While sexual abuse scandals have already rocked religious groups, another story surfaced about the advocacy of a young woman from Minnesota trying to prevent a priest in India from abusing young children. Twenty-six year old, Megan Peterson, now living in Queens, filed a lawsuit against a diocese in India in her bid to stop the pedophile priest from harming children.

It was in April 2016 when the issue was reported online. At that time, she said that the suit will be filed on her behalf by her attorney, Jeff Anderson. What made this case unique and interesting is the fact that this is the first time a lawsuit is filed in a federal court against a diocese located in a foreign country such as India. The lawsuit claims that by reinstating the convicted priest to the ministry, the Diocese of Ootacamund is exposing the children to danger.

Peterson, herself, was a victim of Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul 11 years ago while the latter was then a priest in the Diocese of Crookston. It was in 2005, at the age of 14 when she was molested and sexually abused by Jeyapaul.

The Predicament

She was born and raised in Minnesota where she became an altar girl and an active member of the choir. According to Peterson, it was only within weeks when the priest raped her in the parish office. Her ordeal was followed with more sexual abuses which lasted for almost a year and Father Joseph Jeyapaul even had the boldness to blame her for these abuses, saying that it was her who made him do it.

The priest was with the diocese in Crookston City from 2004 to 2005 and aside from Peterson, there was another teenage girl who was also sexually abused by Jeyapaul. However, before a case was filed then, the priest already went back to India.

It was in 2012 when Jeyapaul was extradited to the United States to face the charges against him for sexually abusing the two girls but he was only tried for the rape of the other girl. The case about the abuse of Peterson was dropped as part of the plea agreement. Moreover, the priest was only sentenced to one year in prison, a sentence he quickly got over with since it included the period he was in jail during the trial. After serving his sentence, he was deported back to India and given a suspension of one year.

But what pushed Peterson to file a case against the diocese in India was when she learned in February that with the recommendation of the Bishop and the permission of Pope Francis, Jeyapaul was reinstated to the ministry in less than a year.

With the knowledge that this man will again do the same thing with other children and be active as a priest, Peterson made the move to file a lawsuit against the diocese and the bishop. She expressed her desire to save the children in India to suffer the same predicament she had.

In 2011, Peterson also sued the Diocese of Crookston and was awared $750,000. But the Minnesota woman said that it mattered more to her that Jeyapaul will not be able to harm children anymore.

Reference

http://www.fox9.com/news/209451598-story

A 52-year-old man has come forward alleging sexual abuse by clergy in the name of a former priest, Father William Authenrieth, of the All Souls Church in Sanford.

According to WFTV, “This week, the unnamed plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Orlando for the alleged abuse that happened when the victim was a teenager.

“Attorney Adam Horowitz said this is the fifth lawsuit he’s filed against Father William Authenrieth, who is living in a retirement community in Massachusetts. However it’s the seventh lawsuit filed against Authenrieth in all …

“…Horowitz said his client finally came forward at the urging of Pope Francis.”

Both criminal and civil charges have been filed against a Mount Diablo school district teacher in Concord, California. The 4^th and 5^th grade school teachers has been jailed and charged with 91 felony counts of molesting 11 former students between 2006 and 2013.

According to the Mercury News, “A lawsuit filed against the Mt. Diablo school district alleges that administrators ignored complaints of misconduct by Concord elementary schoolteacher Joseph Andrew Martin years before police began investigating him for child molestation.

“In a civil suit filed Monday morning against Martin, the school district and 10 unnamed mandated reporters, attorney Daniel Horowitz likens Woodside Elementary School teacher Joseph Andrew Martin’s classroom to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and writes that ‘numerous parents and teachers made reports to supervisors and other persons with both the ability and authority to protect the children and that these reports were largely ignored.’”

The teacher has pled not-guilty to all charges.

References

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_23619460/lawsuit-alleges-mt-diablo-school-district-brushed-off

The Catholic priest sexual abuse scandal continues, at least in Green Bay as a person named John Doe 119 has filed a lawsuit against a former priest and the diocese. According to the lawsuit, ex-priest John Patrick Feeney is named as the offender and the Green Bay Diocese is named as covering up the criminal behavior of the priest.

The lawsuit states that the Green Bay Diocese transferred a known child sexual predator to the Las Vegas diocese where the sexual abuse took place on a 13-year-old boy in 1984. The lawsuit states the church failed to protect its parishioners after it was discovered that Father Feeney had a diagnosable and untreatable sexual disorder.

Advocacy groups Texas Appleseed and Advocacy Incorporated have filed a lawsuit against the Texas Youth Commission over using pepper spray on young inmates with mental disabilities. The lawsuit was brought forth on behalf of three 15-year-olds who have had pepper spray used on them or been threatened with its use.

According to the advocacy groups the use of pepper spray has gone up dramatically this year and unfairly targets kids with disabilities who tend to act out more. Pepper spray was introduced as a policy as a method of last resort, but the practical use, according to the lawsuit has been one of intimidation and punishment rather than rehabilitation.