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| Read about one case - WELS. |
Mexico's Catholic Church suspends 7 priests in Tijuana pending sexual abuse probe
MEXICO CITY — The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico confirmed on Friday that it has suspended seven priests, including one accused of abuse while serving in Los Angeles, from its diocese in the border city of Tijuana pending an investigation into alleged sexual harassment and abuse.
The Archdiocese of Tijuana didn't reveal the names of the priests but it did confirm to The Associated Press that Rev. Jeffrey Newell was among them.
Newell was first mentioned as being a part of the priests under investigation in a statement by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which is the main U.S. group of victims of abuse by priests.
In 2010, a U.S. man filed a lawsuit in California against the Los Angeles archdiocese alleging that church leaders engaged in fraud and negligence by allowing Newell to continue working around children after he went to church officials to accuse Newell of abuse.
"It's tragic that this predator priest has apparently struck again," the U.S. victims group said in a statement. "Fr. Newell should have never been given a church job in Mexico."
Prosecutors in Baja California state, where Tijuana is located, said that no one had filed a complaint against the priests and that police could not open an investigation without one.
The investigation against the seven priests was first mentioned this week by Tijuana Archbishop Rafael Romo, who told local media that the alleged victims were teenagers and that the investigation was continuing.
The Archdiocese of Tijuana issued a statement this week calling on those who had been victims or witnessed abuse to come forward and go to authorities.
The case in Tijuana follows the suspension of a priest in the northern Mexico state of San Luis Potosi. Last week, 19 people filed a criminal complaint alleging they were sexually abused by priest Eduardo Cordova and charging his archdiocese covered up the allegations for years.
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| Time for Tubby Bye-Bye. |
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Director of CommunicationsWisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod |
SNAPwisconsin.com
November 17, 2011
Statement by John Pilmaier, SNAP Wisconsin Director
CONTACT: 414.336.8575
TMJ4 reports that Waukesha police arrested Joel Hochmuth, Director of Communications for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, for reports of child pornography. The FBI cyber crime task force determined that child pornography was being downloaded by someone inside of Hochmuth’s residence.
Hochmuth is expected to appear in court today as Waukesha detectives continue to search the hard drives of his computers for additional evidence of child pornography. We applaud the efforts of the FBI and the Waukesha Police Department in their efforts to keep our children safe.
The President of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Mark Schroeder, told TMJ4 that “this is not in keeping with the Joel Hochmuth he knows. And he is praying it is all some kind of misunderstanding”.
Although this sentiment may be understandable because the Synod President appears to be a friend and colleague of Hochmuth, it is important to keep in mind, as we are again learning from the recent developments at Penn State University, that those who prey on children are often respected members of the community. Friends, neighbors, and colleagues often find it impossible to believe that someone they know and respect could be capable of causing harm to a child. It is important to remember that most child predators are not lurking in the bushes; they are people who have often gained the trust and admiration of parents and their children.
If the charges against Hochmuth turn out to be credible it is important to know what steps the Synod President, Mark Schroeder, is going to implement to protect children. Schroeder should immediately notify the congregations of the Synod of the charges that have been made against Hochmuth. He should explain to his members and to the community how reports of sexual misconduct are handled by the Synod. In addition Schroeder should reach out to his members and encourage them to report any suspicions they have of possible misconduct by Hochmuth to law enforcement officials.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We've been around for 23 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word "priest" in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org.
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| How did the LCMS, WELS, and the ELS all manage to finesse this one? |