Penna. Grand Jury Report on Clergy Abuse Released

Penna. Grand Jury Report on Clergy Abuse Released
B

brother2none

Registrant
Today was a great day for survivors abused in Pennsylvania, regardless of whether or not it was by a member of the clergy. Today the grand jury report was finally released in redacted form but still it is done!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all the survivors who testified over a two-year period for the grand jury. Because of your sacrifices, we have a chance for justice after all.
The link is:
https://media-downloads.pacourts.us/InterimRedactedReportandResponses.pdf?cb=22148
Be advised it can be triggering, its over 1000 pages, and over 300 predator priests were named in the report.
The grand jury has recommended:
A. Eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for sexually abusing children.
B. Create a two-year "civil window" for child sex abuse victims who couldn't file lawsuits before.
C. Clarify the penalties for a continuing failure to report child abuse.
D. Prohibit "non -disclosure" agreements regarding cooperation with law enforcement.

Please everyone in PA, contact your state legislators and urge them to support the recommendations of the report.

Much still needs to be done. This is a WAR that is being waged by the RC Church and insurance companies to prevent survivors from being compensated for the crimes committed against us, from preventing us from being able to afford effective counseling and treatment in order to heal as much as one can heal. If you listen to the Church spinmasters, you would think they reported all the allegations in a timely manner -which we all know if FALSE. And still behind the scenes, bishops and 3 dozen lobbyists are seeking to prevent statute reform.

We have the power to shine a light on the truth! So let's do this!
 
I believe that we should eliminate the statute of limitations across the nation. The victims are handed a life sentence, and we should be able to seek justice.
 
The Boy Scouts of America is another one that is working to ensure we never can hold those accountable "accountable". The fact they would work against those they should be supporting, shows they are not honorable or of god in the first place.

We need to do something about this together. Money is the only thing you can take from a corporation, and money is the blood of a corporation and take enough you can kill them.
 
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I keep reading of the PA abuse, I read the Pope's letter, I read the letter from the Bishop of the Diocese where my abuse occurred (he was not there during that time), I also read excerpts from articles and testimony of the Bishop who was there during my time, my abuse--Walter Curtis. I was reading the latter today and it sickened me, set me off with sadness and pain. I want to share part of one article which shows the callousness of the church and their disregard for the child. Note the priest named below is not my abuser.

" Former Bridgeport Bishop Walter Curtis, who ran the diocese for 27 years before Egan, testified in 1995 that the diocese deliberately shuffled pedophile priests among parishes to give them a "fresh start," and admitted destroying records of complaints against some priests. Curtis also said he didn't believe pedophilia was a permanent condition.

"In 1964, a teenage student at Sacred Heart University accused Father Laurence Brett, a spiritual director of the university, of performing oral sex on him and biting his penis to prevent him from ejaculating. Bishop Curtis discussed the situation with the Vatican representative in Washington, D.C., and decided not to suspend Brett but to send him out of state. Diocese officials were told that "hepatitis was to be feigned" as an excuse for Brett's absence. In seeming exile, Brett was supported financially by the Bridgeport diocese and was permitted to perform priestly functions. Brett held a variety of ecclesiastical positions in New Mexico, California, and Maryland for the next thirty years, becoming a writer and television minister. In 1991, Egan investigated Brett's case and allowed him to remain in the ministry. When more accusations against Brett surfaced, Egan suspended his priestly faculties."

It took over 27 years before he was suspended--not defrocked. I still gag when I read of the boy and what was done to him so as not to ejaculate. People fail to see this as pain and suffering, by denial that have said it is acceptable. I think of this boy and wonder whatever became of him. I think of all the children that could have been saved, may be me, if the Bishop Curtis had not been so ignorant and pompous, he let many children's lives to be destroyed.

When the Pope in his letter said "we showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them. I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons. Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated."

The Church has turned a blind eye along with many of their followers. One part of the Pope's letter brought the pain to surface and I began to cry. No nothing can be sufficient to repair the damage done. Your followers, clerics and lay people followed the words and actions of the church leaders and further damaged the survivor with denial, abuse and placing the surviving in standing far behind the abuser.

"In recent days, a report was made public which detailed the experiences of at least a thousand survivors, victims of sexual abuse, the abuse of power and of conscience at the hands of priests over a period of approximately seventy years. Even though it can be said that most of these cases belong to the past, nonetheless as time goes on we have come to know the pain of many of the victims. We have realized that these wounds never disappear and that they require us forcefully to condemn these atrocities and join forces in uprooting this culture of death; these wounds never go away. The heart-wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced. But their outcry was more powerful than all the measures meant to silence it, or sought even to resolve it by decisions that increased its gravity by falling into complicity."

I received some sense of relief when he acknowledged these wounds never go away. No matter how I thought I have healed, these events and his words made me realize I will live with these wounds until the day I die. I hope accepting this, will allow me to control the past and it not me. It is time everyone to hear the pain of survivors.

I have to step back from these events but take hope from those who have asked me am I alright, understanding the power of triggers.

Kevin

These events are a sad time for the Church and anyone who was complicit in the abuse, covering it up, denouncing survivors for they are the guilty ones who took life from so many.
 
Today something happened that gave me hope there is humanity in the church. Today there was an outreach from the Diocese where my abuse occurred--and I have a history with the Diocese that brought me relief and validation. With all going on with the church they are praying for my continued healing and extended an invitation to events that are survivor driven at the Diocese. They recognized there is great suffering and recognized that God never left my side despite the losses and suffering I experienced.

Their other words, personal I will not share, but it gave me hope there is humanity within the church. They pray I continue to find good, honorable and trustworthy priest and friends that prove themselves safe to me --they know of my friend and the special time over Christmas--5 years at attending midnight Mass and Easter Masses when she was in town and it has been marred because the main celebrant was Cardinal Wuerl who seems to have turned his back on survivors to protect priest. Last year the Bishop of the Diocese called me from Ireland and they know of my affinity and connection to Ireland. With the Pope there and the lack of turn out and demonstration by survivors they know it impacts me. They know these events have been trying for me.

I need to look at the person, not the institution be it Church, education, family, teams, work--for it is the individuals that attacked and destroyed me and it is the individuals who raised me to be here today.

I still hold no strong bond with the Church, but seek a way to reconnect. Not sure if that will ever occur after these recent events.

Just needed to share.

Kevin
 
I do see the significance of their outreach. It's commendable. You've written some of the most positive outcome posts I can relate to here on MS. I'm very glad to be reading all of this, to be present while you work on your journey.

In an aside, does the proximity of that old church and some other still give some pause about an effect that may occur? I'm being cryptic, and I hope that's OK? Please forgive me if I'm prying where you wish to deal with matters without that question? Support and hope is my interest.

The news has had an effect on me, and a lot of guys writing notes about it. I'm glad you can write with less impact to yourself, though, I am the nervous kind, which again I hope isn't a bother?

Best wishes always.

Rick
 
Rick

You are not prying, you are showing concern. For me, a friend recently said to me, I am so Catholic in principle in how I treat people and at the same time do not live their doctrine because I accept everyone no matter their beliefs, orientations nor do I hold the old Catholic grudge. Yes, the faith has influenced me and my challenge is to separate faith and church.

I worked with the Church for validation of my abuser along with others. I have validation and I learned validation does not release one from themselves. We trap ourselves in the world of abuse, the world of the abuser and let others abuse us without their remorse. I have come to learn their remorse is not what I have needed, I needed to forgive myself from punishing myself from what I was not responsible for.

The news of the abuses bothered me immensely. I received kind words from people in Ireland who know my story, I also received words of support from them. I believe connected by heritage, blood or friendship, survivors feel each others pain and hurt.

Rick, it took me years to accept what was done to me, what others did to me and only now can I say their actions or words will not control me. I see much of you in me, a person who wants a life free of pain and intrusive memories controlling, to be loved and respected--I can tell you in time you will take control and have what you deserve. I do today.

You are making wonderful progress. I know if someone said this to me a few years ago I would have shrugged my head and said what are you smoking. I was blessed with wonderful friends who are truly family--love, kindness, compassion and most importantly openness and not denial of one's issues and problems--I think you recently wrote of your T--who doesn't have baggage--we all do but we need to accept this baggage.

I still have apprehension about the Church and their practices and treatment of survivors. I also feel parishioners who carry this blind faith and at the same time time I do not care what they say because they are flawed on their understanding of CSA, trauma and our lives.

I totally appreciate your comments, thoughts and it is through dialogue we heal and grow.

Kevin
 
Not trying to diminish your experience of new church vs old church way of responding but I do want to include the following.

Last month, the President Pro Tem of the Pennsylvania Senate directs the Catholic Church to remove predator priests, provide restitution to victims and establish a victim compensation fund “this year,” administered by a neutral third party. Then the Bishop of Erie PA endorses this plan. Full Story link: https://www.pahouse.com/Rozzi/InTheNews/Opinion/?id=99830

Meanwhile the grand jury recommended opening a two year window for statute of limitations. So tell me please, how the new church is really any different in the respects of having victims be compensated fairly. AND under this so called plan, only priest abuse victims would benefit, NOT all victims, NOT victims of Scout leaders and people like me, abused by an employer in my youth.
 
Another year with no statute reform in Pennsylvania, while surrounding states have passed reforms. To update, a year ago today, on September 24, 2018, the Pa. House of Representatives voted to reform the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases and establish a two-year window to allow abuse victims to file civil lawsuits against the abusers for abuse that would otherwise be time-barred (presently age 30). With this passing the House, the legislation moved to the Pa. Senate for a vote. In the Senate, it stalled, without hearings and without a vote.

Another year. Another year without justice. Another year with PA Senators protecting pedophiles. It's sickening.
 
Thanks for keeping this thread alive... it is really a critical topic even for those of us who were not abused by a cleric or other authority figure. All survivors of sexual trauma need to be heard and supported. Wherever possible, individuals and institutions need to be held to account. We all live with the horror of our past and nothing can take that away, but everything we can do to highlight the tragedy of child sexual abuse can contribute to sensitivity that might mean other children won't be lost and alone with their pain.
 
Pennsylvania Lawmakers have passed a group of bills in both the House and Senate that will reform criminal and civil statutes. One bill addresses a state constitutional amendment to open a retroactive two-year window for civil suits that were time-barred. These bills are being signed into law tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 26, at Muhlenburg High School, near Reading PA, at 10am. Survivors and their loved ones are encouraged to attend this historic signing.

Granted the retroactive window legislation is not the immediate action that survivors wanted but it does pave the way for a process to make it a reality in the near future.

Here is the press release on the signing event:

MEDIA ADVISORY
​
State Rep. Mark Rozzi
D-Berks
www.pahouse.com/Rozzi
​

Governor Wolf to sign historic statute of limitations reform bill in Rozzi’s district Tuesday

READING, Nov. 25 – State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, will join Gov. Tom Wolf Tuesday as Wolf signs Rozzi’s statute of limitations reform legislation into law.

What: Gov. Wolf will sign Rozzi’s H.B. 962, which eliminates the criminal statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse and makes other reforms. He will also sign H.B.s 1171 and 1051, which include other recommendations from the grand jury report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

When: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26

Where: Muhlenberg High School library, 400 Sharp Ave., Reading PA 19605

Who: Gov. Tom Wolf, Rozzi, state Sen. Lisa Baker, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, state Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery, and state Rep. Jim Gregory, R-Blair, are expected to speak.

###

CONTACT: Angie Eyer
House Democratic Communications Office
Phone: 717-787-7895
Email: LCO-Southeast@pahouse.net
 
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