Author Archive
When Priests Become Predators: Profiles of Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors published
When Priests Become Predators: Profiles of Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors published
After eleven months work I have fulfilled my promise to my survivor clients and written my book entitled When Priests Become Predators: Profiles of Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors. You can find a lengthy interview about the many previously unknown topics of important public concern addressed in this book in the Oldspeak on-line magazine which is found at
Their ordeal now will not be lost in the dust of history but instead the public will be educated about the many important social and political issues surrounding this crisis.
EYEWITNESS REPORT OF IMPOSITION OF PRISON TERM FOR ENDANGERING CHILDREN
I received the following eyewitness report from a survivor who was in the Philadelphia courtroom on Tuesday when Msgr. William Lynn was sentenced by Commons Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina for his conviction of the felony of child endangerment after he lacked the courage to buck his Cardinal and took the easy way out by exposing children to monster priests who sexually abused them. I pass it along to our readers.
JUDGE SAYS CHILD ABUSE IS SOUL MURDER
In chapter 5 of my upcoming book, When Priests Become Predators, Thomas Doyle, who has long equated childhood sexual abuse with murder of the tender souls of children, testifies.
Well now a judge has agreed with him.
Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina yesterday sentenced Msgr. William J. Lynn to three to six years in state prison for child endangerment in the long cover-up which the Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia appears to have orchestrated. You can find the story in the Philadelphia Inquirer at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120725_Lynn_gets_prison_sentence_of_three_to_six_years.htm
Doyle testified for the prosecution in that criminal trial.
WHAT IF THE CHURCH HAD REPENTED FOR CHILD ABUSE AS PENN STATE HAS DONE?
Today Penn State University accepted severe sanctions from the NCAA for the child abuse that was covered-up within its athletic program. As reported by the Washington Post you can read a copy of the consent decree here at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/ncaa-sanctions-penn-state.html
As I point out in my book When Priests Become Predators, which is being released in September 2012, the cover-up by the Catholic Church of child sexual abuse within its confines was handled entirely differently when that scandal broke in 2002 and spread nationwide in the church.
Penn State Report Parallels Catholic Church Child Abuse Cover-up
Today the long awaited independent report on child abuse in the football program at Penn State was released. The Philadelphia Inquirer lead story can be found at
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20120712_Report_due_today_on_Penn_State__Sandusky.html. The actual 162 page report itself is located at www.philly.com/freeh.
Several conclusions found in the report could have been written about the more than 50 year cover-up of child abuse in the Catholic Church by its bishops pastors and co-worker priests.
As quoted by the Inquirer –
Jury Acquits Survivor of Assault on Priest
The New York Times reported today that after three days of deliberation a California jury of nine men and three women found Will Lynch not guilty of criminal charges that he assaulted a Jesuit priest who in the past had sexually abused him when he was a boy. The story can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/us/california-acquittal-in-beating-of-retired-priest.html?_r=1
Allegedly, over 30 years ago when this boy was only seven years old, the priest had abused Will who in 2010 punched the priest out in a Jesuit retirement home. The priest denied ever abusing Mr. Lynch but when he took the stand the priest was destroyed on cross-examination when he took the 5th causing his testimony to be striken.
Convicted Supervivor Priest in Childhood Sexual Abuse Case Imprisoned Until Sentencing
The Philadelphia Inquirer just reported that Msgr. William J. Lynn, who was recently convicted of child endangerment after a several months long trial, today lost his attempt to be released from prison where he is being held prior to being sentenced for his crime. The story can be found at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20120705_Judge_denies_Lynn_s_bid_for_house_arrest.html
The judge in this case reportedly agreed that Lynn was a flight risk, which is not an unreasonable conclusion since the Vatican appears to have in the past become a hide out for high church officials fleeing justice, as happened previously when Boston’s Cardinal Law fled to Rome from Boston law enforcement authorities. Indeed, the press reported that the prosecutor in this case actually argued that Lynn could seek “asylum” from the Vatican, which due to a quirk of history is actually its own nation state.
PA Monsignor Convicted!
Just minutes ago the New York Times reported that after a ten week trial and weeks of jury deliberations Monsignor William Lynn was convicted by a Philadelphia jury of child endangerment. This high Roman Catholic Church official now faces a possible prison term of up to 3 1/2 to 7 years.
You can read the article here http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/06/22/us/ap-us-priest-abuse-trial.html?_r=1&ref=us
Pa. Lawmakers Try To Force Window Bill From Committee
Window reform legislation has been held hostage by the Roman Catholic Church and the insurance industry in the Pennsylvania legislature.
Amy Worden reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today on efforts to discharge the Bill to give protection to survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Pennsylvania. See http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/159514635.html
The press reported that the spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference said abolishing the statute of limitations in criminal and civil cases would make it “impossible for organizations to defend themselves” and would “only result in a flood of lawsuits and big checks for lawyers.” “The passage of time makes it nearly impossible for a church or any organization to defend itself against allegations from 30, 40, or 50 years ago,” she said. “Over time, evidence is lost or never found, witnesses’ memories fade, and in many instances perpetrators or witnesses may be deceased.”
Jury awards more than $28 million against Jehovah’s Wittnesses and sexual abuser
June 15, 2012
Today, MSNBC reports that a jury in Oakland, California on June 13th awarded $7 million in compensatory damages and $21,000,001 in punitive damages against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and a member for childhood sexual abuse of a 9-10 year old girl in the mid 1990s. l she is now now 26.
The link to the story follows.
As reported the plaintiff stated that “I once wanted to be the best Jehovah’s Witness I could be. Now I feel I’m doing more to help other children in Jehovah’s Witnesses than I ever did walking door to door to spread the ‘good news.’”