Church settles sex-abuse lawsuit

[_asbestosman]

I still don't understand what is expected of victims of childhood sexual abuse?

Should we teach children how to secretly collect forensic evidence? Should we give them rape kits?

How about have them report it within a reasonable amount of time. Forty years ago seems to be a bit too much if it's only your word vs his. I hope there's more than that in this case (perhaps from other witnesses / records). Still, I would hope that the legal system has a reasonable statute of limitations and will continue to refine such things to help protect innocent victims of abuse and innocent victims of false accusation.

[_GoodK]

If the case is 40 years old, the plaintiff claims abuse and the defendant denies abuse, what policy should you propose to protect the innocent and reward the victim?

How about a trial? That thing where evidence and testimony is presented, and a judge makes a ruling? I'm good with that...

I take it from your post that the plaintiff wins, automatically. Or is it because the defendant is a Mormon, the plaintiff wins, automatically.

You got me. It's becasue the defendant is a Mormon. I just hate Mormons...
I'm totally ok with Catholic's being allowed to molest children. Jews too. And atheists, oh boy, have at it fellas!

What you should have taken from my post is that the plaintiff does not automatically lose, because he does not have forensic evidence or wire taps proving he was abused.

Please don't sue me for suggesting that you are naïve in a politically correct sort of way.

Only if you promise not to forward my post to my step dad and all of your friends...

[_GoodK]

How about have them report it within a reasonable amount of time.

I know you aren't trying to be offensive, but wow. What if a child is not emotionally prepared to re-live his abuse? What if he mentally blocks it out, like most do? Why would you expect a child - who has just had his mind scrambled - to behave reasonably?

What if your child told you he was molested? Would you demand proof from him? Would you go look at your Franklin Covey and see what the time frame was for his report, and deem it reasonable or not?

[_rcrocket]

If the case is 40 years old, the plaintiff claims abuse and the defendant denies abuse, what policy should you propose to protect the innocent and reward the victim?

How about a trial? That thing where evidence and testimony is presented, and a judge makes a ruling? I'm good with that...

I take it from your post that the plaintiff wins, automatically. Or is it because the defendant is a Mormon, the plaintiff wins, automatically.

You got me. It's becasue the defendant is a Mormon. I just hate Mormons...
I'm totally ok with Catholic's being allowed to molest children. Jews too. And atheists, oh boy, have at it fellas!

What you should have taken from my post is that the plaintiff does not automatically lose, because he does not have forensic evidence or wire taps proving he was abused.

Please don't sue me for suggesting that you are naïve in a politically correct sort of way.

Only if you promise not to forward my post to my step dad and all of your friends...

I did not forward your post to a single person. Not one. Time to get a life -- get out of that apartment.

Your post and this thread are vacuous. Is there anything in the story about the 40-year-old case that a trial was not available to the plaintiff? Unless statutes of limitations intervene (and they often do not for claims of recovered memory for child abuse), any plaintiff is entitled to a trial. This plaintiff apparently didn't want one.

The phrase "settlement" connotes nothing. I once represented a tire company in a rollover case where the plaintiff was a paraplegic from the accident and had a family to support. I established a week before trial that somebody had lost the real blown tire and found another one -- one of my client's -- in a junkyard and had that mounted on the wheel. We "settled" all right.

And, by the way, the word "Catholic's" denotes a possessive form, when you really intended to use a plural form, of the word "Catholic."

[_asbestosman]

How about have them report it within a reasonable amount of time.

I know you aren't trying to be offensive, but wow. What if a child is not emotionally prepared to re-live his abuse? What if he mentally blocks it out, like most do? Why would you expect a child - who has just had his mind scrambled - to behave reasonably?

What if your child told you he was molested? Would you demand proof from him? Would you go look at your Franklin Covey and see what the time frame was for his report, and deem it reasonable or not?

I am unable to hold a reasonable discussion with you, so I don't know why I bother. I do NOT expect children to report while they are still children, but 40 years seems too long. How about within 20 years tops, but with continued encouragement to get children to tell?

Furthermore we need parents / guardians / teachers who know how to discern the telltale signs of abuse so they can report it more quickly and protect other kids. More than parents need to be involved since often parents may block out the signs because they are scary.

I will let you put in the last word condemning my shortsightedness and unreasonable standards which let molesters get away, and places unreasonable standards on child victims of abuse.

[_GoodK]

I did not forward your post to a single person. Not one.

And I did not sue you. Not once.

Time to get a life -- get out of that apartment.

Actually, I live in a condo.

It's got nothing on your SCV fortress - paid for, in part, by tithing money - but I like it.

Your post and this thread are vacuous.

Thanks for coming along and adding substance to it.

Seriously, I wonder why the Mormon church would choose to settle out of court ... It certainly doesn't imply that the case is very flimsy.

[_GoodK]

I will let you put in the last word condemning my shortsightedness and unreasonable standards which let molesters get away, and places unreasonable standards on child victims of abuse.

last words condemning shortsightedness and unreasonable standards:

So if you sexually abuse a child, you've got 20 years before you are home free. Great plan.

[_GoodK]

The phrase "settlement" connotes nothing. I once represented a tire company in a rollover case where the plaintiff was a paraplegic from the accident and had a family to support. I established a week before trial that somebody had lost the real blown tire and found another one -- one of my client's -- in a junkyard and had that mounted on the wheel. We "settled" all right.

I wonder if the church has ever been forced to pay damages in a sexual abuse lawsuit... hmmm....

[_rcrocket]

It's got nothing on your SCV fortress - paid for, in part, by tithing money - but I like it.

What basis do you have for claiming that my house is paid for with tithing money?

Seriously, I wonder why the Mormon church would choose to settle out of court ... It certainly doesn't imply that the case is very flimsy.

OK, now we get down to it. You want us all the infer from your little news blurb that the Church settled because it was responsible for the abuse. (Of course, settlement could be zero dollars; settlement could involve payment of the church's costs for bringing a frivolous lawsuit; settlement could be anything.)

[_rcrocket]

The phrase "settlement" connotes nothing. I once represented a tire company in a rollover case where the plaintiff was a paraplegic from the accident and had a family to support. I established a week before trial that somebody had lost the real blown tire and found another one -- one of my client's -- in a junkyard and had that mounted on the wheel. We "settled" all right.

I wonder if the church has ever been forced to pay damages in a sexual abuse lawsuit... hmmm....

Oh, sure it has. The internet will yield enough information on that. That isn't news. Of the millions upon millions of members the Church claims, it seems that there may be 10 or so cases in the last 30 years where a court or jury just doesn't believe a bishop who says he never had received any notice that a child was being molested in his ward by (usually) the step-father or other relative.