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The disturbing issues surrounding child abuse and what happens to those who report it is a particularly poignant topic given that April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and a trial for former Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky on fifty-two counts of abuse is fast approaching.As journalists who have collectively spent eighty years in the trenches of the court system and beyond, we’ve repeatedly watched young children tell stories of horrible abuse from the witness stand. In all likelihood, those who accused Sandusky will also face intense questioning whe…

ALBANY — A 74-year-old Greene County priest cleared six years ago of allegations that he sexually abused a minor has been placed on administrative leave as new claims of abuse are investigated, the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese said Saturday.The Rev. Jeremiah Nunan, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Cairo and Our Lady of Knock Mission in East Durham, will be barred from officiating at any sacraments, wearing clerical garb or presenting himself as a priest, according to a statement from the diocese. The action was scheduled to be announced at weekend Masses at the two parishes.The diocese acted …

The case of Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator for Penn State’s football team accused of child sexual abuse, is now working its way through the courts. But it is already having an impact on thousands of other coaches, both volunteer and paid, who find themselves facing new scrutiny from parents, sports organizations and even state legislators. Since the Penn State scandal came to light in November…

The child sex-abuse accusations against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky are staggering and yet familiar.Mr. Sandusky, the founder of the Second Mile charity for troubled boys, generously brought them to football games and treated them to food, clothes and gifts, eight men told a grand jury. He also fondled them or exposed himself or had sex with them, they testified.One might think it would be easy to prosecute such accusations made by men, now in their late teens or 20s, who tell remarkably similar stories. But federal data show that less than half of suspects in chi…

The criminal case against Bishop Robert Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph will proceed to trial, a Jackson County judge ruled Thursday.Circuit Judge John Torrence denied defense motions seeking to dismiss the misdemeanor charges that stemmed from the handling of suspected child sex abuse allegations against the Rev. Shawn Ratigan.

Every year millions of children from all walks of life become victims of, or witnesses to, abusive or violent events that can result in long-lasting symptoms of distress. The events can range from sexual and physical abuse to involvement in a natural disaster, fire or serious motor vehicle accident.In many cases, the trauma is unknown to parents and caregivers or never dealt with effectively. The consequences can be devastating for the children and families involved and for society at large. These children are at much greater risk of developing behavioral problems, failing at school, abusing d…

Prominent
clergy abuse law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates filed a civil lawsuit on
Wednesday on behalf of a former Salinas, California, Palma High School student
who alleges a former Palma teacher, Father Gerald Funcheon, sexually abused him
on a ski trip to Oregon in the mid-1980s.

A 34-year-old man testified Tuesday that when he was a Boy Scout in Duluth two decades ago a scoutmaster sexually assaulted him at least 20 times and when he confronted his assailant in 2009 the man offered to pay $300,000 to keep the matter secret and out of court.The alleged assailant, Edwin C. Culbert, a 77-year-old former Air National Guard navigator with no criminal history, is standing trial in State District Court in Duluth, charged with five sex crimes …

Some Native American tribes in Minnesota are hoping a relatively new federal law will help reduce high reservation crime rates.The Tribal Law and Order Act would allow for more federal prosecutions of reservation crimes. But some county prosecutors aren’t eager to have federal officials handle cases that have traditionally been theirs.Justice Department statistics show just how dangerous reservations can be. Crime rates are more than twice as high on reservations as they are elsewhere. American Indian women experience violent crime rates three and-a-half times the national a…

Since the Penn State scandal, questions about protecting children from sexual abuse seem to be on parents’ minds all the time. I am thankful for the media’s spotlight on these issues. I tell my friends and family to use these stories as “teachable moments.” Sit your kids down and talk to them about the issue of sexual abuse. Discuss the range of behaviors that could be characterized as sexual abuse. They can range from fondling and inappropriate tickling/touching of genitals to child pornography and rape.