Dòng Tên Đền 166 Triệu Đô Cho
Hơn 450 Học Sinh Bị Lạm Dụng Tình Dục

Tin MSNBC/AFT

02 tháng 4, 2011

Thứ Sáu ( 25 tháng 3 năm 2011 ) tại Oregon / USA

SEATTLE (AFP) -- Trong một vụ thương lượng trong những vụ giải quyết các vụ lạm dụng tình dục nghiêm trọng nhất đang lan rộng của Giáo Hội Công Giáo La Mã, một dòng tu đồng ý chi trả 166 triệu đô bồi thường cho gần 500 nạn nhân người Da Đỏ đã bị các linh mục lạm dụng tình dục khi theo học ở các trường đạo miền Tây Bắc Hoa Kỳ.

Một chi nhánh Dòng Tên mang tên Hiệp Hội Giêsu Tỉnh Hạt Oregon, bị tố cáo là đã lợi dụng các trường sở ở miền quê xa và ở các khu bảo tồn văn hóa dân da đỏ là nơi phế thải cho các tu sĩ có vấn đề. Luật sư đại diện cho nạn nhân hầu hết người Mỹ da đỏ và thổ dân Alaska cho biết, việc lạm dụng chồng thêm lên các vụ ngược đãi các em đã chịu đựng, một số các em đã bị buộc vào nội trú các trường này.

Hầu hết các em bị lạm dụng tình dục là do các CHA Tỉnh Dòng Province -- đơn vị phụ trách linh hướng các tiểu bang Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho và Montana -- tại các trường truyền đạo ở các khu bảo tồn văn hóa dân da đỏ, từ các thập niên 1940 cho tới thập niên 1990.


Linh mục John Morse

Cô Katherine Mendez, 53 tuổi, kể rằng cô bị linh mục John Morse lạm dụng tình dục khi cô vào học trường nội trú St. Mary’s Mission ở Omak, tiểu bang Washington, lúc mới 11 tuổi. Cô nói, “Cha Morse bắt đầu lạm dụng tôi gần như tức khắc khi tôi vào trường này. Tôi phải giữ kín bí mật trong nhiều năm. Cuối cùng, khi bước ra tố cáo mới thấy là nhiều bạn khác cũng bị như vậy...”

Các nạn nhân ở tuổi từ 9 tới 14 tuổi khi bị lạm dụng. Hầu hết sự lạm dụng xảy ra trong các thập niên 1950, 1960 và 1970.

Cuộc thương lượng buộc Dòng Tên phải viết thư xin lỗi các nạn nhân, và phải chia sẻ các hồ sơ quan trọng tới nạn nhân, thí dụ hồ sơ y tế cá nhân.

Trong gần 500 học sinh bị lạm dụng, có gần 200 là học trò gốc Alaska.

Tỉnh Dòng Tên tại Oregon hiện đã khai phá sản Chương 11. Họ cam kết sẽ tiếp tục “làm việc với ủy ban các chủ nợ để hoàn tất tiến trình phá sản ở mức nghiêm túc có thể được.”

 


Dưới đây là một bản tin Anh ngữ. Dưới bài có kèm lời bàn của một vài độc giả

-Jesuits settle Northwest sex abuse cases for $166 million

-Catholic Church's third-largest deal in U.S. involves more than 450 victims

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP


updated 3/25/2011 8:05:17 PM ET

SEATTLE— In one of the largest settlements in the Roman Catholic church's sweeping sex abuse candal, an order of priests agreed Friday to pay $166.1 million to hundreds of Native Americans and Alaska Natives who were abused at the order's schools around the northwestern U.S.

The Jesuit order, called the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, has been accused of using its schools in remote villages and on reservations as dumping grounds for problem priests. Attorneys representing the mostly Native American and Alaskan Native victims said the abuse added to the mistreatment already endured by these children, some of whom were forcibly removed from their homes to attend these schools.

The settlement between the more than 450 victims and the province also calls for a written apology to the victims and disclosure of documents to them, including their medical records.

"It's a day of reckoning and justice," said Clarita Vargas, 51, who alleges she and her two sisters were abused by the head of St. Mary's Mission and School, a former Jesuit-run Indian boarding school on the Colville Indian Reservation near Omak, Washington state, in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The abuse began when they were as young as 6 or 7, she said. "My spirit was wounded, and this makes it feel better."

St. Mary's now operates as Paschal Sherman Indian School and is run by the Colville Tribe.

The province ran village and reservation schools in Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The claims are from victims who were students at schools in all five states.

The Very Rev. Patrick Lee, speaking for the Oregon Province, said the organization would not comment on the settlement announcement because of its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, "as well as out of respect for the judicial process and all involved."

He said the province hopes to conclude the bankruptcy process as quickly as possible. The province previously settled another 200 claims. Then it filed for bankruptcy in 2009, claiming the payments had depleted its treasury.

An issue that surfaced when the bankruptcy proceedings got under way was the relationship between the province and other Jesuit properties, such as Gonzaga University. Attorneys for the victims initially argued the province was wealthy because it controls and owns Gonzaga, along with Gonzaga Preparatory School, Seattle University and other schools and properties.

Both Gonzaga and the Jesuit order maintain they are separate entities, and victims' attorneys did not pursue the issue during bankruptcy negotiations. Neither Gonzaga nor the other schools are contributing to the settlement announced Friday.

California attorney John Manly, who represented some of the abuse victims, contends the Jesuits knowingly put molesters in a position to abuse children.

"It wasn't an accident. The evidence showed they did it on purpose and it was rape," Manly said.

He added he was certain not all the victims have come forward, and he believes the pattern of abuse among Catholic priests continues.

Both the order and its insurers are paying into the settlement. About $6 million of the settlement is being set aside for future claims.

Attorney Blaine Tamaki said the priest who molested Vargas and about 100 other children has not been charged with a crime because the statute of limitations in Washington state is so restrictive. A bill before the state's 2011 Legislature would remove that statute of limitations.

The settlement is believed to be the Catholic Church's third-largest in the sex abuse cases, behind the Los Angeles Diocese, which agreed to pay $660 million to 508 victims, and the San Diego Diocese, which agreed to pay $198 million to 144 victims, according to the website BishopAccountability.org.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42271040/#

 


 

Discuss this article

TheOverlordRestored

This is disgusting! They just continue to pay-off people for their institutionalized rape of children! The Catholic Church must be banned, dismantled and sold-off to pay victims a REAL level of compensation. Religion is a dangerous primitive belief system that was just as wrong 2000 years ago as it is today. Stop the madness - quit believing in zombie sky-wizards and PLEASE stop sending your children into the pedophile arms of your priests!

#1 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:25 PM EDT

TheOverlord

I was just curious what a molested, raped and permanently scared child is worth to the Catholics? Well, it turns out they are worth $332k ($166M/500=332K)... not a bad price considering no jail time for the serial rapist priests and the fact that the parents of the kids paid the settlement with their tithes!

Essentially, Catholics are funding the systematic rape and molestation of their own children. These kids should be removed from these unsafe families since it seems clear Catholics can't or won't protect their own children.

#1.1 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:46 PM EDT

deb-1797732

I just read the story of a local man who is coming out now against 3 priests. His family was very close to this priest of this church. He was an alter boy and the three priest passed him around for sex like he was a bottle of whiskey. His mother noticed a change in him around the years this occurred but never looked into it. He just recently started having flashbacks and horrible nightmares about the abuse, he shut it off for years. The reason I mention this is because the statue of limitations runs out after 5 years. That needs to be changed, yes there are civil trials but these men need to be in jail. Parents need to go to the police not the archdiocese's, they have done nothing but move these guys around. I feel they should be tried as conspirators I'm not sure of the statue on that but I think at this magnatude the Vatican and the catholic church as a whole could be tried.

#1.6 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:02 PM EDT

Danny-1914275

unfortunately, they happen to be laying on children!

#137.1 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:50 PM EDT

ccipaul

When are the Catholics going to realize their religion just doesn't work. It was invented by a Roman Emperor! Priests and Nuns are celibate because of a jealous Pope! It is not natural! Let them have a normal life and the majority of this will go away.

#138 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:13 PM EDT

mediamaniac

Catholics are complicit in the molestation of children by clergy. You continue to allow it to happen because you turn a blind eye to it. Shame on you.

#139 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:14 PM EDT

Danny-1914275

Matilda. Hon. The Pope coming out, waving his hands, saying "oh, i'm sorry this happened" and then, walking back inside to his golden halls is unimpressive.

The Church still continues to victimize every victim, forcing them to go through embarrassing court trials where the church's lawyer brutally victimize their accusers on the stand -- even in the face of overwhelming evidence, the Church refuses to own their deeds, and simply make remunerations to the victims.

You think $110,000 per person is fair (and that amount is BEFORE the lawyer's piece) for what they endured? REALLY? Would you be ok if someone repeatedly butt-raped you for years, and then, gave you about 60- to 70-grand for your problems, 20 years after the violence occurred, and only after a grueling, embarrassing court case where you are forced to relive everything in front of your family and in public, and then, the Pope stood out on his lanai one afternoon, waved his hands, and said "Oh, I'm sorry this happened to you..."

Really? Are you that vacant?

#141.6 - Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:46 PM EDT

Don Coulson

I find it ironic that these men and the church leaders were allowed to perpatrate these horric crimes. And now the non profit organization thinks they pay out millions of dollars to ease their minds and think they can erase their crimes.

#143 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:23 PM EDT

DragoSurfer

The horror, the in-humanity! This is yet another case among thousands in the just the last decade of religious leaders raping children! When will it ever stop? Just try to imagine the horror of a small child being confronted by a priest. There is no one for you to go to, no one to tell of the torture you suffered at the hands of this religious rapist. All rapist priest should all be hung with a piano wire. Just kill them, end of story.

#149 - Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:57 PM EDT

Dominique-1751272

I went to a Catholic high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, St. Pius X in 1967-9, and had a priest who taught us religion, and was always very mean, haughty and condescending to us, and especially to one of my friends, a very pretty girl. His name was Father Perrault, and we found out years after I graduated that he had just gotten out of the rehab center for pedophile priests, which at that time was in New Mexico. He was in the newspaper years later because I believe he was molesting again. I hope he has been put in jail, but if he hasn't and you know him, keep any children away from him. I think he was a molester of boys. The Catholic church is a playpen for pedophiles, a boy's club and rotting from within.

#258 - Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:26 PM EDT

 

 

 

 

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