The Crown had detailed knowledge of Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian’s crimes in the mid-1990s but “dropped the ball” by failing to help the community deal with sexual abuse, the Employment Court has heard. Two Court of Appeal judgments tendered in a case brought by six former Gloriavale women describe how Christian was said to have Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Child sex abuse’
Boy Scouts sex-abuse claims approach 100,000
Thursday, November 19th, 2020
More than 95,000 people have come forward with sex-abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The claims, which lawyers said far eclipsed the number of abuse accusations filed in Catholic Church cases, continued to mount. The figure revealed the scale of alleged abuse committed over decades by scout leaders. It dwarfs the roughly Read more
Priest charged with sexual abuse resigns from church duties
Thursday, October 8th, 2020Anglican priest charged in connection with the historical sexual abuse allegations at Dilworth School has resigned from his position at a South Auckland church. Read more
Western Australia recommends preserving the confessional seal
Monday, September 14th, 2020
A committee from Western Australia’s Legislative Council recommends preserving the confessional seal. In its report on the Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2019, the Council’s legislation committee says: “Ministers of religion be excused from criminal responsibility [of mandatory reporting] only when the grounds of their belief is based solely on information disclosed during religious Read more
Australian publishers and journos face trial over Pell reporting
Thursday, May 28th, 2020
Many Australian publishers and journalists will be tried in November for breaking court suppression orders about Cardinal George Pell, when he was convicted of child sex abuse in December 2018. Prosecutors in the state of Victoria say 19 journalists and 21 publications aided and abetted contempt of court by overseas media and breached the trial Read more
Royal Commission: Dead abuse perpetrators not liable
Monday, November 4th, 2019Last week, the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and faith-based institutions announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with New Zealand Police, allowing incidents of abuse to be referred to police for investigation. However, responding to Otago Daily Times questions, an inquiry spokeswoman confirmed the ability to refer alleged abuses to Read more
Prosecutors respond to jailed George Pell’s appeal bid
Monday, October 14th, 2019
Victoria’s Office of Public Prosecutions has filed a summary of their argument against jailed cardinal George Pell’s “special leave to appeal” application. The director of public prosecutions, Kerri Judd QC, has challenged Pell’s grounds to appeal to the High Court. Background December 2018: Pell found guilty in the County Court of Victoria on five charges Read more
Pell’s last chance – special leave to appeal lodged
Thursday, September 19th, 2019
George Pell’s legal team has applied to Australia’s High Court for special leave to appeal the jailed cardinal’s child sex abuse conviction. Although special leave cases are not usually granted by the High Court, it’s possible Pell’s could be accepted. This is because judges at his appeal could not agree about Pell’s guilt or innocence. Read more
Law passed to chemically castrate paedophiles
Thursday, July 18th, 2019
The Ukraine government has passed new sex abuse legislation that clears the way for paedophiles to be chemically castrated, jailed for lengthier periods and monitored for life. The castration process – which is confined to offenders aged between 18 and 65 – will involve “coercive chemical castration” by injecting anti-androgen drugs to reduce libido and Read more