8chan/8kun QResearch Posts (1)
#5118845 at 2019-02-11 06:46:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6538: Where We Bake One We Bake All Edition
Resignations in the news this weekend
Principal Jason Wayman resigning from Montezuma-Cortez High
https://the-journal.com/articles/127060
Lewis Central A.D. Hale to retire
https://www.nonpareilonline.com/sports/lewis-central-a-d-hale-to-retire/article_6d02a5c1-cd3d-577a-b6e9-93adec72ace2.html
Chairman of Mohegan Tribal Council resigns
https://fox61.com/2019/02/10/senator-chairman-of-mohegan-tribal-council-resigns/
Brainerd's state fire investigator retires his badge after serving 3 decades
https://brainerddispatch.com/news/4568870-brainerds-state-fire-investigator-retires-his-badge-after-serving-3-decades-mark
Ray Washburne to Resign From Overseas Private Investment Corp. March 1
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-10/washburne-is-said-to-resign-from-opic-march-1-amid-restructuring
SUPERINTENDENT/PRESIDENT DR. ANTHONY E. BEEBE TO RETIRE
https://www.edhat.com/news/superintendentpresident-dr-anthony-e-beebe-to-retire
Shawn Mauck resigns as West York mayor
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/local/2019/02/10/shawn-mauck-resigns-west-york-mayor-council-seeks-candidates-fill-position/2829774002/
Phillips resigns from Seaside school board
https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/phillips-resigns-from-seaside-school-board/article_ab479530-2bc2-11e9-9a46-1faaedac1875.html
President/CEO of Barnabas Christian Academy resigns
https://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie-county/barnabas-Christian-academy-formerly-the-nation-Christian-academy-facing-eviction
Lorain County Children Services director to retire in May
https://www.morningjournal.com/news/lorain-county/lorain-county-children-services-director-to-retire-in-may/article_c2ac5c08-2bd4-11e9-a2dd-5f60564be541.html
Carroll Superintendent, Dr. Kevin Lein, Resigns As District's Lead Administrator
https://www.1380kcim.com/news/2019/carroll-superintendent-dr-kevin-lein-resigns-as-districts-lead-administrator/
Lindenwood Univ president fired
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/lindenwood-university-president-shonrock-fired-attorney-says/article_20cfb1ad-6f2d-55fd-9d58-d7e7ee687222.html
Leadership changes at HealthPoint Family Care: Chris Goddard to retire; Sally Jordan named CEO
https://www.nkytribune.com/2019/02/leadership-changes-at-healthpoint-family-care-Chris-Goddard-to-retire-sally-jordan-named-ceo/
Ferguson city manager De'Carlon Seewood resigns
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/ferguson-city-manager-de-carlon-seewood-resigns/article_8f0c6a2d-00d5-572a-9e5d-2e5705d73187.html
Barbara Farnsworth, Hingham's elder services head, to retire
https://www.patriotledger.com/blogs/20190209/barbara-farnsworth-hinghams-elder-services-head-to-retire
Tasmanian Liberal Adam Brooks resigns after damning Integrity Commission report
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-11/adam-brooks-resigns-from-parliament-tasmanian-government-says/10798968
Command Sgt. Maj. Johnson retires
https://qconline.com/news/local/rock-island-arsenal-digest-command-sgt-maj-johnson-retires/article_9493704f-94fe-5978-a249-20af13da6bca.html
The Dancing Cop" is retiring
http://www.abc6.com/story/39935279/the-dancing-cop-is-retiring
Naperville Public Library, Executive Director Julie Rothenfluh announced that she will retire in June
https://www.positivelynaperville.com/2019/02/10/naperville-public-library-executive-director-plans-to-retire-in-june/96868
Heroic Garden Festival director retiring with terminal cancer has 'no fear of dying'
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/02/heroic-garden-festival-director-retiring-with-terminal-cancer-has-no-fear-of-dying.html
FamilyCare executive retires after 30 years
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/familycare-executive-retires-after-years/article_28dc2866-f442-5915-97d7-9ccca732aea4.html
Officer Glenn Wade Retires From Cocoa Police Department After Outstanding Career
https://spacecoastdaily.com/2019/02/public-service-spotlight-officer-glenn-wade-retires-from-cocoa-police-department-after-outstanding-career/
The master of sovereign debt retires
https://www.axios.com/the-doyen-of-sovereign-debt-lee-buchheit-7651c178-6b7a-46f9-a760-e7ed1ad0f738.html
Frederick County chief administrative officer retires
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/business/frederick-county-chief-administrative-officer-retires/article_065768a2-b5be-5519-afb9-e1c6ec6f1d4f.html
8chan/8kun QResearch AUSTRALIA Posts (11)
#20108528 at 2023-12-21 10:43:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition
Anglican Church finds former governor-general Peter Hollingworth failed children over reporting obligations
JOHN FERGUSON - DECEMBER 21, 2023
The Anglican Church has found against former governor-general Peter Hollingworth over two allegations of significant neglect of a child regarding his handling of a sex abuse scandal.
An internal Anglican investigation into seven allegations has found against Dr Hollingworth twice on the grounds of an alleged failure to take action to protect children.
Sources familiar with the probe said Victoria's Commission for Children and Young People had been alerted to the internal findings and the matter would be referred to authorities to determine what action was to be taken. The findings related to "significant neglect" of a child, sources said.
Under the investigation protocols, the inquiry was conducted by the church but overseen by the CCYP.
Friends of Dr Hollingworth, 88, said the former archbishop had no intention of working with children and had not done so for a significant amount of time.
The church said: "Archbishop Philip Freier, who leads the ?diocese, takes his responsibility as the head of entity with mandatory reporting obligations under the Act, very seriously.
"The diocese ensures that any information about harm to a child that falls under the mandatory reporting regime is reported to the CCYP."
The investigation findings come after Dr Hollingworth this year was found to have mishandled abuse complaints against two clergy members, John Elliot and Donald Shearman, both of whom he allowed to remain in the church while he was archbishop of Brisbane in the 1980s
That board inquiry also found he had made unsatisfactory ?comments about abuse survivor Beth Heinrich ?in a 2002 episode of ? ABC TV's Australian Story.
A CCYP spokesman said the organisation was unable to ?comment on individual cases under the state's reportable ?conduct scheme or child safety standards.
"Under the reportable conduct scheme, investigations are carried out by organisations under the commission's oversight, with findings required to be reported to us,'' he said.
"The commission then refers any substantiated findings to Working with Children Check Victoria, which can then review whether a person is suitable to maintain their Working with Children Check.
"The commission may also make recommendations to an organisation about improving their reporting and investigation of allegations. The findings of investigations cannot be publicly released.
"In addition, the commission may undertake action, including investigations, to ensure organisations are meeting their obligations under Victoria's Child Safe Standards to adequately respond to child safety complaints.''
Chris Goddard a global expert on child abuse, said the latest development reconfirmed his view that Dr Hollingworth's governor-general's pension should be cut and the cash given to abuse victims. "This is just another opportunity to review his extravagant pension,'' Professor Goddard said.
Details of the two substantiated allegations - as determined by the church - have not been made public.
However, Dr Hollingworth has been widely condemned for his failure to deal with the child sex abuse scandal in Brisbane and his handling of offenders.
This includes keeping known offenders in the ministry, even in the face of strong evidence against them.
The constant publicity about his time as archbishop and governor-general have taken a toll on Dr Hollingworth, who was once the nation's main advocate for social justice.
A separate, church-initiated inquiry into Dr Hollingworth ?earlier this year found him guilty of seven counts of misconduct.
But at the time the board did not defrock him or strip him of the right to officiate; the committee had sought for him to lose the right to officiate, and says it submitted that it was open for the board to recommend his removal from holy orders.
But on May 12, Dr Hollingworth announced his intention to return his permission to officiate and this was accepted by the church on May 19.
On May 23, at the request of the committee, Dr Hollingworth gave an undertaking he would not apply in the future for a permission to officiate anywhere in Australia.
Comment was sought from Dr Hollingworth and the church.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/church-finds-former-governorgeneral-peter-hollingworth-failed-children-over-reporting-obligations/news-story/0ba4602aaf65dc01970dce41928bf3eb
#18325076 at 2023-02-11 13:45:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition
>>18325068
3/3
The nemesis
In many ways, Beth Heinrich has been Hollingworth's nemesis.
Heinrich, now in her 80s, was sexually abused from the age of 14 by the late Anglican priest and bishop Donald Shearman, and Hollingworth was reported by the ABC as saying she had encouraged that abuse.
(He contests the reporting, arguing that he was referring to a later period when the relationship started again, both as adults. Either way, it reflects badly on Hollingworth, given Heinrich's decades-long battle with the effects of the child abuse she suffered.)
"Dr Hollingworth regrets making the comment but he did not say what the ABC said he did," his lawyers wrote to the national broadcaster this week.
The inquiry is also believed to have heard argument this week about the role Hollingworth played in a failed mediation in the 1990s involving Heinrich's abuser.
Heinrich, many years his junior, said Shearman had formed a sexual relationship with her when she was sent to a church hostel. A storm was created when Hollingworth was reported saying: "There was no suggestion of rape or anything like that; quite the contrary. My information is it was rather the other way around."
Heinrich, as much as anyone, has kept piling on the pressure over the church's handling of her case, which seems likely to head to the courts again, regardless of the board's findings.
The Shearman abuse and the church's response to her has had an undeniable impact on her long-term health.
Heinrich had several people supporting her this week, including lawyers Judy Courtin and Professor Gideon Boas, and UniSA adjunct professor Chris Goddard.
Goddard, a global expert on child sex abuse, is in awe of Heinrich's resilience.
"She is just amazing," he said after Heinrich read her victim statement to the board.
Heinrich wrote to the tribunal last year: "Of course none of this dragged-out drama is necessary. It can easily be solved. He should find the integrity, finally do the right thing and quietly resign."
One of the core arguments made by survivors is that Hollingworth, as a former governor-general, has profited enormously via the generous entitlements afforded to ex-governors-general but many of the church's abuse victims have battled with compromised health and careers.
Courtin, in a submission to the inquiry this week requesting the tribunal be open to the public, estimated Hollingworth had received $12m in taxpayer-funded benefits since he stood down in disgrace in 2003. Successive federal governments have been lobbied to remove Hollingworth's entitlements with no success, and the Greens have now reinvigorated attempts to give parliament the power to remove the largesse if former G-Gs have engaged in serious misconduct.
Australians have known for years many of the facts around Hollingworth's behaviour but they will never know the full deliberations of the Anglicans' Professional Standards Board.
Critics from the survivor community believe the church's own complaints system is on trial almost as much as Hollingworth.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/peter-hollingworth-the-anglican-church-and-a-long-fall-from-grace/news-story/4b8ec92eb958b2d3ed0e6a72be9e1370
#18288457 at 2023-02-05 08:47:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition
>>18269183
Outcry as Melbourne's Anglican Church sexual abuse reviews drag on
JOHN FERGUSON - FEBRUARY 5, 2023
A judge-led review of the Anglican diocese of Melbourne's professional standards framework that investigated whether its response to sex abuse and other complaints was quick enough has been quietly warehoused by the church at the same time as it is embroiled in a messy five-year delay over whether to defrock ?former governor-general Peter Hollingworth.
The diocese of Melbourne was handed the review findings in April last year into its professional standards legislation but is not set to formally act on any reforms until at least October this year, further angering survivors who have for years been denied a ruling on Dr Hollingworth's place in the church.
The glacial response comes as Dr Hollingworth is due to face the church's independent professional standards board this week, in secret, to defend claims he bungled the handling of the child sex abuse response while he was archbishop of Brisbane and in his responses while governor-general.
The diocese of Melbourne agreed in 2021 to set up a review panel of its professional standards framework headed by retired Supreme Court judge David Harper to examine whether the church law and the broader system were working efficiently.
The church said the review had examined the work of the Professional Standards Uniform Act 2016, which set up the framework for how the church enabled complaints to be investigated: "The panel's terms of reference included whether the overriding purposes of the (act) remained appropriate and if they are, how they may best be achieved.
"The first of these purposes is to enable complaints to be dealt with justly, quickly and inexpensively."
The church said the Harper-led review would be put to the diocesan synod in October, the first opportunity for the church to act, which is an 18-month delay. "The Hollingworth process is being conducted by Kooyoora which is, properly, entirely independent of the diocese and the Archbishop (Philip Freier) cannot comment on that,'' a spokesman said.
Kooyoora was incorporated six years ago as an independent not-for-profit company to provide professional standards and other services to charities, including charities that are Anglican dioceses, entities, colleges and schools.
Adjunct professor Chris Goddard, of UniSA, said these delays and those relating to the Hollingworth allegations were untenable.
Anti-abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston said the church's pursuit of the Hollingworth matters had been appallingly slow and damaging to survivors. "It's glacial, absolutely glacial," Ms Johnston said.
The Hollingworth tribunal has been earmarked to run behind closed doors in Melbourne this week but the process remains shrouded in secrecy, with key players being told limited information about how it will work, who has been investigated and who will appear.
Dr Hollingworth was never an abuser but was savaged over his handling of the crisis when archbishop of Brisbane and through his commentary when governor-?general.
He now lives in Melbourne.
His critics say there is already enough public evidence to remove him from his church, including that he allowed a pedophile priest in 1993 to continue to work against a specialist's advice, for giving incorrect evidence to a 2002 abuse inquiry and blaming a victim of child sex abuse for encouraging the offending.
Dr Hollingworth resigned as governor-general in 2003 after he was criticised at a Brisbane inquiry for his handling of alle?gations of child-sex abuse against pedophile priest John Linton ?Elliot. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found he had made an error of judgment by allowing ?Elliot to stay in the ministry.
Secrecy around the Victorian process means it is not clear exactly what will be considered in Melbourne this week but survivor Beth Heinrich's complaint has been examined by investigators.
The plight of Ms Heinrich, now living in country Victoria and aged in her 80s, became public when Dr Hollingworth publicly commented on the case.
Ms Heinrich said she was sexually abused by late Anglican bishop Donald Shearman, who was later deposed from holy orders. She said Shearman had formed a sexual relationship with her when she was sent to a church hostel.
The ABC reported Dr Hollingworth saying about 30 years ago: "There was no suggestion of rape or anything like that; quite the contrary. My information is that it was rather the other way around.''
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/outcry-as-melbournes-anglican-church-sexual-abuse-reviews-drag-on/news-story/73dab7f4cc8581cd5d89a5fa0d172142
#18288442 at 2023-02-05 08:41:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition
>>18269183
Push to have disgraced former governor-general Peter Hollingworth defrocked to be heard by Anglican Church panel
Richard Willingham and Ben Knight - 5 February 2023
1/2
Beth Heinrich has been waiting for justice for decades. Justice for the sexual abuse that began at the hands of an Anglican priest in the 1950s, when she was just 14.
And justice for the trauma and humiliation inflicted on her by former governor-general Peter Hollingworth, who blamed her, on national television, for the abuse she suffered.
As a teen, Ms Heinrich was abused by priest Donald Shearman, who later became a bishop.
He groomed her over years, and Ms Heinrich says the trauma of her abuse was compounded by Dr Hollingworth telling Australian Story in 2002 that it was "not sex abuse" by Shearman, but "rather the other way round".
"He's not a fit person, he is not a fit character to have Holy Orders,'' Ms Heinrich says of Dr Hollingworth.
Five years ago, an Anglican church investigator said there was enough evidence on the public record to defrock the disgraced former Archbishop for his failure to act on evidence of sexual abuse in the church.
Yet, Dr Hollingworth remains a bishop and the 87-year-old draws a vice-regal pension worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Victim-survivors of Anglican abuse hope that will change after this week - when the church's special independent investigator, Kooyoora, finally hears the case against Dr Hollingworth.
In 2018, the ABC revealed that Dr Hollingworth was the subject of multiple complaints from survivors of abuse at the hands of Anglican clergy and teaching staff in the Brisbane diocese, where Dr Hollingworth served as archbishop in the 1990s.
Those complaints were investigated by Kooyoora but are still yet to be finalised, with the long-overdue hearing slated to begin on Monday.
But survivors are sceptical after other scheduled hearings were cancelled at the last minute.
"I'm not joking, this is probably the longest-running case of child abuse in the world,'' says Chris Goddard, an abuse expert and veteran advocate for survivors.
Victim blaming, the obfuscation of the church and constant delays reinforce the trauma for survivors, experts say.
"As far as I'm concerned, she's still being abused,'' Dr Goddard says about Ms Heinrich.
The ABC contacted Dr Hollingworth's office and legal counsel with detailed questions, but did not receive a response.
Royal commission found Dr Hollingworth made 'serious error of judgement'
Dr Hollingworth was forced to resign as governor-general in 2003 after a series of revelations over his handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests and teaching staff while he was the archbishop of Brisbane.
A 2002 inquiry by the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane found Dr Hollingworth allowed paedophile priest John Elliot to continue working until retirement, despite Elliot admitting to Dr Hollingworth he had sexually abused two boys.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found Dr Hollingworth made a "serious error of judgement", and failed to take into account a psychiatrist's advice that Elliot was an "untreatable" paedophile who posed a risk of reoffending.
In the months following the report, Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier renewed Dr Hollingworth's permission to officiate - a decision which infuriated survivors.
Five years ago, the ABC revealed that a former Kooyoora director of professional standards told a sexual abuse survivor there was "...more than enough justification to prove [Dr Hollingworth's] unfitness to hold Holy Orders".
This fuelled the anger of survivors who have been waiting years for justice.
Despite survivors and their legal teams preparing for the upcoming hearings, the executive director of Kooyoora, Fiona Boyle, would not confirm if any hearing was taking place this week, nor if it involved Dr Hollingworth.
She says it is "terrible" if any matter takes five years to be dealt with, but has declined to comment on why this case has been delayed for so long.
Archbishop Philip Freier is on leave, but an Anglican spokesman says: "Dr Hollingworth has a limited permission to officiate in the diocese. If a finding is made against him, that will be revisited accordingly."
"The complaint process regarding Bishop Hollingworth is, properly, entirely independent of the Diocese of Melbourne. The diocese has had no influence on the investigation, and the Archbishop cannot comment on the process."
(continued)
#18269183 at 2023-02-02 09:16:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition
>>17917750 (pb)
Probe into botched pedophile response inches closer
The Anglican Church's inquiry into whether to defrock former governor-general Peter Hollingworth over his mishandling of the child sex abuse issue is due to meet next week but survivors are questioning whether further delays will be added to the glacial, five-year process.
The tribunal has been earmarked to run behind closed doors in Melbourne early next week but the process remains shrouded in secrecy, with key players being told limited information about how it will work, who has been investigated and who will appear, according to multiple sources.
The diocese of Melbourne, of which Dr Hollingworth is a member, has spent millions on its internal abuse system, Kooyoora, but the Hollingworth matter has become an embarrassment as it has suffered multiple delays and been dragged out over five years.
Dr Hollingworth, 87, was never an abuser but was pilloried over his handling of the crisis when archbishop of Brisbane and through his commentary when governor-general.
Dr Hollingworth's critics argue there is already enough public evidence to remove him from his church, including that he allowed a pedophile priest in 1993 to continue to work against a specialist's advice, for giving incorrect evidence to a 2002 abuse inquiry and blaming a victim of child sex abuse for encouraging the offending.
One survivor said they believed as many as 12 people had complained about Dr Hollingworth's behaviour while he was archbishop and governor-general but the internal inquiry would not hear evidence from all the critics.
Beth Heinrich, abused as a teenager in the 1950s by an Anglican minister and later publicly vilified by Dr Hollingworth, said the long wait for action had been traumatising, as had the secrecy that surrounded the inquiry.
"It's disgusting, it's disgraceful. It's long overdue and why it has been allowed to be deferred, I don't know," she said.
Chris Goddard said the multi-year Anglican process had failed the abuse survivors. "You could not invent a more disturbing process. It should be dealt with promptly, openly and transparently," Professor Goddard said.
There have been many delays in scheduled private hearings, with no public explanation on why. And while there has been speculation about Dr Hollingworth's health, he was seen recently at the funeral of former Howard government minister Peter Reith and elsewhere in the Melbourne community.
The Australian has been told complaints against Dr Hollingworth had progressed through Kooyoora to the Professional Standards Committee and that, under the diocese's abuse response system, can go to the Professional Standards Board, which can hold a formal hearing or make a determination.
The secrecy makes it difficult for the survivors to know what is happening.
Dr Hollingworth resigned as governor-general in 2003 after he was criticised at a Brisbane inquiry for his handling of alle?gations of child-sex abuse against pedophile priest John Linton ?Elliot.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/probe-into-botched-pedophile-response-inches-closer/news-story/4033e89538ffdeac92e1374444cd0d63
#17381383 at 2022-08-12 10:53:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition
>>17381379
2/2
Ms Heinrich has kept detailed notes and documentation outlining how the church treated her ?between 1954 and 2022, including a box of legal documents and a diary detailing the time of ?phone calls received and made.
Shearman began grooming her when she was 14, expelled her from the hostel in 1957, falsely accusing her of being promiscuous with boys but then was exploited by him again in 1977 when she tried to escape an abusive ?marriage.
Ms Heinrich's victim impact statement to Kooyoora underpins the level of mental angst the sex abuse has caused her and the role of Dr Hollingworth's public ?denunciation of her had in retraumatising her.
"I am afraid to hear things reported from him in case I lose control of myself," she writes.
"It continues to affect my life because I am always at a certain stress level wondering what he will say next or what other people will say on his behalf for him.''
She said the ABC's Australian Story reporting, which Dr Hollingworth has contested, had shattered her confidence. "I was devastated," she writes to Kooyoora.
"It made me absolutely frightened. I wanted to run away. I couldn't say anything because I wouldn't be believed. I was at a loss to understand."
Professor Chris Goddard, a global expert on abuse, said the church's treatment of Ms Heinrich had been "the most extraordinarily protracted case of abuse that I have ever seen in my career as a front line worker and later as a researcher''.
"Almost all Beth's life has been taken up with the continuing abuse by a large powerful organisation, the Anglican Church," he said.
"I think it is important to stress that it is not mishandling. It's a strategy that organisations use to protect themselves and diminish the standing of and further abuse the victims.
"The abuse has taken many forms, from the abuse that she ?suffered as a child to the ?extraordinary public humiliation by the then governor-general, where he denied on national television that she was abused and blamed her!
"A girl in a hostel preyed upon by a priest, who later expelled her from school because they claimed she was promiscuous!
"It is almost impossible to understand how she has found the strength to keep going. The victim impact statement that she has provided gives details of her suffering and brings tears to my eyes."
Kooyoora said it could not comment on any investigation, nor any on any particulars, but said that it appreciated any time delays in investigative and complaint processes affected those involved.
"We are also mindful that for these processes to be effective, that sound and thorough information must be provided to decision makers in order for the best possible decisions to be made at that time.
"A balance in both these areas is critical. In 2021 we saw matter resolution times decrease from 2020 (99 to 79 average days)."
The Diocese of Melbourne did not comment.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/former-governorgeneral-peter-hollingworth-faces-judgment-day-over-sex-abuse-crisis/news-story/416eb42309c1cd9972cc4c465dfb00fe
#16716510 at 2022-07-11 18:46:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition
Catholic Church considers appeal while facing huge sex-abuse hit
JOHN FERGUSON - JULY 10, 2022
The Catholic Church is confronting a potentially huge hit to its ?finances, with several new sex abuse claimants emerging after a $1.9m damages payout to a former altar boy in the archdiocese of Melbourne.
Rightside Legal lawyer Michael Magazanik said several people had come forward alleging offending by disgraced Catholic priest Desmond Gannon in the wake of the huge payout this year to one of his victims.
The Catholic Church is considering appealing the decision by Victorian Supreme Court judge Andrew Keogh, who ordered the church to pay the $1.9m for pain, suffering and economic loss to the former parishioner.
The victim alleged there was negligence by the archdiocese and it was vicariously liable for the abuse perpetrated by Gannon, a serial offender. Responsibility was finally sheeted home to the church, which had been warned in the past about Gannon's behaviour but failed to act.
The altar boy was sexually ?abused three times by Gannon between 1968 and 1970 but he was not convicted and jailed for the abuse until 2009.
Mr Magazanik said he believed there were still a large number of people in the community who had been offended against by clergy and had not previously alerted authorities.
"I think there is a really big cohort of clergy abuse survivors who have never come forward," he said.
"We've had a steady run of new clients since the Gannon decision. The church is deluded if it believes this completely avoidable disaster is coming to an end."
The church did not comment on the Gannon matter but has confirmed an appeal against the Gannon decision was being considered.
The massive Gannon payout comes as the archdiocese of Melbourne battles strong financial headwinds from the pandemic, the long-term implications of the sex-abuse crisis and changing community attitudes to religion.
It is believed there have been dozens of Gannon victims.
The neighbouring diocese of Ballarat has also confronted a relentless series of complaints in recent decades, many related to Gerald Ridsdale, whom police believe could have attacked hundreds of victims.
The Victorian government passed legislation in 2019 that en?abled the courts to set aside past deeds of release relating to child abuse, which could have a profound impact on the number of large civil claims that could follow.
There are expected to be hundreds of people in Victoria who have signed deeds of release in exchange for relatively small financial payouts, under the Catholic Church's Melbourne Response and Towards Healing, and via other institutions.
Chris Goddard, adjunct professor at UniSA and an expert on abuse matters, said large payouts such as the Gannon case contrasted sharply with the small payments afforded victims under the Melbourne Response and other schemes.
He said the recent large civil payments would still not restore people's lives.
"It's to try to give restitution to lives that were destroyed," he said.
In the case of Gannon's victim, most of the payout was for loss of earning capacity damages.
The Gannon victim previously had received $139,000 in compensation under the Melbourne Response but that payment and deed was not a barrier to the claim as it was an ex-gratia payment made when he had no legal rights.
There are questions about whether many - or even any - of the Melbourne Response deeds will protect the church after legislative reform and legal precedents were set.
Legal sources familiar with the Gannon decision said the church would have no option but to ?appeal the decision because of the financial implications of the case, even though some church cases are covered, at least in part, by ?insurance.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/catholic-church-considers-appeal-while-facing-huge-sexabuse-hit/news-story/95ba013d3929449ec1561faeb6bddb48
#16513559 at 2022-06-25 15:13:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition
Victorian man travelled to Sydney to meet girl under 10 for sex: police
Sally Rawsthorne - June 25, 2022
A Victorian man police allege travelled to Sydney for a "sexual encounter" with a child under 10 faced court on Saturday.
The 66-year-old from Yallourn North, in the La Trobe Valley, allegedly travelled to Sydney after communicating online with what he believed to be the mother of the child.
In fact, police say that he was speaking to a detective from the Child Exploitation Investigation Unit's Strike Force Trawler, an elite unit who use online stings to catch alleged would-be child abusers by impersonating children online on sites and apps known to be popular with predators.
"It will be further alleged that the man arranged to meet the mother and girl and had driven from Victoria for the purpose of a sexual encounter in NSW," NSW Police said in a statement on Saturday morning.
He was arrested in Liverpool on Friday morning and taken to Liverpool police station. He was charged with using a carriage service to procure a person under the age of 16 years for sexual activity.
The man appeared in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday and did not apply for bail. As NSW school holidays approach, Strike Force Trawler boss Detective Chief Inspector Chris Goddard said parents should be across what their children are doing online.
"Parents and guardians need to have regular conversations with children about how they can keep themselves safe online," Chief Inspector Goddard said.
"For young people, engaging with people who they do not know on any online platform can put them at risk.
"Our priority is protecting children from any type of harm, and we will always utilise every resource at our disposal to locate anyone who uses the internet for criminal activity."
https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/victorian-man-travelled-to-sydney-to-meet-girl-under-10-for-sex-police-20220625-p5awit.html
#13499677 at 2021-04-24 03:38:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #15 - NEVER RETREAT FROM THE BATTLEFIELD Edition
Three children rescued in the Philippines following Australian child sexual abuse investigations
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Child sexual abuse investigations by the Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police Force have led to arrest of two Australian men, as well as the rescue of three children and arrest of two women by Philippine authorities.
The children, aged between six and 17 years, were removed from harm after the AFP referred intelligence into the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre (PICACC).
The joint investigation undertaken by the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation led to operational activity on 4 March 2021 in Manila. Two women, both aged 27, were arrested in the Philippines for their alleged role as facilitators of online child sexual abuse.
The Philippine arrests follow the AFP's Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team charging a 66-year-old Jamboree Heights, QLD, man in August 2020 with multiple child sexual abuse offences. Ongoing investigations by the AFP facilitated the referral to PICACC.
On 3rd November 2020, the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) arrested a 40-year-old New South Wales man who was allegedly communicating with the same women to pay for online abuse.
AFP Child Protection Operations Detective Superintendent Paula Hudson said the AFP worked with partners across the globe to remove children from harm.
"AFP child protection investigators work every day to help rescue some of the most vulnerable and bring the people who harm them to justice,'' Detective Superintendent Hudson said.
"For the AFP, this work is about the children we save. Our officers never give up, no matter whether a child victim is based in Australia or overseas."
The AFP's Senior Officer in the Philippines, Detective Superintendent Andrew Perkins said this was another significant result for all the agencies involved.
"This latest rescue in the Philippines demonstrates the effectiveness of the PICACC, of which the AFP via our International Command in the Philippines is a partner agency. It also highlights the success of our relationship with Philippine Authorities as well as our domestic partners in Australia who work to protect children around the world."
New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) Manager, Detective Chief Inspector Chris Goddard said these arrests send a clear message to those who prey on the community's most vulnerable.
"The NSWPF continues to work hard to protect children and bring offenders to justice and this latest incident shows the collaborative approach we have with our partner agencies, both nationally and internationally, to investigate internet crimes against children," Detective Chief Inspector Goddard said.
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#11588498 at 2020-11-11 08:20:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #11 - THE SILENT WAR CONTINUES Edition
>>11588488
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Operation Arkstone investigators identified links through the online forums to alleged child sex offenders residing in Europe, Asia, United States and Canada, and New Zealand, with 146 international referrals made as a result of this investigation.
The cross agency collaboration with HSI throughout Operation Arkstone has resulted in the arrest of three men in the United States for multiple CAM offences.
Investigators are continuing to examine the evidence and have not ruled out further arrests.
AFP Acting Commander Child Protection Operations Christopher Woods said the scale of offending uncovered in the Operation Arkstone network was unprecedented in an AFP-led operation.
"The dedicated investigators and forensic specialists from the AFP, NSW Police and HSI have spent most of 2020 working tirelessly after each arrest to piece together information that identified more victims and the people allegedly abusing and exploiting them. Victims were often identified through seemingly minor details in photos and videos - analysis that is time-consuming and painstaking, but vital to supporting the rescue of these children and the identification and prosecution of their abusers.
"No child should be subjected to abuse and violence from people who hold high positions of trust in their lives, whether it be a family member, child care worker or soccer coach.
"These men allegedly produced child abuse material for the depraved pleasure of their peers with absolutely no thought to the lasting effects their actions would have on these children.
"Police will allege Operation Arkstone revealed a network of abuse, where the alleged offenders in the forums encouraged and emboldened each other to engage in acts of depravity and abuse of children.
"What this highlights is that offenders are across age groups, occupations and are in positions of trust. Parents need to be vigilant about who has access to their children."
HSI Attaché to Australia, Adam Parks said this predatory network spread their heinous activity around the globe believing themselves to be anonymous, but they were mistaken as today's results clearly demonstrate.
"HSI is proud to work alongside our Australian partners and a global network of law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to bring these offenders to justice, no matter where they may hide."
NSW Police Force Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Chris Goddard, said the results of Operation Arkstone are a testament to the ongoing commitment and contribution of specialist police in protecting children across the country.
"NSW Police, together with our interstate partners, are working hard to ensure a strong and coordinated approach in targeting those that seek to abuse the most vulnerable members of our community.
"Together, we will continue to investigate serious child abuse offences in an effort to bring offenders to justice and ensure the safety of the public," Det. A/Supt Goddard said.
The AFP will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to dismantle this network of child sex offenders and ensure no further children are subjected to the violence inflicted by these alleged offenders.
Members of the public who have any information about this network or people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button.
https://www.accce.gov.au/report
https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/operation-arkstone-results-828-charges-laid-46-child-victims-identified
#8375024 at 2020-03-11 06:50:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #7 - FIRE & FURY Edition
Child sex abuse victim says Anglican Church fobbed her off, then offered payout in exchange for silence
Anglican Church officials wrongly told a woman who was sexually abused more than 60 years ago they had to hold off resolving her complaint, then offered a payout and an apology if she agreed to a gag clause.
The church's Brisbane diocese has admitted to again failing Beth Heinrich over her 1995 complaint, which culminated in then-governor-general Peter Hollingworth publicly blaming her for a priest sexually exploiting her as a 15-year-old.
Its apology for causing her "additional trauma and distress" through "unacceptable delays" came a day after the ABC questioned its latest missteps in the case, which led to Dr Hollingworth's public downfall but still fuels calls for him to be stripped of millions of dollars of public benefits.
The diocese in January belatedly offered Ms Heinrich up to $30,000 for its mishandling of her complaint, which Dr Hollingworth dismissed repeatedly when he was archbishop of Brisbane.
The offer was a fraction of the $200,000 she sought - a figure she said was increased after independent legal advice and church officials in Melbourne advising that her original request for $50,000 was too little.
The Brisbane diocese also told her in January it was "happy to provide an apology" but this should be kept "confidential" until its Melbourne counterpart ended a separate investigation into whether Dr Hollingworth should be stripped of his Holy Orders.
Its request for secrecy contrasted with Dr Hollingworth's widely publicised 2002 comments on ABC TV's Australian Story program that it was "not sex abuse" by priest, and later bishop, Donald Shearman, but "rather the other way round".
"It was devastating for me at the time [and] I'm still really angry about it because there's been no ending to it," Ms Heinrich told the ABC.
"[Dr Hollingworth] knew the true story but he chose to lie about me and victim blame."
A church spokesman said: "The Brisbane diocese acknowledges there have been unacceptable delays in finalising a redress claim of Ms Beth Heinrich".
"The diocese apologises that this has caused her additional trauma and distress," the spokesman said.
'Most extraordinary case'
Child protection expert and University of South Australia adjunct professor Chris Goddard said Ms Heinrich's was "the most extraordinary case of so-called secondary abuse I have ever seen".
He helped Ms Heinrich prepare her testimony to the royal commission into child sexual abuse, with a 300-page presentation involving about 70 documents.
"To my knowledge [Dr Hollingworth] has never publicly apologised for the public humiliation of Beth," Professor Goddard said.
In 2005, the Bathurst Anglican diocese paid Ms Heinrich $100,000 over Mr Shearman's abuse of her while running the church hostel where she was a school boarder in the 1950s.
Ms Heinrich said she decided to press a complaint over Brisbane diocese's mishandling of the matter, after it advertised in a newspaper for survivors to come forward in the wake of the royal commission into child sex abuse in institutions.
In October 2017, the diocese told her it had "little option but to wait for the findings of the Melbourne investigation before [we] can advance and conclude the consideration of your complaints and claim".
'Happy to consider an apology'
It said any examination of her complaint "could not be safely concluded until the findings of the Melbourne committee are known, and may risk prejudicing the Melbourne investigation".
However, the diocese changed its tune in August 2018 after Ms Heinrich questioned the delay.
It told her that it "might be possible to deal with your claim on a private and confidential basis without waiting for the outcome" from Melbourne.
It said the diocese was "happy to consider an apology" but it would be "better delivered" after Melbourne's findings.
Any settlement would need to be "private and confidential" so as "not to prejudice" the other investigation, it said.
But Melbourne church officials contradicted this last November.
"I can confirm that any compensation or redress paid to you will not impact the investigation," Kooyoora Ltd executive director Fiona Boyle said in a letter.
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-10/abuse-survivor-beth-heinrich-anglican-church-qld/12039190