April 11, 2013 - The following Yahoo search generated the following headlines (links provided)
*not an exhaustive list
The unholy conspiracy
Will an Australian inquiry into decades of child sex abuse and alleged cover-ups by the Catholic Church serve justice?
Salvos deny endemic child sex abuseThe Salvation Army has admitted it has received close to 500 complaints from children who were sexually abused in its orphanages around Victoria.
Rabbi pleads guilty to child sex abuse
A rabbi who taught at a Jewish Orthodox boys' school in Melbourne has pleaded guilty to child sex abuse dating back 20 years.
Orem-area Mormon church counselor accused of child sex abuse
Orem-area Mormon church counselor accused of child sex abuse by Michael Mcfall And Bob Mims The Salt Lake Tribune Published Apr 11, 2013 08:47AM MDT A local-level Mormon church counselor has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in his ward. Cesar Duran, 31, was booked into Utah County jail on Tuesday on suspicion of two counts of sexually abusing a child with whom he had ...
Owner of "Cadillac Ranch" in Texas indicted on child sex abuse charges
By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Texas oil millionaire Stanley Marsh 3, an oil company heir and arts promoter known for the "Cadillac Ranch," was indicted on Thursday on more than a dozen counts involving sexual molestation of children. Marsh, 75, faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the counts if convicted on the charges that include sexual assault, indecency with a child and sexual ...
TV weatherman abuse inquiry widens
Police who arrested TV weatherman Fred Talbot over historical child sex abuse claims appeal for pupils from Tyneside schools to come forward.
And to be honest, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. On one hand this is unprecedented - day in and day out there are new cases being brought, new investigations being launched, new details emerging in the world-wide epidemic of childhood sexual abuse and the organizations who fail to report alleged abuses. Who prefer instead to handle it "in-house." Who fail our children day in and day out. And we're not talking just about abuses that occurred 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago - many of these are RECENT rapes of our most precious children.
Today, a young child is being abused. Today their lives are being infinitely changed. Today their childhoods are being stolen. So I am encouraged (yet devastated) by the sheer volume of articles each and every day in that there is now a global conversation on childhood sexual abuse and that we are slowly pulling back the veil of secrecy. That perhaps, maybe, we are willing to protect our children ...
But then I come across this:
Jehovah's Witnesses stay in on abuse
Jehovah's Witnesses say it is not their responsibility to report child sex abuse to police.
Jehovah's Witness legal counsel Rachel van Witsen said elders were not expected to know their legal obligations.
'This is done to ensure elders fully comply with any legal requirements that may be applicable in the state in which they reside,' she said.
'In Victoria if there was mandatory reporting the immediate advice would be to report that immediately.'
The society's director Terrence O'Brien said the decision to take the allegations to police lay with the victim.
'Without mandatory reporting we don't feel that as ministers of religion that's our obligation to do that,' Mr O'Brien said.
And I am right back where I was November 9, 2011 - shaking my head in disbelief that we do not place more value in the lives of our children, that the ADULTS in this world wouldn't do everything in their power to help and protect our children. We must do better. We MUST.
JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR - ANYONE CAN REPORT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
If you know or suspect that a child is being abused, you should always take it seriously. A good rule of thumb is to assume a “false positive”- in other words, assume that abuse is occurring if you have suspicions, and respond accordingly.
Making a Report
Reporting Child Abuse can be difficult. The abuser may be someone you know-a friend, a neighbor, or even a member of your own family. Many people who know or suspect that someone close to them is sexually abusing a child may have a hard time believing it- the person may not seem capable of such a horrible act.
It is important to remember that most child abusers seem perfectly normal. They come from all different backgrounds and walks of life. Most sexual abusers are married and have children of their own. In fact, the majority of sexual abuse actually takes place within the family.
You may also be afraid of making an allegation against someone that turns out to be false. It is important to know that false allegations of sexual abuse are very easily disproven. While there was a wave of very high-profile false allegations in the 1980′s, investigative techniques have improved considerably over the past few decades, and the rate of wrongful convictions for sexual abuse is among the lowest of any crime. If you are afraid of getting into trouble for filing a false report, rest assured that as long as you make a report in good faith, you will not face any kind of legal trouble.
Bottom line-you should always err on the side of protecting the child.
To find out where to make a report in your state, go to the Child Welfare Information Gateway website ,or call the ChildHelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-422-4453. Depending on what state you live in, you may contact either child protective services or the police.
Remember that the most important thing is to call! When in doubt, call your local police station, and they will be able to direct you to the right agency.
If the legal system does not provide adequate protection for a child, contact Justice for Children at (713) 225-4357 or www.jfcadvocacy.org.