The Worthy Adversary

Author: Joelle Casteix

  • Hawaii Legislative Update

    How about some GOOD news out of a state legislature?

    Hawaii State Legislature has TWO ground-breaking, victim-friendly bills that have just passed committee.

    Why the legislative attention? The current Hawaii Civil Window, which closes in April, has opened lawmakers’ eyes to the problem of child sex abuse and cover-up across the state. Fortunately, these same eyes also see that two years are simply not enough time for many victims. Since the window opened in 2012, approximately 30 men and women have come forward to seek justice—but we are only really at the genesis of exposing the cover-up. Once that process begins, the real social and cultural change starts …

    You can’t put a time limit on healing and you can’t instantly change a cultural stigma on abuse.

    Here are the two bills:

    SB 2687 – Sponsored by Senator Maile Shimabukuro (the sponsor of the original window) and Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland – If passed, this law would give victims of child sexual abuse up until the age of 55 to use the civil courts to seek justice and accountability.

    HB 2034 – Sponsored by the Hawaii Women’s Legislative Caucus – If passed, this law removed the criminal and civil statutes of limitations on first and second degree sexual assault and the continuous assault of a minor under 14.

    Thank you to hero survivors like Andre Bisquera, who continue to work for victims’ rights (even with a newborn at home!)

     

     

  • Castillo victims settle with Diocese of San Bernardino

    According to the Riverside Press Enterprise, two victims of convicted priest Alejandro “Alex” Castillo settled their sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits against the Diocese of San Bernardino for $3.8 million.

    Fr. Alex Castillo
    Fr. Alex Castillo

    In a statement, the diocese called Castillo’s acts “sinful and unlawful.”

    They also added this:

    The diocese acknowledges and deeply regrets the sinful and unlawful actions of Castillo, while noting it took immediate action to remove him from ministry and notify police as soon as the allegations … were known.

    Why do I have doubts? Hopefully, a third outstanding lawsuit will expose the truth.

  • The Battle of the Scandals, pt 1: The Nation-State

    There have been a number of things about the recent UN committee report on (and the global response to) the Vatican’s role in clergy sex abuse that have given me pause.

    The first issue has been the one to which Vatican and global Catholic officials have clung : The report’s inclusion of language about the church’s teachings on homosexuality and abortion.

    State or Faith: You decide
    State or Faith: You decide

    The church struck back hard, saying that the Vatican UN was “trampling on religious freedom.”

    Even I had some issues with it. When I was asked for a comment by CNN International, I declined, saying that the focus of victims is clergy sexual abuse. And, really, it is. It is not the victims’ movement’s place to comment on other issues, because victims come from all beliefs. But personally, I believed that the committee had overstepped.

    But late last night, it dawned on me: I’m wrong.

    As far as the UN is concerned, the Code of Canon Law is not a religious document. It’s a constitution. The church’s teachings about abortion, homosexuality, etc., aren’t religious views—THEY ARE THE LAWS OF A NATION-STATE.

    I was clouding my views on the report with American thinking about religious freedom. And that’s exactly what the Vatican wants.

    If the Vatican is going to scream “religious rights,” they should not be a nation-state, immune from civil liability. If they truly want to continue to reap the rewards and benefits of their nation-state status, they should openly state, “Yes, these are our laws” and not claim “religious persecution.”

    But they aren’t.

    Instead, they are (oddly) trumpeting typical Western values of religious freedom … while at the same time decrying Western values for taking the world off of the track of moral righteousness. You can’t cherry-pick teachings on Western values to help you escape prosecution or taxation.

    You’re either a state or a religious faith.

    The Vatican can’t have it both ways.

     

  • If nothing else …

    No matter your take on the recent UN committee report on the problem of sex abuse in the Catholic Church and no matter how you feel about the recent public argument involving Woody Allen and his daughter Dylan Farrow, two things are clear:

    The more we talk about sex abuse as a crime, the more likely it is that victims will come forward.

    The more we make ourselves aware of the problem, the easier it will be to protect our children.

    Everything else is just semantics.

  • You read Dylan Farrow’s letter. Now what?

    Every once in a while, I catch myself wondering why the child sex abuse awareness movement (especially in the Catholic Church) has never elicited support from Hollywood A-listers.

    Yesterday, Dylan Farrow gave us a painful and personal reminder.

    Her immensely brave open letter in the New York Times is raw. She openly accuses Woody Allen and gives details of the abuse. But she goes a step further, naming the Hollywood A-Listers who continue to support Allen.

    (Although Allen has not been found guilty in a court of law, he has been accused of abuse by one of his children, and went on to marry his step-daughter.)

    The sense of betrayal that Farrow expresses is a universal theme for victims of child sexual abuse. The crime of abuse is horrific enough for a child, but when adults whom the child loves and respects side with the abuser, it is devastating. It drives the victim into a world of shame and silence. I know that feeling first hand.

    I also know another feeling that Farrow describes—the sheer disgust as she watches Hollywood elites fawn over Allen, his movies and his continued award nominations. No one in Hollywood will publicly stand up for Farrow, just like no one in Hollywood stood up for the victim of Roman Polanski. Just like no one at Adrian College will stand up for me and the other victims of Thomas Hodgman.

    So, now do we do?

    We have a call to action—We need to change how we deal with victims of sexual abuse.

    1) If you know victims of abuse (and you do), tell them that you love and support them. Tell them you believe them.

    2) If you can help a victim report to the police, do it.

    3) Open up communication with your children and family members about abuse. Don’t shroud discussions of sex or abuse with shame.

    4) Write your legislators about changing laws dealing with child sex crimes. Three bills in California (two dealing with statutes of limitation and another dealing with training reporters) need support.

    5) Don’t give your money or allegiance to organizations who engage in legal battles with victims in order to hide abuse and cover-up. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles spent millions trying to keep their crimes secret. So did the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Orange. Publicly admonish those who covered up abuse.

    6) Don’t go to Woody Allen movies. Go a step further and don’t support any actor or studio affiliated with Allen.

    7) Raise children who are well-armored against abuse. My upcoming book can help you get started. The proposal is done and we are currently looking for an agent/publisher. If you want more information or know a contact who would be interested, email me.