The Child Protection eNewsletter

John Couey murder confession tossed… 

A Florida judge has ruled that statements allegedly made to detectives by the man accused of kidnapping, raping and burying alive 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford will not be allowed at his trial.  ap.org  Circuit Judge Ric Howard said Orlando police detectives should not have been allowed to question John Evander Couey about a 1985 murder case because he had already told Citrus County authorities he wanted a lawyer.  A taped confession to Jessica's slaying was thrown out in June for the same reason.

Still, even without either confession, legal analysts believe that the case is still very strong and it is highly likely, assuming all goes well at trial and the state’s evidence is properly admitted at trial before the jury, that Couey will be convicted and sentenced to death.  msnbc.msn.com  Jessica Lunsford’s blood is on his mattress.  His semen and her fingerprints are on glass in his house.  It is believed he cut a screen to enter her house and went in and took her out.  Jessica’s family will testify Jessica would have never left the house on her own, nor would she have ever entered Couey’s voluntarily.  For more on the history of the case, see  vol4_iss39  vol3_iss24  vol3_iss19.

Catholic priest victim groups mark 5th anniversary… 

Voice of the Faithful is marking its fifth anniversary this weekend.  What started as a handful of outraged parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has grown to an international organization that claims tens of thousands of members.  ap.org  Initially seen as a rebel group, it called for the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law, who took responsibility for sheltering abusers.  But Voice of the Faithful has since evolved into a more buttoned-down organization.  Its leaders are preparing for their second meeting with Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who succeeded Law after he resigned under pressure in 2002.  O'Malley has been praised for his efforts to help the victims; he helped negotiate an $85 million settlement for more than 550 of them shortly after arriving in Boston.  Voice of the Faithful can be reached online at  voiceofthefaithful.org.

Meanwhile, Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of the first story written about a priest sexually abusing a child.  capitalnews9.com  According to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), 850 stories regarding clergy sexual abuse have been told since then.  To mark that milestone, more than 50 vigils were held nationwide, including one in Albany outside Holy Cross Church.  SNAP's regional co-director says his mission is to make sure victims of clergy sexual abuse are not forgotten.  SNAP’s website, with some of those stories, is snapnetwork.org.

In other news... 

A new survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project provides some of the first independent numbers on social networking for 12-to 17-year olds.  The study found that 70 percent of teen girls, ages 15 to 17, had profiles on social networking sites, as well as 57 percent of boys in that age bracket.  ap.org

A Delaware man was sentenced to nine months in prison for beating to death a 77-year-old man he believed had molested his 5-year-old daughter.  Robert Fontanez Jr. pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide.  ap.org  Superior Judge Joseph Slights III sentenced Fontanez to far less than the maximum five years, telling him, "The circumstances surrounding this crime were taken into consideration by the state" and the court.

A Colorado youth pastor has been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of two teen girls he had worked with at First Christian Church, authorities said.  thedenverchannel.com  Moffat County Sheriffs Office and the Craig Police Department said their investigation has identified two alleged victims, who were between the ages of 13 and 18 when the alleged assaults occurred.

The United Nations said that it has suspended four peacekeeping soldiers following allegations of child sexual abuse in southern Sudan.  gulfnews.com  One of the four Bangladeshi soldiers was accused of a serious sexual assault on a child and repatriated, UN sources told The Daily Telegraph.

An eighth-grade boy on Cape Cod is accused of sexually assaulting several of his female classmates.  thebostonchannel.com  Four girls filed complaints against the Nauset Regional Middle School student in connection with alleged incidents that date back to June, according to the Cape Cod Times.

The Spokane Catholic Diocese has agreed to pay at least $48 million to people molested by priests as a part of a deal to emerge from bankruptcy, a federal mediator announced.  ap.org  Federal Bankruptcy Judge Gregg W. Zive in Reno, Nevada, said the settlement would provide survivors "with some measure of closure and allow them to move forward and continue the healing process."


*for access to member only sites like the New York Times, use the ID "JohnDoeID" and the password "whatever". On sites asking for an email address, feel free to use "info@childprotectionprogram.org"