The Child Protection eNewsletter

President of U.S. Conference of Bishops accused of sexually abusing woman…
A woman has filed a claim that she was sexually abused more than 40 years ago by Bishop William Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops and leader of the Spokane Diocese. http://ap.morningsun.net Skylstad issued a statement Wednesday categorically denying the accusation, saying he has not violated the vow of celibacy he took 47 years ago. The claim was filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane on December 27 by a woman who said she was under the age of 18 when Skylstad sexually abused her at St. Patrick's Parish and at Gonzaga University from December, 1961 to December, 1964. It is unclear under the reforms American bishops adopted in 2002 for responding to abuse claims whether Skylstad should temporarily step down while his case is being investigated.

Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Dublin said Wednesday that 102 of its priests are suspected of sexually or physically abusing at least 350 children since 1940, the biggest such admission to date in Ireland. http://abcnews.go.com

Judge weighs if jail for Lafave worth trial trauma for victim…
Prosecutors and defense attorneys tried to persuade a judge Wednesday to accept a plea deal that would prevent the case of a Tampa teacher accused of having sex with a 14-year-old middle school student from going to trial. http://www.cbsnews.com The victim, who had sex with teacher Debra Lafave, has suffered extreme anxiety from the intense media coverage surrounding the case, a psychiatrist who examined the boy told Circuit Court Judge Hale Stancil. Lafave’s defense attorney promoted the no jail time plea deal on Greta Van Susteren’s “On the Record” Wednesday night. http://www.foxnews.com

In other news…
Teri Hatcher, one of the stars of ABC's "Desperate Housewives," says in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair that her uncle sexually molested her 35 years ago http://cbs5.com The 41-year-old actress says she learned in 2002 that a 14-year-old victim of her uncle had committed suicide. Concerned that he would escape charges of molestation, Hatcher approached the Santa Clara County prosecutors in California .

A 20-year-old Florida man was mistakenly listed as a sexual predator in the Florida Megan’s Law database. http://www.wftv.com

The California Supreme Court has overturned a law requiring that an adult who engages in oral sex with a minor be tagged for life as a sex offender. http://www.lifesite.net The court handed down the 6-1 decision, arguing that for a 60 year-old to sexually abuse a 16 year-old is not serious enough an offense to warrant registration as a sex offender.

Young women with a history of depression in adolescence are more likely than their peers to become victims of abuse from a boyfriend or husband, new research suggests. http://www.msnbc.msn.com In a study that followed students at 132 U.S. high schools and middle schools, researchers found that girls who had depression symptoms as teens were nearly twice as likely to suffer moderate to severe partner violence by early adulthood.


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