The Worthy Adversary

Category: Clergy Abuse Crisis

  • Wilton Gregory’s REAL message to Georgia…

    Wilton Gregory’s REAL message to Georgia…

    The Georgia State Legislature is trying to pass a bill to help adult victims of child sexual abuse.

    The legislation, dubbed the “Hidden Predator Act,” extends the statute of limitations for victims from age 23 to 38, and creates other avenues for adults to sue long after that age.

    This is not groundbreaking legislation. It does not remove the civil statute for child sexual abuse, like many states have done, nor is it the two, then four-year civil window that we saw in Hawai’i.

    But that isn’t stopping the Catholic Church, which only represents about 10 percent of the faith-based population of Georgia, from trying to stop the movement in its tracks.

    In a statement, Archbishop Wilton Gregory said that the bill is “unfair to the church.” He states that lawsuits brought by the bill would “drastically damage their ability to carry out the mission of the Catholic Church.”

    Here’s what I don’t understand: Why is anyone listening to him?

    Let’s look at the facts:

    • Out of all of faiths represented in the state, the Catholic Church only represents about 10% of the church-going population of Georgia.
    • Churches are only a small portion of the eligible institutions in this bill.
    • When it comes to suing institutions that cover up child sex predators, Wilton Gregory says his church is unfairly targeted.

    Wait! What? I think he’s trying to tell us he has a huge child rape problem. 

    The other 90+% victims will expose child sex predators in every walk of life

    Let’s look at what this law WILL do: expose people abusing right now within every aspect of life in Georgia –  daycare centers, preschools, camps, other churches, group homes, theater companies, gymnastics and swim clubs (that have been rocked by cover-up scandals), community groups, after-school organizations, sports teams, explorer groups, and other institutions.

    Predators will be exposed by victims who have NEVER set foot in a Catholic Church or school. What gives Wilton Gregory the right to determine how a victim from a daycare center chooses to expose the person who raped them?

    The victims in these institutions should have the right to come forward when they are ready, not when the Catholic Church or an old law says they should.

     

  • Closed for whom?

    Closed for whom?

    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, who may still be abusing. Not for the public, who demands the truth.

    It’s only closed for the Catholic Church. And they would prefer to keep it that way. Public accountability has never been their thing.

    The church has pulled this line for years, when the only victims testifying were victims from the church. They have a lot of nerve to look at the Nassar victims and say the same thing.

    If that’s the only defense they have, it’s a poor one.

  • ICYMI – USA Swimming has a scandal on its hands

    ICYMI – USA Swimming has a scandal on its hands

    Last week, The Orange County Register published an excellent two-part series on the sex abuse cover-up scandal inside of USA Swimming.

    Some of horrific facts reporter Scott M. Reid unearthed:

    • Top USA Swimming executives, board members, top officials and coaches acknowledge in the documents that they were aware of sexually predatory coaches for years, in some cases even decades, but did not take action against them. In at least 11 cases either Wielgus or other top USA Swimming officials declined to pursue sexual abuse cases against high profile coaches even when presented with direct complaints, documents show. With some of the complaints, the decision not to pursue the case was made by Susan Woessner, USA Swimming’s current director of Safe Sport.

    For example, three U.S. Olympic team head coaches, and a USA Swimming vice president were told in the 1980s that a world-renowned coach has sexually abused a female swimmer beginning when she was 12. Wielgus was informed of allegations against the coach at least three times in recent years. But not only did USA Swimming not pursue a case against the coach, it allowed him to continue to have access to USA Swimming facilities, U.S. Olympic and national team events, and the Olympic Training Center. USA Swimming even awarded the club owned and operated by him more than $40,000 in grants. The coach was only banned after pleading guilty to sexual assault, more than a quarter-century after the abuse was first brought to the attention of the Olympic coaches.

    • In the more than 20 years since Wielgus took charge of USA Swimming in July 1997, at least 252 swim coaches and officials have been arrested, charged by prosecutors, or disciplined by USAS for sexual abuse or misconduct against individuals under 18. Those coaches and officials have a total of at least 590 alleged victims, some of them abused while attending pre-school swim classes.

    • USA Swimming board members and coaches acknowledged they were aware of statutory rape cases that occurred during U.S. national team trips to major international competitions.

    • USA Swimming since at least 2010 has kept a list of more than 30 coaches and officials “flagged” by USA Swimming officials after being arrested or accused by law enforcement of sex crimes including rape and child pornography, but not disciplined by USA Swimming. Some coaches and officials on the “flagged” list have not been banned even after they have been convicted of felonies. Of the 32 people on the “flagged list” in 2010, only six have been subsequently banned by USA Swimming. The “flagged list” is not available to the public. Even when USA Swimming has banned coaches and officials for life for sexual misconduct it can be years before their names are listed on the permanently banned list on USA Swimming’s website.

    • Local swim clubs that are members of USA Swimming are insured by U.S. Sports Insurance Company Inc, a company with $31.3-million in assets originally based in Barbados created and solely owned by USA Swimming and governed by former and current USA Swimming officials. While USSIC provides USA Swimming $2-million worth of liability insurance for sexual abuse civil cases, until recently the company provided local clubs only $100,000 worth of coverage for similar cases. This policy of reducing the financial exposure of USSIC at the local level was a factor in generating millions of dollars in “safety rebates” from USSIC back to USA Swimming. In some years the governing body has received back as much as $750,000 in “safety rebates.”

    • USA Swimming has also paid $77,627 to lobbying firms to lobby against legislation in California that would have made it easier for sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers and the organizations they worked for or represented in civil cases.

    The legislation was SB 131.

    You will want to read the whole thing.

    These poor swimmers were sacrificed with nothing to protect them.

    A note: 

    Yes, I am sure that there will be some kind of congressional action about this, although there have been much larger scandals in religious institutions and groups such as the Boy Scouts. But take a deep breath and remember: no one baptizes their child, marries their spouse, buries their dead, confesses their sins, goes through their rights of passage into manhood, and/or climbs the ladder to God through USA Swimming. A swimming org is an easy target.

    Therefore, the fight must continue.

     

  • Now you’re seeing behind the “Pope Francis curtain”

    Now you’re seeing behind the “Pope Francis curtain”

    When Pope Francis appoints Cardinal Roger Mahony as a Papal Envoy in a state where almost every diocese is under investigation for the cover up of child sexual abuse, you know the Vatican has gone full tone-deaf on sex abuse.

    And now is not the time to go full tone-deaf.

    The PR Shine Fades

    Since his election as pope, die-hard Pope Francis fans have been singing his praises, calling the South American prelate a “new kind of Pope.” Insiders call it the “Francis effect.”

    Victims and advocates know differently. It was good PR, spun by his hired flack. 

    That glow lasted for years. But in the past few weeks, even Francis couldn’t keep remembering his speaking points. First, he pulled the infamous “I need proof” statement, defending a controversial bishop and saying that victims need to provide him evidence of abuse before he believed that they had been sexually abused.

    Little did most of the public know that one of them—Juan Carlos Cruz—already had. And he had the photo to prove it.

    Now the Vatican is in full crisis mode. The allegations against Barros are gross. Suddenly, Pope Francis and Vatican officials are concerned about what Juan Carlos has to say, sending an investigator to the U.S. to talk to him.

    Not because they care, of course. But because they are embarrassed. Embarrassed enough to also reinstate their Vatican Sexual Abuse Commission. Minus public survivors. Why? The only two survivors on the last commission quit in disgust.

    Speaking of survivors, this week, the Pope told a group of Jesuits that he “meets regularly with abuse survivors.” What an odd thing to say. Every survivor I know who has ever tried to get close to the Vatican (and I’m talking about very private people who just wanted the Pope’s blessing and never uttered a peep that they even knew me) was ignored. And I would think that the survivor grapevine (and yes, there is one) would be buzzing if this were actually happening.

    And really, wouldn’t the first people he’d want to meet be people who had already gone through the legal wringer and could no longer pose a threat. You know, people like the survivors from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles?

    Which leads us to …

    Who would make Roger Mahony a Papal Envoy to Anything?

    The Diocese of Scranton is getting ready to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Pope Francis can’t be there himself, so he needs to choose someone special to represent him. Someone honorable. Someone awesome. Someone like …

    Cardinal Roger Mahony?

    (cue sad trombone)

    Kudos to the people of Scranton for protesting. There was only a small announcement from the Vatican Press Office and then the website announcement on the Diocese of Scranton page. (This link takes you to the page that has since been removed.)

    There was no announcement in Los Angeles. Why? There would be protests. There was no announcement in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.. or any other major metropolitan area. Why? There would be outrage.

    The Vatican thought they could sneak it by. They were wrong.

    Catholics are seeing behind the curtain.

    Now What?

    I think it’s doubtful that the Vatican investigation into Barros will find anything. They already know it all—it’s horrible and embarrassing. They just don’t want the world to know that they knew all along.

    Hopefully, more Catholics will punch back twice as hard like those in Scranton.

    And it’s time for Roger Mahony to just go away.

     

  • Where is Fr. Juan Cano?

    Where is Fr. Juan Cano?

    The Archdiocese of Los Angeles does not want you to know about Fr. Juan Cano.

    Yesterday, they sent an official to Encino’s Our Lady of Grace Parish and told Catholics there that Fr. Juan Cano was placed on administrative leave on January 19th due to “several allegations” of inappropriate behavior with women, including one minor.

    Was there a written notice in the bulletin? No. Did they put a notice in the bulletin at St. James Parish in Redondo Beach where Cano worked before he became a priest? No. In fact, unless you were sitting in church this past Sunday, you would have no idea that you may need to talk to your children, sisters, wives, cousins, or friends about the abuse of power and sexual assault.

    But the Archdiocese WAS busy doing something: They were busy erasing Fr. Juan Cano from their websites.

    They didn’t have time to post a notice that he may have abused someone you love. But they had time to erase him, just like Stalin did to his enemies.

     

    Screen Shot at 9:30 am today

     

    Screenshot at 10:45 am today

     

    Here’s the rub: if the Archdiocese truly cared about victims of abuse (or Fr. Juan Cano), they would kept his picture up and put an announcement on the websites of every parish where Cano worked and try to reach as many alleged victims as possible. But they don’t want to do that. Why?

    Did they know Cano was a problem? Is that why he worked under Fr. Cunnane, who also supervised Fr. Fernando Lopez Lopez, one of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles worst predators of recent years (he was convicted of rape before he came to LA, btw)?

    Or did they know Fr. Juan Cano had issues back in the seminary? Like when he said the most challenging aspect was “remaining open to God’s will when receiving recommendations from the faculty.” (I can only imagine what those recommendations were).

    Cano has only been a priest since 2015. He gets to work quickly.

    If you or someone you know has information about Fr. Juan Cano, contact LAPD detective Rose Gaeta at 213 486-0580.