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February 11, 2005
Priest's assailant recalls sex abuse
February 11, 2005 [Associated Press]
BALTIMORE (AP) - A man who shot and wounded a former priest three years ago, accusing him of abuse, testified against him Friday.
The former priest, Maurice Blackwell, is charged with four counts of child sex abuse. His accuser, Dontee Stokes, served home detention for accosting him on a city street in 2002 and shooting him.
Stokes, 29, said pats on the back and ear-tugging from the popular priest led to sexual molestation. But the former altar boy acknowledged that he told no one about the abuse until a year after it ended.
"I didn't want to get him in trouble and have him removed," Stokes said.
Defense attorney Kenneth Ravenell suggested Stokes has trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality, referring to reports from psychologists after Stokes' arrest for shooting Blackwell, and Stokes' belief that a friend who died once took possession of his body.
Stokes acknowledged the out-of-body experiences, testifying "It has happened kind of often."
But he emphasized the alleged abuse was real. "Mr. Blackwell did what I said he did to me," Stokes testified.
In opening statements earlier Friday, lawyers for Blackwell described Stokes as a confused young man, afraid to admit he was a homosexual for fear of being ostracized by his family.
Prosecutors disagreed.
"This is a case about faith and trust and a violation of that faith and trust," prosecutor Joanne Stanton said.
Once a highly regarded pastor at St. Edward's, Blackwell is accused of abusing Stokes between 1989 and 1992. He faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
Stokes made his allegations in 1993, at age 17, but prosecutors declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence. Blackwell was returned to the church after receiving psychological counseling.
Blackwell was stripped of his church authority in 1998, after acknowledging having a sexual relationship with a teenage boy in the early 1970s.
In May 2002, in the midst of the national scandal involving Catholic priests, Stokes confronted Blackwell on a city street and shot him three times. After the shooting, prosecutors reviewed Stokes' allegations and charged Blackwell.
Stokes was acquitted of attempted murder in December 2002, but convicted on gun charges.
Posted by Nancy at 03:45 PM | Comments (0)
Teachers union won't back mandatory child abuse reporting
February 11, 2005 [Australian Broadcasting]
The Australian Education Union (AEU) says it does not support the introduction of the mandatory reporting of child abuse in Western Australia.
The issue has been raised by the Coalition following revelations a nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital was investigated last year after being accused of inappropriately dealing with a patient.
Police dropped the matter because of a lack of evidence and the nurse was allowed to return to work, but later resigned.
The union's Mike Keely says schools presently contact the Department of Community Development if they believe a student is being abused.
He says making it a legal requirement for teachers to contact police would deter children from coming forward.
"I understand fully the reason why people would think that legally required mandatory reporting would be more effective," he said.
"That's not our understanding and until we have demonstrated proof that that's a better way of doing it then we would keep on doing it the way we're doing it now."
Posted by Nancy at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
Planning council to fight child abuse, neglect
February 11, 2005 [Press of Atlantic City] By Joyce Vanaman
BRIDGETON - When David Mallory provides statistics about Cumberland County's high rate of child abuse and neglect cases, he doesn't view them as faceless numbers, but as people in need of help.
Mallory, the Cumberland County district office manager for the Division of Youth and Family Services, has worked with DYFS for 40 years. He said Thursday: "Our aim is prevention. I would like to work myself out of a job."
That's not likely to happen, but Mallory said he is pleased with the effort being made by some 30 people who met recently to discuss the establishment of a state-mandated Child Welfare Planning Council in Cumberland County.
The purpose of the council, according to Ethan Aronoff, coordinator of the Cumberland County Human Services Advisory Council, is to reduce the number of families that become involved with DYFS and to help support healthy families, stronger communities and safe children.
Based on statistics from 2002, Cumberland County is No. 1 in the state for the percentage of child abuse and neglect cases reported per 1,000 children. The number of cases was 1,763, Mallory said.
Cumberland County was No. 2 in families with reported problems per 1,000 children. The number was 1,028 families.
"We were number three in the percent of substantiated reports," Mallory said. "Every time we get a report, we check to see if it is valid.
"I feel the Child Welfare Council is going to be a wonderful opportunity for people to become involved with child welfare efforts," Mallory said. "I think it will be a big help to DYFS. It will help children when people are involved in an organized way to deal with the issues of child abuse and neglect."
Aronoff explained: "The new Child Welfare Planning Council will come under the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships of the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The council is to be made up with 49 percent service providers, government leaders and human service providers, with 51 percent to be community residents, hopefully residents from the hot spots that have been identified."
The hot spots are areas where the highest numbers of cases of child abuse and neglect are received by DYFS, according to Aronoff. These primarily are the center-city areas of Bridgeton, Vineland and Millville.
Neighborhood hubs will be established, with information and referral services. They will be staffed initially by volunteers and eventually by paid professionals when funds become available.
Aronoff emphasized that the planning council, when established, will work cooperatively with existing county-level planning bodies by sharing information and conducting planning and assessment activities.
"The council will assess the strengths and needs of Cumberland County communities and identify existing resources, duplication and gaps in services," Aronoff said. Its goal is to make sure that a range of services - from primary prevention to intensive intervention - is available and accessible to all families.
Aronoff said the group discussing the establishment of the planning council included representatives from the cities of Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland and from their school systems; N.J. Department of Human Services, Cumberland County Human Services Advisory Council, Cumberland County DYFS, Rowan University, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Rutgers University, area service providers and community residents.
The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 23. For more information, call Aronoff at (856) 453-7804
Posted by Nancy at 10:46 AM | Comments (0)
Accuser who shot ex-priest testifies
Dontee Stokes says pats on the back led to molestation
February 11, 2005 [Associated Press]
The former priest, Maurice Blackwell, is charged with four counts of child sex abuse.
His accuser, Dontee Stokes, served home detention for accosting him on a city street in 2002 and shooting him.
Using explicit language and demonstrating with gestures, Stokes, 29, said pats on the back and ear-tugging from the popular priest led to sexual molestation.
He testified he was "in disbelief" and "disgusted."
But the former altar boy acknowledged that he told no one about the abuse until a year after it ended.
"I didn't want to get him in trouble and have him removed," Stokes said.
In opening statements earlier Friday, lawyers for Blackwell described Stokes as a confused young man afraid to admit he was a homosexual for fear of being ostrascized by his family.
Prosecutors disagreed.
"This is a case about faith and trust and a violation of that faith and trust," said prosecutor Joanne Stanton.
Once a highly regarded pastor at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Baltimore, Blackwell is accused of abusing Stokes between 1989 and 1992. He faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
Stokes made his allegations in 1993, at age 17, but prosecutors declined to press charges, citing insufficient evidence.
Blackwell was returned to the church after receiving psychological counseling.
Blackwell was stripped of his church authority in 1998, after acknowledging having a sexual relationship with a teenage boy in the early 1970s. He was defrocked by the Vatican in October.
In May 2002, in the midst of the national scandal involving Catholic priests, Stokes confronted Blackwell on a city street and shot him three times.
After the shooting, prosecutors reviewed Stokes' allegations and charged Blackwell.
Stokes was acquitted of attempted murder in December 2002, but convicted on gun charges.
Posted by Nancy at 01:38 AM | Comments (0)
Montgomery woman convicted of child abuse in toddler scalding
February 11, 2005 [The Associated Press]
A jury convicted a Montgomery woman Friday of child abuse for severely scalding a 2-year-old boy in her foster care a year ago.
Velnetia Williams, 38, who may receive up to 10 years in prison, remains free on $10,000 bond. She is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 28
Williams had testified that the boy turned scalding water on himself in a bathtub while she had left him for a few seconds to get his pajamas, according to the Montgomery Advertiser, which reported Friday's verdict.
She also told the court she wasn't aware of the seriousness of the burns until the following day. Williams said she had almost arrived at the emergency room when she panicked and returned home, fearing repercussions from the Department of Human Resources. A pastor finally convinced her to seek medical attention for the child.
"He had little blisters, but they weren't big or major," she testified.
But a state's expert, Dr. James Lauridson, rebutted her testimony, saying the photographs of the burns indicated that hot water was poured down the back of the child's pants.
Lauridson presented graphic photographs to the jury of the boy's second-degree burns, saying the blistering could not have occurred in the bathtub as Williams had suggested.
"He would have backed out," the doctor testified. "People don't stay in hot water long enough to get second-degree burns."
Williams testified that she had cared for 16 children under DHR's foster care program and never had a serious problems in the past, though she did admit to using corporal punishment on some of the children.
Prosecutors, however, elicited testimony from Williams that two children had been removed from her care in 2000 and 2001
Posted by Nancy at 01:27 AM | Comments (0)