Australia… Queensland passes law to jail priests for not reporting confessions of child sexual abuse – ABC News 8 Sep 20209 Sep 2020 Priests in Queensland will now be compelled to break the seal of confession to report child sexual abuse or face three years in jail. Key points: The law was passed…
Victims Speak Out Recommendations for mental health healing for adult survivors of child sex abuse 27 Feb 202028 Feb 2020 Submitted to the Royal Commission into the State of Victoria (Australia) Mental Health System by a founder of SaySorry.org, Lara Kaput. Consider Religious Harm as a contributor to Victoria’s adverse…
Victims Speak Out ChildUSA.org identifies five religious organizations whose practices contribute to a culture of secrecy regarding child sex abuse 26 Feb 202026 Feb 2020 Marci Hamilton and ChildUSA.org have released a new paper, to be published as a chapter in the Sage Handbook of Domestic Violence, identifying five religious organizations whose practices contribute to…
Victims Speak Out Victoria Australia eliminates clergy reporting exceptions 24 Feb 2020 Sumeyya is a state political reporter for The Age. Mandatory reporting laws for religious institutions come into effect Laws requiring clergy to report child abuse to authorities — even if…
Investigations… Nearly 800 accuse Boy Scouts of failing to protect them from sex abuse as new lawsuit is filed 5 Aug 201918 Oct 2019 Dozens of cases reviewed by USA TODAY suggest the Boy Scouts of America overlooked signs of abuse. Source: USA Today. Nearly 800 accuse Boy Scouts of failing to protect them…
Catholic Church… Catholic bishops approve new sex-abuse reporting hotline 12 Jun 201918 Oct 2019 Source: Catholic bishops approve new sex-abuse reporting hotline Excerpts: BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to create a new national sex-abuse hotline run by an independent entity, a…
Clergy… New report reveals shocking details of how sexual abuse took place in churches 30 May 201918 Oct 2019 Shocking details of how sexual abuse took place in churches and how children were shamed and silenced have been detailed in a new report Source: "The Tablet" (International Catholic News…
Culture Change… ‘Tell No One’: Poland Is Pushed to Confront Abuse of Children by Priests – The New York Times 17 May 201918 Oct 2019 SCAARS.ORG is adding a link to the YouTube video here (for as long as it is available): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUvQ3W3nV4
Belgium… The Brussels Times – More than 70 Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse victims speak up after Belgian documentary 4 Apr 201918 Oct 2019 More than 70 victims of sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses have come forward with their stories since the public network aired a documentory about it last week, reports the…
Catholic Church… Attorney General Nessel to Catholic Church: Stop self-policing 21 Feb 201928 Feb 2019 Nessel asked the Diocese of Lansing and its counterparts to pause internal reviews as her office investigates clergy abuse. That may take up to two years LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has…
Canada… Ex-Jehovah’s Witness faces new child sexual abuse charges in Mont-Laurier, Que. | CBC News 14 Feb 201928 Feb 2019 A former Jehovah's Witness from Mont-Laurier, Que., is facing new charges of sexually assaulting two girls in his congregation in the 1980s — 23 years after he was acquitted of…
Culture Change… NY Child Victims Act: What new law means for sex abusers, victims 5 Feb 201928 Feb 2019 Legislators said the Child Victims Act will pass as the Catholic Church eases its long-held opposition to the bill. Decade-long battle Survivors of child sexual assault will earn a victory…
Victims Speak Out Sexual abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses (orig. in German) 27 Nov 201828 Feb 2019 Original article appears in German; translated through Google Translate: Victims of sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witness religious community have turned to the Report Mainz editorial board. They report that…
Jehovah's Witnesses… ‘Punished’ for being sexually abused in York County: Jehovah’s Witnesses’ culture of cover-up 15 Nov 201828 Feb 2019 Sarah Brooks was always a faithful Jehovah's Witness, until she was sexually abused by members of her church. She was 15. Church elders punished her and her abusers. York Daily…
