window into law
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
That big BOOM you heard this morning in Southern California? That was my head exploding after reading the cover story in today’s Orange County Register. From the article: Though the diocese’s growth was exponential, there was also a period of turmoil when the nationwide Catholic Church sex abuse scandal erupted. Bishop Tod Brown, who took…Continue reading Tod Brown: Spinning yarns 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
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.
Clergy sex abuse and cover-up … or the sale of breast milk? The jury is still out. You can read my article on the breast milk market in Orange County here. There is enough in this article for a book … and I may just be the person to do it.
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
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!
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
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
