Thursday, September 25, 2008

Sex Abuse Cases Against Catholic Nun & Religious Order Are Settled

For immediate release:
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Sex Abuse Cases Against Catholic Nun & Religious Order Are Settled

For Decades, She Molested Girls in Worked In Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois

Three Victims Filed Civil Lawsuits in 2005 and 2006; Predator is Now Deceased

It May Be the First Time Several Victims Have Sued for Crimes by One Pedophile Nun

WHAT
At a news conference, three women will speak publicly for the first time. They were sexually abused by a Catholic nun and just settled their civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits against her Minnesota-based religious order.

WHEN
Thursday, Sept. 25, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
At the law offices of Jeff Anderson, 366 Jackson Street, Suite 100, in downtown St. Paul

WHO
Three victims and a prominent Minnesota attorney who represents hundreds of other men and women who were abused as kids by teachers, coaches, ministers, and other authority figures.

WHY
Sr. Benen Kent, a nun with Rochester-based religious order called the Sisters of St. Francis, was sued for repeatedly sexually abusing three girls in the mid-1960s at St. Juliana’s Catholic School in Chicago and elsewhere. According to the lawsuits, Kent’s supervisors knew Kent suffered from mental illness and had behaved questionably with children. Yet they moved her and let her continue to work around kids.

The victims, now in their 40s and 50s, include two sisters who are letting their names be used publicly: Christine Bertrand of Sierra Madre CA, Karen Britten of Highland Park IL. The third woman is anonymous.

The lawsuits were filed 2005 and 2006 in Olmsted County District Court. A judge tossed out Britten’s case because of the statute of limitations, and last year the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld that decision.

Kent, who was a music and piano teacher, died in 2003 at the age of 85.

Bertrand and the anonymous woman report that they were also abused at the order’s headquarters in Rochester MN.

CONTACT:
Attorney Jeff Anderson of St. Paul 651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell

Clergy Sex Abuse Group Founder Heads to Europe

For immediate release: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Clergy Sex Abuse Group Founder Heads to Europe

He'll Meet with Government Officials & Abuse Organizations in 2 Countries

Man Will Also Visit Grave of Suicide Victim Who Was Raped by Jehovah's
Witness

WHAT:
At a sidewalk news conference, the founder and head of a support group for those molested in the Jehovah's Witness faith will

-- describe his upcoming eight day European trip to meet with political and non-governmental agencies and work on preventing clergy sex abuse, and

-- discuss his organization's outreach effort to find and help more me and women who have been sexually assaulted by Jehovah's Witnesses.

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 25, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:
Outside a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, 6020 O'Brien Ave. (corner of Eastboro Dr.), Nashville, TN (615-356-6580)

WHO:
A Madison man who started SilentLambs.org, a nationwide group that helps men and women who were sexually assaulted as kids by Jehovah's Witnesses

VISUAL:
He'll show a pile of documents and records of abuse cases he'll bring to Europe & share with leaders there.

WHY:
In 2001, William H. Bowen founded SilentLambs.org, which has helped 6,000 victims of sexually abusive Jehovah's Witnesses.


http://www.silentlambs.org/NationalPresspacket.htm

From September 27 - October 3, he'll travel to France and Belgium and meet with a wide range of organizations that deal with child sexual abuse, including a commission (the MIVILUDE) which is attached to the French Prime Minister, a Parisian MP who chairs a parliamentary group studying cults and sectarian groups, two non-profits (the Organization for the Protection of Environment of Deyvillers and the ADFI, a support group for abuse survivors) and the Mayor of Louviers (all in France).

He'll also meet with the European Commission in Brussels and top staffers at the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters in both countries).
Seven years ago, Bowen reported to fellow Jehovah's Witness church officials that another elder was a confessed child molester. (That
predator remains a Jehovah's Witness in good standing to this day.)

Bowen was then ostracized by fellow church members and went on to start SilentLambs.org.

CONTACT: William H. Bowen of Nashville, founder of SilentLambs.org 270-703-2257 cell, 270-527-5350, David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAPnational director 314-566-9790 cell