Catholic bishop to testify before Ohio legislators

Move is sign church aims to stop bill to expand sex-abuse lawsuits

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051209/NEWS10/512090408/-1/NEWS

By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU


COLUMBUS - In an unprecedented move, a Catholic bishop will testify next week before an Ohio legislative panel, a sign of how strongly the church wants to stop a bill allowing lawsuits alleging sexual abuse as long as 35 years ago.


"It's important they hear from the shepherd of the flock, that he explain what the church has committed itself to doing," said Tim Luckhaupt, executive head of Catholic Conference of Ohio. "We know people have been harmed, and we want to show what we are trying to do is help those people and make sure it doesn't happen again."

He said no final decision has been made as to which bishop will appear next Thursday. Ohio bishops have already taken the highly unusual step of personally meeting behind closed doors with legislative leaders on the controversial issue.

The House Judiciary Committee is considering a bill opening a one-time, one-year window for victims of child sexual abuse as long ago as 1970 to file lawsuits against their abusers as well as those they contend shielded them...


Dozens speak in support of Ohio's priest-abuse bill

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1134121257194270.xml&coll=2

Friday, December 09, 2005

Columbus- Robert Riestenberg said his principal at a Catholic high school in Cincinnati sexually molested him the day after his father died of cancer.

Mary Kessler said she was mourning the death of her young brother in a car accident when she was raped by the priest who had taken her grieving family under his wing.

Joelle Casteix was 15 when, bruised and bloody, she went to the office of her Catholic high school to report being abused by her choir director.

"They told me, 'Isn't it nice to be in love?' " said Casteix, 35, on a cross-country trip from California to support an Ohio bill aimed at cracking down on sexual abuse by priests and other religious leaders...

Most victims of sexual abuse are unable to "tell their story" either because the trauma itself was so intense that they can't remember or they "blocked out" the abuse; or because they know no one would believe them. Setting a one year time limit on taking action against the priest perp absolutely demonstrates the ignorance of the impact sexual abuse has on its survivors. The catholic church has been pushing for this time limit because they are aware of how few would actually be able to come forward in such a short period of time.

talk about why they don't want this law in public. His motive is so transparent: save the church from legal responsibility.

And bring every one of those fuckers to justice.

Anally raping young boys before mass

Guess they now get a pass from " the shepherd of the flock " </sarcasm>