Showing posts with label sexual abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexual abuse. Show all posts
Did The Belgian Police Use Catholic Church to Lure Victims?
It looks like the Belgian Police used the Catholic Church in order use the abuse victims. Let the truth about the awful priest sexual abuse cases be revealed but also let's have due process take its course. One of the things I found awful about the raids is the police drilled holes into the crypts or graves.
From the AP: BRUSSELS — A Belgian man who says he was sexually abused by a priest filed a complaint with Brussels prosecutors Tuesday after his confidential testimony to a church-appointed panel was seized by Belgian police.
Jan Hertogen, a 63-year-old sociologist, said he told his story to the panel on the condition it would not be passed to authorities. He said the police raids — which also targeted a Catholic cathedral, church offices and a crypt — were an invasion of his privacy.
"After all those years, I told my story to the (sex-abuse panel) insisting it not be shared," he said, adding that he was now willing to speak to the media because he was so distressed at the victims' loss of privacy.
Hertogen wants all 475 men and boys who contacted the panel with allegations of abuse to complain to the Brussels prosecutor's office and register as "injured parties."
That would allow alleged victims access to information about any prosecutions resulting from the June 24 raids, which sparked a storm of protest by the Vatican after files were confiscated, bishops detained and holes drilled into a prelate's tomb to search for documents.
The Belgian police are investigating clerical sexual abuse after the country's longest serving bishop stepped down in April, confessing he had sexually molested a boy. Several other men and boys had said they had previously told Cardinal Godfried Danneels, who retired in January, about abuse but their complaints had not been investigated.
His home was among the targets of the raids.
The Catholic Church says it had the right to investigate allegations alongside police and the head of the panel accused prosecutors of using them as "bait" to lure frightened victims into the open. Pope Benedict XVI called the raids "deplorable."
But in a sign the row may be abating, Belgian officials will meet a papal envoy within days to discuss the raids, said foreign ministry spokesman Bart Ouvry. He did not give a date for the meeting between Archbishop Giacinto Berloco and Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere.
After the raids were carried out a child psychiatrist renounced his position on the Belgian abuse commission.
From New York Times: 'On Monday, that prompted the new head of that commission, Peter Adriaenssens, a child psychiatrist, to renounce his position along with other members, complaining that the commission had been used by authorities as “bait.” '
From the AP: BRUSSELS — A Belgian man who says he was sexually abused by a priest filed a complaint with Brussels prosecutors Tuesday after his confidential testimony to a church-appointed panel was seized by Belgian police.
Jan Hertogen, a 63-year-old sociologist, said he told his story to the panel on the condition it would not be passed to authorities. He said the police raids — which also targeted a Catholic cathedral, church offices and a crypt — were an invasion of his privacy.
"After all those years, I told my story to the (sex-abuse panel) insisting it not be shared," he said, adding that he was now willing to speak to the media because he was so distressed at the victims' loss of privacy.
Hertogen wants all 475 men and boys who contacted the panel with allegations of abuse to complain to the Brussels prosecutor's office and register as "injured parties."
That would allow alleged victims access to information about any prosecutions resulting from the June 24 raids, which sparked a storm of protest by the Vatican after files were confiscated, bishops detained and holes drilled into a prelate's tomb to search for documents.
The Belgian police are investigating clerical sexual abuse after the country's longest serving bishop stepped down in April, confessing he had sexually molested a boy. Several other men and boys had said they had previously told Cardinal Godfried Danneels, who retired in January, about abuse but their complaints had not been investigated.
His home was among the targets of the raids.
The Catholic Church says it had the right to investigate allegations alongside police and the head of the panel accused prosecutors of using them as "bait" to lure frightened victims into the open. Pope Benedict XVI called the raids "deplorable."
But in a sign the row may be abating, Belgian officials will meet a papal envoy within days to discuss the raids, said foreign ministry spokesman Bart Ouvry. He did not give a date for the meeting between Archbishop Giacinto Berloco and Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere.
After the raids were carried out a child psychiatrist renounced his position on the Belgian abuse commission.
From New York Times: 'On Monday, that prompted the new head of that commission, Peter Adriaenssens, a child psychiatrist, to renounce his position along with other members, complaining that the commission had been used by authorities as “bait.” '
Raid on Catholic Church in Belgium is Flashback to Gestapo Era
Bill Donahue said:
It looks as though the Belgian police took a page from the Gestapo playbook and executed it to the tee. The police detained the present bishops for over nine hours while they snooped high and low—even going so far as to drill into the tombs of two deceased cardinals—trying to get any thing they could to indict the Belgian Church.
Recently the Belgian bishops created a committee to investigate claims of priestly sexual abuse, but this mattered not a whit to the Belgian government. They barged into the offices anyway. While police do have the right to conduct a search, so long as it is warranted, this seizure smacks of an agenda."
From Bloomberg: The Vatican said it was indignant about a Belgian police raid of the graves of two archbishops in an investigation of suspected pedophiles among the clergy.
The Vatican voiced “astonishment over how the searches were carried out yesterday by Belgian judicial authorities and its indignation over the violation of the graves,” said a statement today by the office of the Secretary of State.
Belgian police raided the principal seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium, the residence of the Archbishop of Malines in Mechelen, according to a statement released by the Belgian Bishops’ Conference. The police search lasted from 10:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., the statement said.
“No explanation was given, but all documents and mobile phones were confiscated and it was referred that nobody could leave the building,” the bishops’ statement said. “It was not a pleasant experience.”
Belgian’s longest-serving bishop, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in April after admitting to sexually molesting a boy about two decades ago. He was the first senior Catholic official in Belgium to resign in a scandal that has implicated priests in nations including the U.S., Germany, Ireland and Italy. The graves of Cardinals Jozef-Ernest Van Roey and Leon-Joseph Suenens were searched yesterday by Belgian authorities.
Pope Benedict XVI, 83, on June 11 publicly asked for “forgiveness” from victims of sex-abuse crimes committed by Catholic priests and promised to do “everything possible” to shield children from pedophile clerics.
Jean-Marc Meilleur, spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office, didn’t return a voice message left on his mobile phone seeking comment.
This is deplorable and inexcusable!! I am all for getting to the truth of the priest sex abuse scandals but this is out of line, way over the top. This does smell like the police had an agenda, and it wasn't merely getting at the truth -- getting justice for those abused. The Belgian police clearly has a vendetta against the Catholic Church. This is inexcusable and Pope Benedict XVI has a right to be saddened over this and to call the raids "Surprising and deplorable".
From Zenit: Pope Benedict XVI sent this letter to Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard of Malines-Brussels:
In this sad moment I would like to express my particular nearness and solidarity with you, dear brother in the episcopate, and with all the bishops of the Church in Belgium, in the wake of the surprising and deplorable manner in which the searches were carried out in the cathedral of Malines and the place where the Belgian episcopate was gathered in a plenary session that, among other things, was also to have treated matters connected with the abuse of minors by members of the clergy.
Many times I myself have stressed that these grave deeds must be dealt with by the civil and canonical orders, with respect to their reciprocal specificity and autonomy. In this sense I desire that justice take its course, with a guarantee for the fundamental rights of persons and institutions, in respect to the victims, in recognition without prejudice of those who are committed to cooperate with it and in the rejection of all that casts a shadow on the noble work assigned to it.
Assuring that I accompany the journey of this Church daily in prayer, I very gladly convey my affectionate Apostolic Benediction.
There is a right way at getting at the truth regarding the priest sex abuse scandals and this isn't the right way to go about finding out the truth. The Belgian police vandalized or violated graves. That is just sacreligious. Let us keep all those who have been sexually abused in our thoughts and prayers.
Dr. Earl Bradley is Charged With Sexually Abusing 103 Children in Delaware
On Monday afternoon, the Sussex County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Bradley containing 471 counts of first degree rape, sexual exploitation of a child, unlawful sexual contact first degree, continued sexual abuse of a child, second degree assault and first degree reckless endangerment. He had been initially charged with 29 felony counts when first arrested in December 2009.
As for the number of victims, Sussex County prosecutor Paula Ryan said, "There are 103 separate children identified. They have not been specifically identified as to their name." Officials say there was one male victim among them.
The horrific details of the case against the Lewes pediatrician continue to unfold. The Attorney General said investigators had to review more than 13 hours of videos taped by the doctor, the earliest dating back to 1998. Police had seized the tapes while executing a search warrant at Bradley's office and home back in December.
But there is still a long road ahead, according to investigators. Biden said, "I will expect we will add to this indictment with new charges over the coming months," adding that prosecutors expect to identify more victims as well.
The community has been traumatized by the allegations. In response, what once looked like a wonderland of toys has become a barren building, swept clear of any reminder that children used to go there. The Attorney General's office removed the objects last week.
Now, the state is already looking to others to help them heal through such a painful and never-before-experienced time. Biden said, "We have consulted with and assembled a team of national experts on child sexual abuse to assist each one of us standing here before you."
The Attorney General displayed visible pain, often hesitating and wiping away a tear. "The charges in this indictment are unique in the history of the state of Delaware, as far as I can tell. These are crimes committed against the most vulnerable among us," he said, pausing in emotion. "Those without voices." Biden added that after his research, he knows of no other case with so many young victims as the case against Bradley.
This is outrageous!!!! This is highly disturbing and sickening!!! This doctor violated his hippocratic oath, "to abstain from doing harm." Dr. Earl Bradley is accused of violating 103 children and the counting still may not be over. He did major harm to all these children. Has the world gone mad? It sure seems like it. In my opinion, we need to bring back morality, values, and God back into our society. The scars from the molestations will last with these children for the rest of their lives. The scars can heal, but they will always be there. As a victim of sexual assault, I understand the massive repercussions and major effects that sexual crimes can cause. This had me crying, tears rolling down my face, remembering so vividly details of how events went down in my case when I was sexually assaulted at 17 years old. My heart goes out to every one of those kids and their familiies. Maybe, partially because these atrocities took place so close to where my case took place. These horrible crimes took place about 40 miles away from where I grew up. But, with an outpouring of love and therapy these kids can be okay. This pisses me off to no end!! This doctor preyed on little kids. In my case, the man was a horse farm owner where many kids attended horse lessons and this doctor had an enormous amount of children under his care as well. This makes me want to scream to the mountain tops for all these poor children- all these victims of molestation. This monster needs to pay for all of his crimes!! Is life in prison enough of a punishment? These were such heinoous and purposefully acted upon crimes that I would say, NO. The guy needs to fry for his crimes. He deserves the death penalty. This makes me want to go volunteer for a sexual abuse agency. Who knows, maybe this is one more sign that God is calling me to help out victims of sexual crimes? I will be keeping all of these children and their families' in my thoughts and prayers.
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