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April 15, 2005

Catholic Bishops Name Abuse Reform Chief

April 15, 2005 [Associated Press]

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops named a veteran Illinois state police official Friday to head the office that monitors the hierarchy's reforms to prevent clergy sexual abuse.

Since retiring from the state police in 2003, Teresa M. Kettelkamp has conducted audits in 16 Catholic dioceses for the Gavin Group, a private security firm working for the bishops' Office of Child and Youth Protection — the office where Kettelkamp will now be executive director. She also helped Gavin develop audit questionnaires and manuals.

Kettelkamp, of Springfield, Ill., replaces Kathleen McChesney, the first director and a former FBI executive who resigned in February.

The appointment was made by Monsignor William P. Fay, general secretary of the bishops' conference, with advice from the National Review Board, a lay panel that monitors both the bishops' reform program and the child protection office.

Kettelkamp, the mother of two college students, was the first woman to reach the rank of colonel in the Illinois state police.

She was manager of the Division of Forensic Services, supervising nine laboratories, and before that led the Division of Internal Investigation, which probes allegations of misconduct in the state police and Illinois state government. In another assignment, she supervised 28 agents who specialized in cases involving missing or sexually exploited children.

On the Net:

Bishops' child protection office: http://www.usccb.org/ocyp

Posted by Nancy at 01:03 AM | Comments (0)

Former detention officer sentenced in abuse case

April 15, 2005 [Associated Press]

ST. ANTHONY, Idaho A former employee of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections will spend up to 15 years in prison for child sexual abuse.

Wayne Potter got the sentence after pleading guilty to a pair of felonies in February.

Potter must serve at least three years in prison before he's eligible for probation.

A five-year-old girl and a ten-year-old girl had accused him of abusing them.

The 47-year-old had worked as a rehabilitation specialist at the state Juvenile Correction Center in Saint Anthony (in southeast Idaho) at the time of his arrest.

The girls weren't connected to the facility.

Posted by Nancy at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

Bills seek to repeal limitations on child sex abuse cases

April 15, 2005 [Associated Press]

Austin, TX — One of two bills proposing to eliminate the statute of limitations in child sex crimes cases was scheduled to be heard by a House subcommittee next week.

The bill would repeal the current Texas law, which requires that such criminal cases against a defendant must begin before the victim turns 28

We cannot allow a statute of limitations to be a passcard for someone who is willing to do this kind of damage and harm and hurt to the children of this state," said Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, who filed the bill.

But some prosecutors don't think doing away with the statute of limitations will help victims, said Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Chairman Terry Keel, R-Austin.

"The statute of limitations are there for the benefit of victims," said Keel, a former prosecutor. "By eliminating the statute, prosecutors could refuse to go forward simply by telling victims on a righteous case that there is no statute of limitations. So there are consequences that have not been thought of that are anti-victim."

A similar bill filed by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, hasn't been scheduled for debate.

Currently, 17 states don't have statutes of limitations for these cases, and Texas should join that list, Ellis said.

"This legislation puts the prosecution of sexual crimes against children on par with murder and manslaughter," said Nathan Coburn, of Mothers Against Sexual Abuse, referring to two crimes that aren't subject to a statute of limitations.

Posted by Nancy at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)