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Clergy Sex Abuse: Enough Is Enough!

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Message Debby Bodkin
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Intervention is Needed by Religious, Government & Political Leaders. The letter below was sent to Cardinal Roger Mahony's legal advisors with hope that the protections of children, adults, families and employees will take precedent over the Church's image and financial portfolio. *******************************

November 19, 2006
(Via Email)

Cardinal Roger Mahony
Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
c/o J. Michael Hennigan, Esq.
c/o Albert P. Ballog, Esq.

Re: Secrecy and Deception -- Protections of Children
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Dear Messrs. Hennigan and Ballog, as legal representatives for Cardinal Roger Mahony and the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese:

As cradle a Catholic with 4 children who attended Catholic schools, it is hard to accept that precious children and families continue to be victims of sex crimes and failures to protect by employees supervised by you and your legal advisors. The recent allegations at Daniel Murphy Catholic High School are a disgrace! Nothing has changed since the clergy sex abuse crisis erupted 5 years ago.

How many more children and families will be destroyed because your employees and legal advisors refuse to place the protections of children BEFORE your personal image and the Catholic Church?

How many employees supervised by you and your legal advisors will face the wrath of the influences of the Catholic Church in a court of law, for reporting violations of the law?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

* Are you aware of the life-long effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder that plagues each and every child, adult and family that has survived horrific clergy sex abuse crimes or the wrath of the influences of the Catholic Church in a court of law?

* Why do you lie to the public?

* Why do you lie to your employees as mandated reporters?

* Why do you lie to precious children and their families?

* Why do you continue to re-victimize clergy sex abuse victims and their families as evidenced in the recent allegations concerning sex abuse crimes committed by an employee under your supervision at Daniel Murphy Catholic High School?

In the interests of public safety and justice, the ongoing political, religious and law enforcement influences that have aided the Catholic Church in covering up sex crimes and other violations of the law, must stop NOW!

As evidence of the ongoing failures to protect children, please refer to the attached .pdf copy of a letter written by two Los Angeles County Sheriffs in support of the dismissal of felony gun charges that were filed against the former principal's son at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in April 2001, R.J. Hemenway. In the midst of the clergy sex abuse crisis, political and government leaders assisted the Catholic Church in facing the consequences of violating child protection laws and the Gun Free Schools Act of 2000.

Yes, the Sheriff's letter was successful and the principal of a prominent Catholic high school in Orange County was transferred to Bishop Amat Catholic High School, one of the schools under your supervision in the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese. Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, there is something seriously wrong with the letter submitted by two Los Angeles County Sheriffs in support of dismissing felony gun charges against a prominent Catholic school principal's son -- the sheriffs misspelled "Hemingway" in the letter when the correct spelling is "Hemenway". Who were the government officials responsible for verifying the legitimacy of this letter?

* Does this have anything to do with the fact that legal advisors for the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese, Albert P. Ballog, Daniel R. Sullivan, Esq. and Michael J. Peffer, all members of the firm of Sullivan & Ballog, simultaneously represent the Catholic Diocese of Orange and the OC Sheriff's Department?

* Does a legal conspiracy exist? Is there a self-insured legal malpractice fund that employs and protects the Catholic Church from accountability for destroying the lives of children and families?


Please stop the games -- children are not safe! Nothing has changed since the clergy sex abuse crisis erupted 5 years ago. Due process of the law, the protections of children and those who protect them as mandated reporters are non-existent in the business and employment practices of the Catholic Church. Without justice, there will never be peace and without peace, we might as well laugh at each and every child protection law that the Catholic Church and its legal advisors, continue to manipulate for personal and financial gain.

Respectfully submitted,

Debby Bodkin, Founder
www.catholics4justice.com


cc: Orange County District Attorney
Los Angeles District Attorney
State Bar of California
California Department of Justice
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As an amateur writer, mother, wife and legal secretary for the past 25 years, my passion for the courage of clergy sex abuse victims, their families and mandated reporters, who made a choice to protect children, before their own career security and (more...)
 
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