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
BREAKING: A Hawaii man who says he was sexually abused by Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron spoke out at a press conference today in Agana. You can read more here, here, and here. More soon …
Of all of the abuse and cover-up that have been exposed as a result of Hawaii’s civil window for victims of sexual abuse, few things are as explosive as a report released yesterday that states the Vatican knew Hawaii’s former bishop was a sex predator before he was appointed ordinary. The report, written by Fr. Thomas…Continue reading Report: Vatican knew bishop was a predator
Hawai’i’s adult victims of child sexual abuse only have until the end of April to come forward and use the civil courts. The civil window, which was renewed in 2014, was an extension of a 2012 bill that gave victims of child sexual abuse the right to use the civil courts to expose their…Continue reading Hawai’i victims of abuse face deadline
The first step to transparency is being, well … transparent. And when your former bishop is a three-time-accused (that we know of) predator, that makes transparency even more important. Victims to Hawai’i Bishop: Make all predators’ names public Thirty other dioceses have exposed accused clerics Seattle list included abuser in hiding in Honolulu Former bishop…Continue reading Victims to Hawai’i Bishop: Make all predators’ names public
The Carrot: Money Last week, the US Senate proposed a bill that would give states money if they enacted legislation that extended or eliminated unexpired statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse. (In other words, if your time is up, it’s up. But if not, you could have your statute extended or eliminated.)…Continue reading The Carrot, the Stick, and what two SOL reform initiatives are missing …
A number of years ago, a family reached out to me asking for help. Their son had been abused by a priest named Gerald Funcheon, and the family wanted to know what happened to the Crosier cleric. At the time, I looked at the resources available. I saw a priest with huge…Continue reading Gerald Funcheon … sued again
Hollywood couldn’t have written a better plot: an all-American man plays a respected pastor and father of seven. Add in good looks and charm, and you’ve got the makings of a beloved television character. And the perfect cover for a predator. Stephen Collins, who played Eric Camden, the dad/pastor on the long-running TV series 7th…Continue reading Predators in Pretty Packages: Five lessons for parents from the Stephen Collins case
I know it’s been a little quiet here at The Worthy Adversary. I have been pounding away at the manuscript for The Well-Armored Child, and it’s summer, so there’s not a lot of quiet time around the house. But things have not been quiet in the Archdiocese of Hagatna, Guam. And every time I think that things…Continue reading Wandering Wadeson: A banned priest is exposed
This blog has long rallied against the problem of the cover-up of sexual abuse in public schools. Unfortunately, the victims in these cases—when they are ready and able to come forward and get accountability— usually don’t have criminal and civil rights to expose the abuse. As a result, victims and the public are seldom, if…Continue reading The Best Revolutions Begin With One Small Action
When California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed SB 131 —an extension to California’s 2003 civil window that would have allowed victims of child sex abuse to come forward, no matter when they were abused—he cited an age-old (and VERY STALE) argument that we hear often from Catholic bishops: “window laws are unfair.” Tell that to the…Continue reading More proof that Jerry Brown got it all wrong: Love Serve Surrender
He was Gary Winnick. He was Wandering Eagle. He was Jay Ram. But through it all, he was a predator who used sex as power and destroyed dozens of children in his wake. I’ve been a part of numerous documentaries about the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children, but no saga has touched…Continue reading Documentary: The twisted tale of Jay Ram
Vice News has released a trailer for their upcoming documentary LOVE SERVE SURRENDER. The film tells the story of Jay Ram, a former Hilo-area farmer who fostered and adopted boys in California and Hawaii … and then sexually abused them. Because of Hawaii’s civil window, these boys—now men— have been able to expose Jay and…Continue reading Trailer: Documentary exposes Big Island abuser
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
TODAY IN HONOLULU: Sex abuse lawsuits call for release of accused offenders Six more victims come forward under new law “Window for Victims” closes April 24 WHAT: At a news conference on Wednesday in Honolulu, sexual abuse survivors and their attorneys Mark Gallagher and Jeff Anderson will: · Discuss the novel use of nuisance…Continue reading Honolulu Diocese creates “Public Nuisance”, Victims say
I’ll be in Honolulu next week to talk about child sex abuse, the Hawaii civil window, victims rights and abuse prevention. If you are in the area, I hope you can join us. Here are the details. The event is free and open to the public. The Unspeakable Crime: Childhood Sexual Abuse Panel …Continue reading Upcoming Panel in Honolulu: Civil Window, Victims Rights, Prevention
Crozier priest Father Jerry Funcheon, who is the subject of the first lawsuit filed under Hawaii’s civil window, is back in the news – this time because Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis church officials “forgot” to put him on a website that lists abusive clerics. Church documents show that Funcheon may have abused up…Continue reading Gerald Funcheon is back in the news
*This is the first in a series of posts on Resources for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse* Finding a good therapist and getting help can be the best decisions a survivor makes. But the process can also be maddening. Referrals from Family and Friends Before launching an online search using the links below,…Continue reading Resources: How do I get therapeutic help?
Former Hilo farmer Jay Ram, who is accused of sexual abuse by five of his sons, has been found living outside of Tampa, where he was finally served with the civil lawsuits. From the Hawaii News-Tribune: One of Ram’s neighbors in Odessa, who spoke to the Tribune-Herald on the condition of anonymity, said Ram…Continue reading Jay Ram found in Florida
Jerry Brown could have been a hero. He could have helped expose a cache of child pornography in the basement of the local archdiocese. He could have forced bishops to release the names of adults credibly accused of abuse in the past ten years, but whose identities were kept secret from parishioners, communities, and the…Continue reading Jerry Brown COULD have made a difference