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This page documents notable Roman Catholic sex abuse cases by country.
In 1995 Hans Hermann Cardinal Groër stepped down as head of the Catholic Church in Austria following accusations of sexual misconduct. In 1998 he left the country. He remained a Cardinal.[1]
There have been several abuse cases in Belgium.
Former parish priest Bruno Vos of Nieuwmoer parish in Kalmthout was officially charged with rape of a minor by the Belgian judiciary. There are also allegations of possession of child pornography included in the charge.[2]
In 2000 Fr. Frantisek Merta and Olomouc Archbishop Jan Graubner were charged after allegations were made by a theology student, Václav Novák, that Merta had sexually abused altar boys since 1995.
There have also been several abuse cases in France.
In February 2010 Der Spiegel reported that more than 94 clerics and laymen have been suspected of sexual abuse since 1995; but only 30 of those suspects had actually been prosecuted because of legal time constraints on pursuing cases.[4]
Several priests who abused children in the United States were Irish Nationals, notably Patrick Colleary, Anthony O'Connell and Oliver O'Grady.
The Ferns Inquiry 2005 - On 22 October 2005 a government-commissioned report compiled by a former Irish Supreme Court judge delivered an indictment of the handling of clerical sex abuse in the Irish diocese of Ferns.
It is difficult to ascertain the correct statistics for clerical sexual abuse in Italy because the Italian Government has a treaty with the Vatican that guarantees areas of immunity to Vatican officials, including bishops and priests.[5]
Cases of sexual abuse by religious members of the Roman Catholic Church in The Netherlands can since 1995 be notified to a central church institution, called Secretariaat Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap (SRRK).[6][7].
In 1993, Father H.H.M. Jansen is denounced for sexual abuse during his activities as military pastor and as a faculty member of the seminary of Rolduc.[8]
On 13 March 1993, bishop Philippe Bär quits his post as bishop of Rotterdam and Dutch military bishop after allegations of multiple homosexual abuse.[8]
On 14 May 1998 damages of € 56.800 were paid by the diocese of Rotterdam to the victim of sexual abuse by a diocesan priest in order to avoid civil prosecution.[9]
Father J. Ceelen, pastor of the parishes of Lieshout and of Mariahout (municipality of Laarbeek) quits his post after allegations of sexual abuse on 1 September 2005.[10]
In February 2010 Salesians were accused of sexual abuse in their juvenate Don Rua in 's-Heerenberg. Salesian bishop of Rotterdam van Luyn pleaded for a thorough investigation.[11]
In March 2002 Archbishop Juliusz Paetz quit following accusations, which he denied, of sexually molesting young priests.[12]
In early 2007 allegations surfaced that former Bishop Stanislaw Wielgus (later very briefly Archbishop of Warsaw) was aware that several priests in his former diocese of Plock were sexually abusing minors.[13]
There have been several abuse affairs in United Kingdom as well.
Allegations of sexual abuse on 47 young seminarists surfaced in 1994.[18]
Fr. Marcial Maciel (1920–2008) founded the Legion of Christ, a Catholic order of priests originating in Mexico. Nine former seminarians of his order accused Maciel of molestation.[22] One retracted his accusation, saying that it was a plot intended to discredit the Legion. Maciel maintained his innocence of the accusations.
In 2007, Daniel Bernardo Beltrán Murguía Ward, a 42 year-old SCV consecrated layman was found by the National Police in a hostel in Cercado de Lima with a 12 year-old boy, of whom he was taking sexually explicit pictures. The boy was initially lured by Murguía Ward in Miraflores, where he was given Pokemon figures in exchange for photos of his intimate parts. When Murguía Ward was caught, he had paid the boy 20 soles ($7 USD) for his services in the hostel. The police have reported that pictures of two other boys were also found on Murguía Ward's camera and that the boy has claimed he received oral sex from Murguía Ward. These charges have been denied by the accused. Murguía Ward has since been removed from the SCV for his alleged misconduct.[23][24][25].
In the 1990s, criminal proceedings began against members of the Christian Brothers in Newfoundland.
The Society of Jesus made a $50 million payout to over 100 Inuits who alleged that they had been sexually abused. The settlement did not require them to admit molesting Inuit children, but accusations involved 13 or 14 priests who allegedly molested these children for 30 years.[26]
The Diocese of Fairbanks, a co-defendant in the case, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming inability to pay the 140 plaintiffs filing claims against the diocese for alleged sexual abuse by priests or church workers during this period.[27][28][29]
Allegations of sexual misconduct by priests of the Archdiocese of Boston, and following revelations of a cover-up by the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, became known in 2004, causing Roman Catholics in other dioceses of the United States to investigate similar situations. Cardinal Law's actions prompted public scrutiny of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the steps taken in response to past and current allegations of sexual misconduct by priests. The events in the Archdiocese of Boston became a national scandal.
Daniel McCormack, a self-confessed sexually abusive priest was sentenced to five years in prison for abusing five boys (8–12 years) in 2001.[30]
On October 10, 2006, the Diocese of Davenport filed for Chapter 11 protection [31].
In July 2008 the Archdiocese of Denver paid a settlement of $5.5 million dollars to 18 claims of alleged sexual abuse perpetrated by two clerics between the years of 1954 and 1981.[32]
In 2006 the Archdiocese settled a number of claims of sexual, and the Archbishop offered a personal apology.[33]
Father James Porter was a Roman Catholic priest who was convicted of molesting 28 children;[34] He admitted sexually abusing at least 100 of both sexes over a period of 30 years, starting in the 1960s.[35] Bishop Sean O'Malley settled 101 abuse claims and initiated a zero-tolerance policy against sexual abuse. He also instituted one of the first comprehensive sexual abuse policies in the Roman Catholic Church.[36]
Reverend Joseph Bukoski, III, SS.CC., Honolulu, Hawaii, a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary was canonically removed in 2003 as the pastor of Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lahaina by Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo for allegations relating to sexual improprieties some 30 years earlier. Fr. Bukoski issued a written public apology to his victim on November 12, 2005.
Reverend Mr. James "Ron" Gonsalves, Wailuku, Hawaii, Gonsalves the administrator of Saint Ann Roman Catholic Church in Waihee, Maui, pleaded guilty on May 17, 2006 to several counts of sexual assault on a 12-year-old male. Bishop Clarence Richard Silva has permanently withdrawn his faculties and has initiated laicization proceedings against Deacon Gonsalves with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay out 60 million dollars to settle 45 lawsuits it still faces over 450 other pending cases. According to the Associated Press a total of 22 priests were involved in the settlement with cases going as far back as the 1930s.[37] 20 million dollars of this was paid by the insurers of the archdiocese. The main administrative office of the archdiocese is due to be sold to cover the cost of these and future law suits. The archdiocese will settle about 500 cases for about $600 million.[38]
Since 1966, the Archdiocese of Miami Insurance Programs have paid $26.1 million in settlement, legal and counselling costs associated with sexual misconduct allegations made by minors involving priests, laity and religious brothers and sisters.[39]
A 2003 report on the sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee revealed that allegations of sexually assaulting minors had been made against 58 ordained men. By early 2009, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee had spent approximately $26.5 million in attorney fees and settlements. Under Archbishop Timothy Dolan the archdiocese was able to avoid bankruptcy from lawsuits.[40]
Archbishop Elden Curtiss reassigned a priest despite pedophilia allegations that had first emerged in 1959. He later admitted to failing to examine the priest's personnel file.[41] In 1993, Curtiss confessed to removing letters documenting abuse from the file, acknowledging his "shortsightedness and misjudgment."[41]
On January 3, 2005 Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange apologized to 87 alleged victims of sexual abuse and announced a settlement of $100 million following two years of mediation.
Several Priests were found to have engaged in sexual misconduct and the Bishop was criticized for his handling of the cases.
Coadjutor Bishop John J. Myers of Peoria was among the two-thirds of sitting bishops and acting diocese administrators that the Dallas Morning News found had allowed priests accused of sexual abuse to continue working.[42]
In 2005, Rev. Francis Engels plead guilty to molesting a Peoria altar boy on trips to Milwaukee in the early 1980s.[43]
According to a 2005 investigation, while serving as assistant vicar for administration in 1996, Bishop Cistone was involved with silencing a nun who tried to alert parishioners at St. Gabriel parish about abuse by a priest. According to the report, there were several other instances of priest sexual abuse which Cistone was complicit in covering up.[44]
On November 21, 2005, Monsignor Dale Fushek of the Diocese of Phoenix was arrested and charged with 10 criminal misdemeanor counts related to alleged inappropriate sexual contact with teens and young adults.[45]
The Archdiocese of Portland filed for Chapter 11 reorganization on July 6, 2004, hours before two abuse trials were set to begin. Portland became the first Catholic diocese to file for bankruptcy. An open letter to the archdiocese's parishioners explained the archbishop's motivation.
John Salazar - sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a 18-year-old parishioner.[46]
On February 27, 2007, the Diocese of San Diego filed for Chapter 11 protection, hours before the first of about 150 lawsuits was due to be heard.
Under Bishop William S. Skylstad the Diocese of Spokane declared bankruptcy to protect it from claims of people abused by priests in December 2004. The Diocese of Spokane as part of its bankruptcy has agreed to pay at least $48 million as compensation. This payout has to be agreed to by the victims and a Judge before it will be made. According to Federal Bankruptcy Judge Gregg W. Zive, money for the settlement would come from insurance companies, the sale of church property, contributions from Catholic groups and from the diocese's parishes.[47]
Fr. Oliver O'Grady molested multiple children in Stockton.[48] The 2006 documentary Deliver Us From Evil is based on accusations that Bishop Roger Mahony knew that Oliver O'Grady was an active pedophile.[49]
The Diocese of Tucson filed bankruptcy in September, 2004. The Diocese of Tucson reached an agreement with plaintiffs, which the bankruptcy judge approved on June 11, 2005, specifying terms that included allowing the diocese reorganization to continue in return for a $22.2 million settlement.
There were several cases of sexual abuse in the Melbourne archdiocese.
The abuse scandal in Christchurch is an important chapter in the clerical abuse affairs in New Zealand.
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   | LA diocese settles abuse claims - BBC NEWS | Americas | LA diocese settles abuse claims |
| | California Diocese Settles Abuse Cases - Calif. Diocese Settles Abuse Cases - CBS News |
| | Orange Diocese to release files in $100 million settlement - Orange Diocese to release files in $100 million settlement | The-Tidings.com |
| | Australian archbishop steps aside - Home - The Globe and Mail |
| | Jesuit Order Settles Suit on Sex Abuse in Alaska - The New York Times > Log In |
| | Fairbanks Catholic Diocese filing for bankruptcy - Fairbanks Catholic Diocese filing for bankruptcy - KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | |
| | Diocese of Fairbanks to file for bankruptcy - Diocese of Fairbanks to file for bankruptcy |
| | Catholic brother convicted of abuse - Catholic brother convicted of abuse - national | Stuff.co.nz |
| | Capturaron a pedófilo cuando fotografiaba a menor de 11 años - LaRepublica.pe | Gripe AH1N1 / Rómulo León en prisión / Nuevo Código de Tránsito |
| | Capturan a pedófilo que era laico consagrado - Capturan a pedófilo que era laico consagrado | terra |
| | Priest gets 5 years for sex abuse - ERROR :: Sorry, the page you requested could not be found.If you are trying to reach a page from a bookmark, the page URL may have changed. Please choose a community from the navigation at the top of this page.If you are looking for an older news story, it may no longer be here. Free archives of stories are maintained on our site for one month. If you still have trouble finding what you need, please contact our webmaster. :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State |
| | Jail for child sex abuse teacher - BBC NEWS | UK | England | Devon | Jail for child sex abuse teacher |
| | Pedofilia in un importante istituto per sordi di Verona - Noi vittime dei preti pedofili | L'espresso |
| | Monk jailed for schoolboys abuse - BBC NEWS | UK | England | Devon | Monk jailed for schoolboys abuse |
| | Pedophilia in Verona's Institute - Noi Vittime Dei Preti Pedofili, by Paolo Tessadri, L'espresso, January 22, 2009 |
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