Clergy Abusetag:news.zalkin.com,2009-03-08:/932010-09-16T22:18:14ZClergy Abuse LawyerMovable Type Pro 4.34-enBoy Scouts of America Reaches Settlements with Six Victimstag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.158552010-09-16T22:15:48Z2010-09-16T22:18:14ZAccording to the Associated Press, six men in Portland who alleged they were sexually abused by an Oregon on Boy Scouts leader in the 80s have settled their lawsuit against the group's national organization for undisclosed amounts.One case involving a...Clergy Abuse News One case involving a man by the name of Kerry Lewis led to the plaintiff being awarded nearly $20 million in damages after a trial ended in April against the Boy Scouts of America. In the case, the jury found the Texas-based group negligent for allowing Timur Dykes to associate with the organization after he admitted to an official in 1983 that he had molested 17 boys.
Lewis' lawyers used secret files that were kept hidden by the organization to demonstrate that the Boy Scouts dismissed or ignored allegations of sexual abuse by Scout leaders for over two decades, which marked the first time the "perversion files" were used during a trial.
After the verdict, the Boy Scouts of America still faced lawsuits from five other men who alleged that Dykes molested them. However, the attorney for the men, Kelly Clark, said that his clients have agreed to undisclosed settlements offered by the organization.
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Priest May Be Extradited to Ireland for Sex Abuse Claimstag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.157492010-09-09T20:31:06Z2010-09-09T20:33:01ZClergy Abuse News A hearing has been set for September 23rd to determine whether the court has jurisdiction over McCabe's case. A final extradition hearing has been tentatively set for November 2, 2010.
At this time, McCabe remains in Alameda County Jail. His attorney, David Cohen, said the former priest suffers from numerous health problems. He said, "I don't think the court wants to oversee the deterioration of Mr. McCabe in jail."
In Ireland, McCabe faces criminal charges as there is no statute of limitations for his alleged crimes. In the U.S., two men filed claims in the past two weeks against the Santa Rosa Diocese, where McCabe served as a member of the priesthood in the 1980s. The men's names were not listed but they say that McCabe sexually abused them while they went to church in Eureka and that Catholic officials were aware of the previous allegations against McCabe.
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School Bus Driver Assaulted Two Victimstag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.156792010-09-03T23:09:27Z2010-09-05T23:12:31ZClergy Abuse News In January, Ross was charged with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse for the 2009 incident. Later this year, he was charged with kidnapping and unlawful restraint for the recent incident. He has been in Cook County Jail since his arrest on February 1st in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Local parent groups and mothers of the victims say they are outraged that more action was not taken to keep Ross away from students while the first crime was investigated. Chicago Public Schools currently has contracts with 20 bus companies that employ hundreds of drivers that are responsible for transporting students on 2,000 routes daily.
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Foreign Exchange Student Programs Need to be Examined tag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.155402010-08-26T22:33:42Z2010-08-26T22:35:54ZClergy Abuse News Back in 2008, the State Department gave 17 groups $39.4 million from taxpayers' money to manage programs that involved foreign exchange students. One of the groups that receive significant funding was Aspect Foundation. However, that particular group came under fire after students came forward with allegations of abandonment and mistreatment.
In May, there was a huge push for an investigation into the Department of State's oversight of youth exchange programs following the above mentioned report. It is said that the students who came forward were placed with a convicted felon and others were dehydrated and malnourished to the point that one student had to be hospitalized. One residence that was utilized by students was later condemned by the city.
However, the families that were responsible for housing the exchange students, or that the allegations are not true. The State Department responded by reducing the number of students that Aspect Foundation can bring over during the 2010-2011 school year, which he quits to a loss of $540,000 in revenue.
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Woman Made Foreign Exchange Students Live in Horrendous Conditionstag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.154422010-08-20T19:07:53Z2010-08-20T19:12:30ZIt is reported that a woman from Scranton received three months in Lackawanna County Prison for recklessly endangering foreign-exchange students that she allegedly placed in horrible living conditions while collecting fees for setting up host family.70-year-old Edna Burgette told Judge...Clergy Abuse News 70-year-old Edna Burgette told Judge Michael J. Barasse, "I tried my best... I couldn't keep up." She claimed that her advancing age and health issues had worked against her. Her attorney, Christopher Osbourne said, "it was an unfortunate situation she got herself into."
Aside from having to serve time in county prison, Burgette will have to serve 33 months on probation. Due to her history of heart related problems, her attorney had asked the judge to sentence her with house arrest. Her attorney also noted that Burgette is awaiting sentencing in federal court for one count of fraud related to a foreign exchange students investigation.
Burgette is facing six months in prison for that offense. The judge said that the, "children were endangered over a long period of time in horrendous conditions." The judge also questioned why the Aspect Foundation, the organization that had paid Burgette, was not charged.
Burgette admitted to collecting $2,900 for five student placements based upon fraudulent paperwork in her federal court case. Investigators reported that Burgette placed students in homes without conducting background checks and that she also moved students from residence to residence.
As a coordinator for Aspect Foundation, Burgette was paid $400 for each foreign-exchange student she placed and $20 per month for supervision. Both they and federal regulations required her to file paperwork with Aspect that showed she had screened potential host families and had provided updates on the students.
The investigation started during the year of 2008 when dozens of students said they were neglected after being placed in homes in Scranton. The students told investigators they had to live in filthy homes and that some of the homes were later condemned. Several said they had been placed with an ex convict and one student required medical attention for her malnutrition. It is said that Burgette ignored complaints even though she was paid to check up on students.
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Sex Abuse Charges against Catholic Priest Sent to Rometag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.152732010-08-13T19:48:39Z2010-08-13T19:51:01ZThis week it was announced that Rev. David Dzermejko, a Catholic priest who is currently on administrative leave while charges of child sex abuse are sent to Rome, is being represented by two attorneys from the Diocese of Youngstown.When asked...Clergy Abuse News When asked about the clergy abuse case, Monsignor Michael Cariglio said Dzermejko has, "vehemently denied the charges from the very beginning." He also said that he does not believe the allegations are credible.
14 months ago, allegations were made from a widow who said that the priest had molested her deceased husband throughout his childhood. After seeing news reports, another man also came forward and a diocesan review board told Bishop David Zubik that it believed the allegations were credible. Now, the case has been sent to Vatican officials who will decide during a church trial if there is enough evidence to remove Dzermejko from the ministry.
In June 2009, Dzermejko was removed as pastor from the Mary, Mother of the Church.
On Wednesday, Dzermejko's accuser sent a statement through the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. He said, "Unfortunately, it is a hollow victory. I feel no joy, no happiness, and no closure. I still feel the same as I did when the memories became unrepressed over a year ago. Shame, violation, emptiness."
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Priest Indicted for Sex Abuse Charged in Tennesseetag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.152032010-08-09T00:59:45Z2010-08-09T01:01:45ZClergy Abuse News
sex abuse charges. The accused priest, Rev. William Casey, was from Tennessee.
According to Warren Tucker of Indiana, Rev. Casey abused him for five years. Tucker claimed that the abuse started in 1975 when he was in the fifth grade at St. Dominic's church in Kingsport, Tennessee. He also said that some of the sexual abuse during trips to other states.
Earlier this week, the indictment was handed down. Commonwealth's attorney Marcus McClung stated that he believed Casey will turn himself in. Last week, Casey pled guilty to similar charges in the state of North Carolina. He was ordered to serve 24 months of supervised probation.
In April, Casey was banned from serving as a priest by Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika.
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Former Priest Sentenced in Tennessee Sex Abuse Casetag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.150712010-07-30T18:27:57Z2010-07-30T18:29:58ZClergy Abuse News
sexual abuse this week. In a McDowell County courtroom, William Casey admitted that he was guilty of inappropriate sexual relations with a boy, who is now 44 years of age.
The victim claimed that Casey had taken him form Kingsport to McDowell County and had abused him while he was a young boy. At that time, Casey was a priest in Kingsport, Rogersville and Greenville. Now, he has been removed from the priesthood.
Despite pleading guilty, Casey will not have to serve any jail time. The judge presiding over the case placed him on probation for 24 months instead of ordering prison time. Casey must also pay a $500 fine and restitution to the victim for his actions.
The victim, Warren Tucker, said, "It's a bittersweet reaction I guess. On the one hand, he's a convicted felon now like he should have been a long time ago."
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Former Wisconsin Priest's Sex Abuse Conviction Upheldtag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.149212010-07-23T20:07:19Z2010-07-22T20:09:36ZClergy Abuse News
sexual abuse. However, McGuire argued that the allegations made against him were false.
Two men came forward to say that while they were boys, McGuire abused them throughout the 1960s. The men came forward in 2003 and told police that during trips to Fontana, WI, they were sexually abused by McGuire.
In 2006, a jury ruled to convict the former priest in Walworth County. McGuire then appealed his conviction, saying that the delay between when the alleged abuse occurred and when it was reported made it difficult for him to properly defend himself. However, the Wisconsin Supreme Court felt differently, and ruled against him.
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Vatican Proposes New Rules to Deal with Priest Sex Abusetag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.148572010-07-16T19:36:32Z2010-07-16T19:38:39ZClergy Abuse News Under the new rules, the Holy See can quickly defrock any priest that is found guilty of child molestation or child sex abuse. The rules also extend the statute of limitations within church law in such cases. Additionally, the sexual abuse of mentally disabled people and possession of child pornography would be classified as canonical crimes for which priests can be immediately stripped of their clerical statuses.
The Vatican's internal prosecutor, Monsignor Charles Scicluna, said the new rules are "a step forward, because the norm of law is binding and is certain." Many factors within the new policy are already common practice, however until this past week, the force of canonical law was not imposed.
Critics are still oppositional as the new rules do not require bishops to report clerical sex abuse to law enforcement. Additionally, there are no canonical sanctions for those who are guilty of covering up abuse within the church.
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Convicted Priest Accused of Sex Abuse by another Mantag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.147462010-07-09T01:53:49Z2010-07-09T01:56:38ZIn Chicago, new allegations of sexual abuse have been made against a former priest by the name of Daniel McCormack.This Thursday, in a lawsuit filed against the Chicago archdiocese, a boy that attended a parish where McCormick served as a...Clergy Abuse News
sexual abuse have been made against a former priest by the name of Daniel McCormack.
This Thursday, in a lawsuit filed against the Chicago archdiocese, a boy that attended a parish where McCormick served as a priest claimed he was sexually abuse. The abuse allegedly took place from 1999 until 2006 while the boy went to the parish and played on a church basketball league.
In 2007, McCormick pled guilty to molesting five other boys. He was sentenced with jail time and to this day, he remains in prison.
Co-Counsel William Martin made a statement to the press. He said, "It's unspeakable, they live in quiet, in shame, for years and they believe it's their fault, they believe that they did something wrong, and just being able to talk about it provides some relief."
The Chicago archdiocese has made it clear that they do not comment on pending litigation, but they have said that they have not seen the lawsuit.
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Two More Men Join Lawsuit Against Minneapolis Priesttag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.146562010-07-01T23:35:43Z2010-07-01T23:39:01ZClergy Abuse News
clergy abuse died at the age of 50 from cancer in 1985.
On Tuesday, the men joined a lawsuit that was filed against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis back in March. According to the men, Reverend Thomas Stitts molested them while they members of the Guardian Angeles Catholic Church parish. They say they were also molested at St. Leo's congregation, which is located in St. Paul.
The men say that they were sexually abused during the 1960s. In the lawsuit, the Plaintiffs state that the archdiocese had known or should have known about the allegations of abuse that were made against Stitts before assigning him to both parishes.
When asked about the lawsuit, Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said that the archdiocese rejects the allegations of fraud and misrepresentation.
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Newspaper Alleges Kansas Dioceses Keep Sex Abuse Allegations from the Publictag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.145262010-06-23T23:31:34Z2010-06-23T23:34:47ZClergy Abuse News On Wednesday, the Lawrence Journal-World said that it conducted a two year investigation along with 6News, a local cable television news source. The investigation revealed dozens of cases of alleged sex abuse by priests. Some of the cases went back as far as the 1950s.
Due to the fact that the church officials provided very limited information, the newspaper was not able to determine the extent of the problem. During 2002 reforms, the church had promised to be more open and transparent with the general public, especially with sexual abuse cases. In Lawrence, the transparency is questionable at this time.
If you have been a victim of clergy abuse that was sexual in nature, now is the time to retain representation from a clergy abuse lawyer that can protect your rights and initiate legal proceedings. Contact the Zalkin Law Firm today to discuss your case with a clergy abuse attorney.
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Massachusetts Priest Accused of Child Sex Abusetag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.144622010-06-18T21:31:28Z2010-06-18T21:34:11ZClergy Abuse News At this time, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has forbade Rev. Menna from performing any of his duties as a priest. He has also been prohibited from living at Mary's Church in Quincy, Massachusetts pending the outcome of the allegations against him.
In a statement released this past weekend, Cardinal Sean O'Malley said, "The Archdiocese immediately notified law enforcement of the allegations and has initiated a preliminary investigation into the complaints."
He also commented that the news and allegations would be a source of distress for many people. O'Malley stated, "My prayers and concern are with all people who are impacted by this matter." He plans to do everything possible to protect the children and enable the healing process for those who were allegedly harmed by Rev. Menna.
If you have been a victim of clergy abuse, now is the time to discuss your case with a clergy abuse lawyer. Do not wait to contact the Zalkin Law Firm to get the legal representation you deserve.
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Coach Facing Charges for Sexually Abusing Studenttag:news.zalkin.com,2010://93.143402010-06-11T20:53:41Z2010-06-11T20:56:24ZClergy Abuse News The 14 year old victim said in an affidavit that the relationship started in 2007. She told authorities that Snodgress hugged and kissed her while on school property. She also said that they had exchanged texts and emails that included images of her topless.
In May 2008, the 14 year old said that she and Snodgress started a sexual relationship. Initially, he pressured her to perform oral sex and then a week later, she claims they had intercourse in Snodgress' truck. Court records indicate that Snodgress admitted that he had a sexual relationship with the girl while employed at the middle school.
He was charged and pled guilty to 2 counts of third degree sexual abuse. A hearing has been scheduled for June 29th.