Funny, the Archdiocese didn’t care about victims until Gavin Newsom signed AB 218 into law. The new law allows adult survivors of child sex abuse in California to use the civil courts to expose abuse and cover-up. So now, diocese officials are trying to get all friendly before January 1, 2020, when victims can start…Continue reading The Archdiocese of San Francisco is Having a Party for Abuse Survivors
California Enacts AB 218: Landmark Bill Protects Children from Sexual Abuse California Enacts AB 218: Landmark Bill Protects Children from Sexual Abuse Zero Abuse Project Commends the New Law, Which Opens a Three-Year Window for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Assault to Seek Justice and Hold Institutions Accountable. Sacramento CA, (October 13, 2019) – Zero Abuse…Continue reading California opens three-year window for victims of child sexual abuse
Survivors of child sexual abuse often don’t know what to do when a civil window opens in their state. Here I answer some of the most common questions from my own experience in California’s 2003 civil window.
~Part two in a multi-part series~previous post Settlement Class Actions Lawsuits are BAD for victims and BAD for transparency. But they are mighty good for bishops. Here is what we know about victims of child sexual abuse: It can take decades for victims to come forward, because child sexual abuse is a crime of shame…Continue reading Class Action Sex Abuse Lawsuits Part 2: Lessons from Covington
Many of you may have seen posts about All Survivors Day yesterday. Now what? It’s time for change. It’s time for action. The past two years have been a whirlwind of news about child sexual assault and cover-ups. The scandal is being exposed everywhere—churches, sports, camps, organizations, public and private schools. If you think…Continue reading It’s time for change
From the Associated Press: [The] Catholic Church is concerned that the [Michigan] statute of limitations bill could “open up other things that have been closed.” Other things? Things like abuse and cover-up? And these things have been closed? I don’t think so. Certainly not for the victims, who are still suffering. Not for the predators,…Continue reading Closed for whom?
Kill the celibacy requirement, kill the scandal? Hardly. The Catholic clergy sex abuse cover-up scandal is not totally unique. It’s an institutional cover-up, just like the institutional cover-up with Larry Nassar in US Gymnastics, the recent scandal in USA Swimming, the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky scandal, the scandal in LAUSD, and smaller scandals in private, religious, and public institutions…Continue reading Will married priests solve the problem? Wife-beating priest case gives us sneak peek
Do I have proof of the scandal? Yes. Do a simple Google search on the Sugar’n Spice Photos of a 10-year-old Brooke Shields. You’ll read about the Playboy photos her mother approved and for which the photographer said the child felt “totally comfortable posing.” (That’s not comfort, BTW. That’s the product of grooming.) Fortunately, the…Continue reading There IS a child sex abuse scandal in Hollywood
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
Read my latest article in OC Family here.
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, CA, Western Regional Director of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests We are encouraged that the Vatican has taken this first step. Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron is now a twice-accused predator archbishop—who has also been accused of intimidating victims, bullying Catholics, and manipulating church rules regarding…Continue reading Pope Names Guam Administrator After Archbishop Accused of Abuse
California Victims of sex crimes have won another battle in the effort to extend the criminal statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault. SB 813, sponsored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino), which seeks to eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for rape and related crimes, passed out of the Senate Public Safety Committee…Continue reading Leg Update: California and Pennsylvania
From the NYPD: NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES STREET CLOSURES AND EXPECTED TRAFFIC DELAYS RELATING TO THE VISIT OF POPE FRANCIS The New York City Police Department today announced street closures and anticipated traffic delays relating to the visit of Pope Francis. The use of public transportation for the duration of the visit…Continue reading Street closures in NYC for Papal visit
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I am always telling parents the importance of keeping all Internet-enabled devices in common areas of the home. Many parents challenge me on this—telling me that they trust their child. It’s not a matter of trust. It’s a matter of child safety. Here’s why: From HLN: A Michigan woman is accused of having an…Continue reading Monitor the Xbox: A textbook example
Amy Smith is a hell of a blogger and advocate for victims of sexual abuse in Protestant churches. A few weeks ago, she discovered that the “Care Director” at Fairfax (VA) Community Church is a registered violent sex offender. What happened afterward is shocking. Here’s a teaser: in their defense of sex offender Eric…Continue reading Fairfax VA church “Care Director” is outed as a violent sex offender. Guess what happens next …
There has been no shortage of news this summer when it comes to the US clergy sex abuse crisis. Although the Vatican is attempting to clean up the mess as much as possible before Pope Francis’ September visit (including accepting the resignations of the St. Paul and Minneapolis archbishop and bishop, as well as…Continue reading The Not-So-Secret Institutional Code Words for Child Sex Abuse
Joelle, you constantly stress how important it is to “armor” your child against abuse from as early as infancy and toddlerhood. I don’t agree. My child is too young to know about sex. Why do you insist on exposing children so early and ruining their innocence? Armoring your child does NOT include talking about sex.…Continue reading Ask a Question Friday: My kid is too young for prevention education
The big discussion at the 2014 SNAP conference was “everybody’s favorite pontiff,” Pope Francis. Journalist Jason Berry—who faced raised eyebrows for earlier comments criticizing SNAP’s methods and “skillset“—told the group at his conference speech that SNAP should work strategically to “get a place at the table” and negotiate with the Vatican. (Note: Berry did apologize to the larger…Continue reading Just because they shout the loudest, doesn’t mean they’re right
From the editorial in today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Children who are raped, sodomized and otherwise sexually abused must cope with the emotional and physical pain of these heinous acts for the rest of their lives. Just as there is no statute of limitations on the trauma they suffer, there should be no statute of limitations on…Continue reading Star Advertiser: Toughen laws against child-sex predators
