"But what if she sent them to him first?"

Devastating words from a teenager that made me shudder.

I used to visit schools and give presentations about consent and respectful relationships. At one school I learned a boy had shared nude images of a girl with his friends.

The young people wanted to know how to feel about the girl's culpability in this scenario. They were thinking out loud, working through the millennium-old problem of misogyny.

Did it make a difference if they'd been in a relationship at the time? Did it make a difference if she sent him the nudes without him even asking? In other words: did it make a difference if she was a slut?

I explained, of course, that the question was about consent and respect. He knew she didn't want the images passed on, and he did it anyway. His actions were the problem to focus on here, not hers.

These young people are products of our society, and our society has taught them that when we hear about the incorrect behaviour of a boy or man, we ricochet our focus and blame away from him and onto someone or something else.

A girl or woman, an outfit, alcohol and drugs, et cetera. What was she doing? What provoked him? What was she wearing?

It's not breaking news that schools and parents are still playing catch-up with the advent of the internet and smartphones being available to young people.

The gendered misconduct that has always existed in real life is also built into the digital realm, and the heads-in-the-sand or abstinence-style approach isn't working.

In the past six months alone I've seen countless stories of schoolboys targeting both peers and teachers with varying degrees of tech-assisted gendered bullying, harassment, and abuse.

In April, a young teacher deciding to leave the profession after too much gendered misconduct, culminating in 15- and 16-year-old boys harassing her and professing their adoration of Andrew Tate in class.

In May, students at Yarra Valley Grammar were caught after compiling the highly offensive spreadsheet rating the attractiveness of their female peers including terms like "wifey" versus "unrapeable".

Just weeks later, an Instagram post ranking girls from a Gold Coast school used categories such as "abduction material", "one night stand", "average" and "unrapeable".

In July former and current staff at Warrnambool College reportedly faced up to 20 violent and sexist attacks a day.

That same month a substitute teacher went public about the sexist behaviour she faces from students around the country, including Year 9 students projecting pornography on a whiteboard behind her while she took the roll.

And in August, members of a Pembroke School football team devised a ratings scheme using sexist and racist references to female students.

For every one of these cases that actually hits the news, I see the tip of an iceberg.

Gendered misconduct is grossly under-reported, when it is reported it often isn't dealt with properly, and even when it is dealt with, schools will seek to avoid negative press coverage where possible.

A new fear unlocked

Image-based abuse in particular is pernicious - and prevents victims from coming forward - because of the potential for slut-shaming. But the lack of victim involvement is why I've been thinking about deepfakes for a long time.

The deepfakes I'm talking about are created when someone's non-sexual photos and videos are meshed with explicit photos and videos of someone else or with AI. The results can range from clunky and obvious to absolutely seamless and convincingly genuine.

In January this year deepfakes of Taylor Swift went viral and were viewed more than 47 million times over a 17-hour period before the material was removed from social media.

Whereas a woman or girl complaining of image-based abuse would normally be grilled on why she took or sent nudes in the first place, now, with deepfakes, the only people we have to grill are the ones we always should have: the people who create or share this material without consent.

There's nowhere for the ricochet to go. Could we find a way forward, free of victim-blaming narratives, in dealing with this latest frontier?

I spoke to a few teachers about these trends and issues. One of them, Ellen*, has been a teacher for 18 years and is currently teaching high school students.

She recently watched a colleague leave the profession after "three separate sexual assault incidents across the state, Catholic, and independent sectors", and says the level and frequency of disrespect and objectification of women in school environments is definitely getting worse.

While she has not personally dealt with any instances of deepfakes being created or shared at her school, she is afraid of when they will hit. "I genuinely think that it is a matter of when not if.

The expression ‘new fear unlocked' was the very first reaction I had when deepfakes appeared in tech." She said it "feels like ratemyteacher on steroids" and the attitudes are either being reinforced or ignored at home.′

Deepfakes are becoming a much bigger problem as the industry that facilitates their creation becomes ever more lucrative.

A report by social media analytics firm Graphika found a 2,000 per cent increase in the number of links promoting websites that use AI to create non-consensual intimate images on Reddit and X since the beginning of 2023.

They've moved "from niche pornography discussion forums to a scaled and monetised online business".

In July eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and quoted from the description of a popular open-source AI "nudifying app": "Nudify any girl with the power of AI.

Just choose a body type and get a result in a few seconds." And another: "Undress anyone instantly. Just upload a photo and the undress AI will remove the clothes within seconds. We are the best deepnude service."

Ellen described to me a state of what I would call "hypervigilance", trying to keep photos and videos of herself private, lest a spiteful or just-plain-reckless student get hold of them. Read more

• Bri Lee is the multi-award-winning and best-selling author of Eggshell Skull (2018), Beauty (2019), Who Gets to Be Smart (2021) and The Work (2024). Her journalism, essays and short stories have been published widely. She is also the creator and editor of the weekly newsletter News & Reviews.

It's been prevalent in the Catholic Church, in other churches and within wider society, he says.

Tomb's view is shared by Dr Rocio Figueroa, a theological researcher at the Te Kupenga Catholic Leadership Institute whose focus is pastoral response for survivors of Church abuse.

Figueroa says the Church, in the wake of damning findings about a lack of accountability for both State and Church care, is moving to take more accountability.

Figueroa's research focuses on pastoral responses for Church abuse survivors. She believes the Church is doing its best to respond to victims and deal with abusers.

While she said there was always more that could be done, she was "grateful and happy there is now more accountability. The Bishops are doing the work they need to" she says.

Tombs makes the point that "Policies and procedures have improved significantly in recent years, and Pope Francis and other Catholic leaders have often spoken out on the urgent need to address the abuse crisis and the damage it has caused".

"In the past, the focus of the Church has been to protect its institutional reputation. This has often come at great cost to survivors who have been disbelieved and even blamed when reporting abuses.

"The Catholic Church has sought to be more survivor-centred in its response to abuse disclosures, but a lot of trust has been eroded and will be hard to re-build" he says.

"The problem is not limited to the Catholic Church—abuses have been prevalent in other churches and within wider society—but serious failings in the Catholic Church have often been in the spotlight in media coverage" he said.

Tombs described the Church's response time to sexual abuse as being "painfully slow".

Priest defrocked

Tombs and Figueroa's comments come amidst the defrocking of a priest in New Zealand.

The priest was defrocked by Pope Francis following complaints of an alleged rape by a priest and after all the priest's Church appeals were exhausted.

The alleged rape occurred during a house blessing at the home of the complainant.

"When a priest commits grave crimes, for example abuse of a minor, a sexual solicitation under the sacrament, all these crimes are reasons that can make a priest be dismissed" says Figueroa.

This is just the third defrocking in New Zealand she notes.

The alleged rapist, his victim and the bishop

Defrocking the priest who allegedly raped a Hamilton woman was all very well but it took a long time, says a woman whom the Waikato Times calls Cathy to protect her identity.

But defrocking a priest is "basically our capital punishment" explains Bishop of Hamilton Richard Laurenson.

"As rare as a hanging would be on one level."

However Cathy told the Waikato Times she remained unhappy at the Church's delay in moving against the priest and said she feared "he will do it to someone else".

The Waikato Times understands the man still resides in New Zealand, and complaints about his behaviour date back at least 15 years.

Police job now

"It is now up to the police to take matters any further should they feel they can" Laurenson told Cathy.

Police say they cannot comment on the case.

Source

• Waikato Times

The discussion was prompted after he was told of students joking about rape, including a footballer saying "I raped you", after a slide tackle.

Christchurch Boys' High School headmaster Nic Hill spoke to students on Thursday morning at the school's assembly.

In his speech, he told them he was "incredibly upset" to hear of students "using rape language in a joke form". Read more

The survey at Avonside Girls High School documented incidents of body shaming, cat calling, taunts and unwanted touching.

Meanwhile, the survey at Shirley Boys High School, which shares the campus, found instances of homophobia.

The most frequent harassment was online or through electronic images - verbal behaviours like rating and name-calling - plus a wide range of physical and sexual acts, up to and including rape. Read more

Their stories "simply break the heart, make the blood run cold in your veins.

"This war will go down in history as one in which Russia uses sexual violence as a weapon against Ukraine," said Shevchuk.

Pramila Patten, Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, confirmed last week that rape is part of Russia's "military strategy".

It is a "deliberate tactic to dehumanise the victims," Patten says.

"When women are held for days and raped when you start to rape little boys and men, when you see a series of genital mutilations when you hear women testify about Russian soldiers equipped with Viagra, it's clearly a military strategy."

Patten says the UN has verified over 100 cases of rape or sexual assault in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February.

Victims' ages range from four to 82 years old.

"It's very difficult to have reliable statistics during an active conflict, and the numbers will never reflect reality because sexual violence is a silent crime," Patten observes.

"Reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg."

On Monday this week, over 100 Ukrainian women were released from Russian captivity.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, says it was the first female-only exchange. It was "especially emotional and truly special," he says.

"Mothers and daughters, whose relatives were waiting for them, were held captive."

The next day, Shevchuk thanked God that the women were able to return to their families.

"Let us wrap these women together today with our attention, love and prayer, and warm them up with our national warmth," he said.

Reflecting on recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, the archbishop noted in conditions of war, families find themselves in a sea of violence and malice that destroys a person.

"This war will go down in history as one in which Russia uses violence against the intimate sphere of a person as a weapon against Ukraine," he said, citing statistics about rapes and pregnancies resulting from rape.

"It is impossible to imagine how much this violence against the intimate sphere of a person hurts the Ukrainian family, the dignity of men and women [and] destroys what the Lord God created for love."

Source

• Catholic News Service
• Forbes

Read by some as a surrender to the "woke brigade" and by others as a reasonable response to the accusation the lyrics glorify "slavery, rape, torture and paedophilia", the decision highlights the changing ethical considerations musicians must navigate in order to maintain a social license.

Brown Sugar was recorded in Alabama in late 1969 and released on the Rolling Stones' 1971 album Sticky Fingers.

The song is emblematic of the Stones' energetic rhythm and blues sound and has been a mainstay of their set list for decades.

The lyrics explore the sexual exploitation of a black woman by slave traders and slave owners in America's south, presenting a sexualised view of a marginalised group.

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good?
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should.

Contemporary and informed audiences would also recognise "brown sugar" as a reference to heroin.

Through the course of the song, the singer moves from observer to an agent of this sexualisation.

And all her boyfriends were sweet 16
I'm no school boy but I know what I like
You should have heard them just around midnight.

While some interpretations of the song would like to see it primarily as a celebration of a drug counterculture, any pretence the phrase "Brown Sugar" is other than a reference to a black woman falls away in the final lyric of the studio album.

Just like a black girl should.

This combination of sexual imagery and illicit drug references in the song's lyrics contributes to the culturally transgressive place the Rolling Stones occupy in popular music history.

A question of race

Some have little to say about matters of race in the Stone's music.

A recent essay in the Cambridge Companion to the Rolling Stones examines the contribution of non-band members to Brown Sugar, notably pianist Ian Stewart and saxophonist Bobby Keys, and interprets the lyrics as nothing more than "famously bawdy".

But for many race is central to any consideration of the Stones' output from this period.

Patrick Burke, in Rock, Race and Radicalism in the 1960s sees the Stones as wallowing in racist stereotypes.

He asserts Brown Sugar is a "lascivious celebration of sexual clichés associated with slavery."

The song undeniably deals in confronting subject matter.

Its removal from the set list causes us to question whether the song is racist and speaks to the changing parameters of ethical practice for musicians.

Keith Richards highlights this ambiguity in his comments on the removal of the song.

"I don't know. I'm trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is. Didn't they understand this was a song about the horrors of slavery?"

Richards' mildly defensive tone fuels broadcaster Piers Morgan bellicose defence of Brown Sugar as a "song aimed at defending and supporting black women".

Morgan also draws attention to what he sees as a "double standard" for rap music where racist and misogynist tropes abound.

Pulling the song from the set list seems to Morgan an unacceptable confession of guilt.

Ethics in music

I would argue that whether Mick Jagger, in writing Brown Sugar, intended it to be racist misses the point.

My research examines how non-Aboriginal Australian composers have interacted with Australian Indigenous music.

The use of Indigenous music, instruments and language by Australian composers was once commonplace - and even viewed as a form of advocacy. More recently, Australian composers have come to realise the damage cultural appropriate can cause.

As we learn more about other cultures - including greater knowledge of what causes offence and what is painful - our behaviour needs to change.

Even if the style of Brown Sugar was once heard as an innocent rendering of an upbeat rhythm and blues sound (and as far back as the mid-1960s there have been critiques of the Rolling Stones co-option of Black culture), the ecstatic guitar riff, energetic piano and vigorous saxophone create an unacceptable dissonance in the ears of contemporary listeners.

To use such joyful music to accompany lyrics exploring the sexual exploitation which accompanied slavery clearly causes hurt to marginalised people. As music producer and author Ian Brennan notes, were someone in customer service was to utter the line "Brown Sugar how come you taste so good?", they would be immediately fired.

The freedom to not play Brown Sugar

So does the Stones decision to pull the song damage their reputation? Is this an act of censorship, injuring artistic freedom?

I would argue the ethical musician should defer to the sensibilities of the marginalised group.

The cost here is the Rolling Stones won't play Brown Sugar live.

This isn't censorship; the song is readily available. It isn't even iconoclasm - music history is not damaged and no idols have been smashed.

The Stones' decision to pull the song isn't a confession of racism. It is an ethical act and, in itself, an act of artistic freedom that preserves their social license and affirms their ongoing cultural significance.

• Timothy McKenry is Professor of Music, Australian Catholic University.
• First published in The Conversation; republished with permission.

The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, forced himself onto his now ex-wife at their Perth home in 2012, the Western Australian District Court heard.

Prosecutor Joel Grinceri said the man believed he was entitled to sex under religious law, The West Australian reported.

'He went on to say that under Sharia Law it was essentially his wife's religious legal duty to agree to have sex with him whenever he wanted it.' Read more

The petition to urgently stop Sister Lucy Kalappura's autobiography from being published has been filed in the Kerala High Court.

Licia Joseph of the SMI Convent in Kalamassery in Kochi is arguing the contents of Sr Kalappura's book ‘Karthavinte Namathil' are ‘highly defamatory' to the clergy, nuns and the religious.

"(The book) says that the priests and nuns are leading a very immoral life and they are indulging in indiscriminate and unprincipled sexual life".

"The contents ... shell shock all the right-minded persons particularly the Christian believers".

"It creates a sense of dejection and anger in the minds of the members of the Christian community and the general public ... is a naked infringement of public order, decency and morality."

Joseph's alleges Kalappura's autobiography attempts to convey a wrong message by saying present-day clergy and nuns are violating the fundamental principles of Christian doctrine.

Kalappura was at the forefront of protests last year following a nun's allegations of rape and sexual abuse against former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Kalappura and other nuns went on an indefinite hunger strike outside the high court in Kochi demanding immediate arrest of Mulakkal.

After the protest, Mulakkal was arrested and later released on bail.

His trial began last week.

Kalappura was expelled from her Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) in August for ‘failing to give a satisfactory explanation' for her lifestyle in ‘violation of the rules of FCC.'

The charges against her include taking a loan to buy a car, driving a car, publishing a book of poems and writing in anti-Christian newspapers.

All these charges have been widely seen as revenge for her participation in protests against the Church and the rape-accused Bishop.

Kalappura is presently a teacher with a church-run government-aided school.

Source

• The Indian Express
• Image: The Hindu

It gave her 10 days to appeal to the Vatican against the order, which she did.

Kalappura says she was being punished for using media outlets to obtain justice for a nun who accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of repeatedly raping her from 2014 to 2016 at her convent in Kuravilangad, south of Kochi.

The Jalandhar bishop's trial date has not yet been set.

Kalappura, a 54-year-old schoolteacher, was a lesser known nun in India until September 2018, when she joined five members of the Missionaries of Jesus who staged a Kerala sit-in to support the rape survivor, their former superior general.

The Missionaries of Jesus sisters have also been under church pressure for their activism.

Kalappura became a media sensation especially in Kerala, a major Christian center in southwestern India, when she questioned the church leaders' neglect of the survivor of alleged clergy abuse. Kalappura's superiors and other Catholic leaders reacted by accusing her of working with enemies of the church.

Her dismissal order, dated Aug. 5, says her congregation's general council on May 11 "unanimously voted to dismiss her" from the community.

The Franciscan Clarists also obtained the assent of the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches for the council's decision.

Global Sisters Report interviewed her a few times since April this year when the congregation served her the third warning letter, offering her the option to leave the order on her own.

Kalappura describes the struggles with her superiors and church leaders that led to her dismissal.

GSR: Now that you are dismissed, what is your first reaction?

Kalappura: I am surprised. I don't think I have done anything against the rules of the congregation or the Catholic Church to deserve such an action. I have led a clear lifestyle with nothing to hide or fear.

What about the accusation that you have violated the vows of poverty and obedience?

It is not true.

The accusations against me are that I learned to drive, got a driver's license, purchased a car with a loan, and published a book without permission.

But I had done all this after the superiors continuously refused me permission, even after verbal and written requests.

I did all this in good faith, thinking that sooner or later the congregation would understand me and accept my works. Unfortunately, I am proved wrong.

What is your next step?

They gave me 10 days to appeal against the dismissal to the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches at the Vatican.

I have already appealed to the congregation.

I will wait for its response to decide the future course of action.

Why is the congregation so determined to expel you?

My superiors are influenced by those jealous of my work among the poor and the needy.

I am sad that I am criticized for doing good for other people.

I have never deviated from my religious life at any point in time.

You have become quite popular on TV. How did that happen?

I have not done anything extraordinary to attract the media.

It is true that I got a lot of media attention after I supported the five nuns who were forced to sit on a roadside seeking justice.

I talked to the media for them.

I used social media to highlight their plight.

The church authorities, instead of helping the rape victim and her supporters, gave the accused bishop a clean bill. The media was interested in me because I was the only nun who openly challenged the bishops' stand.

You are primarily a schoolteacher. Why did you become a social activist?

I have been a mathematics teacher since 1993.

But I spend my spare time to visit sick people at their homes, arrange for medicine and other help for those in need, and counsel people in distress.

I joined the convent with a desire to help suffering people.

But my superiors asked me to take up teaching.

However, my original desire was so strong that I started visiting families of my students. Such visits gradually became part of my daily routine as people began to share their struggles in family life and other issues.

People also invited me to their homes.

Soon I realized that counseling needed follow-up. I started seeking help from generous people for those in need. Thus I became a part-time social worker.

I have realized our physical presence not only makes people comfortable but boosts their confidence.

I encourage them to attend spiritual retreats and family counseling.

I liaise with government offices for them.

I also counsel Catholic families who feel slighted by priests and nuns in their parish.

What was the response of your superiors and community members to such works?

The general attitude was negative. They taunted me for going out of the way to help people. Some were annoyed that I did not share the confidential details of my counseling.

You said outsiders support you. How do they do that?

They recognize my services.

After the sit-in protest, the people of my present parish, on their own, pressured the parish priest to lift a ban on me from distributing Communion and teaching catechism in the Sunday school. The priest had to yield to the people's demand.

How many people have you helped so far?

I have touched so many people in my 33 years of consecrated life.

I never took up any formal social work where records were kept. … Hundreds have benefited from my counseling and other activities.

Can you cite some examples of those you helped?

Recently, a man with "elephant foot" needed surgery. [Elephantiasis is an infection that causes severe swelling of the limbs.]

He had no one to take him to the hospital or arrange money for his treatment.

I arranged the funds for the treatment and for people to take him to the hospital. Now he is fine.

When did your trouble with your superiors begin and why?

I began to face problems from my superiors in February 2018, when I published a collection of poems and released a CD of devotional songs.

The poems spoke of topics such as God's love, nature, religion, happiness, death and marriage. The disc, "Devalayam" (Temple of God), has lyrics and music all by me.

I got a letter from my provincial saying I had not received permission.

I had sought her permission through letters and in person since 2015, but to no avail.

Since the superiors were not willing to give permission, I went ahead with the publication.

You are accused of not following the traditional lifestyle of a woman religious. What do you say?

I have been following the traditional lifestyle of an FCC sister.

However, after I published the poems and the CD, I became an irritant for the superiors.

My support to the five nuns further infuriated them and the bishops.

When you take a stand against the official system, whether the convent, the church or public life, you are bound to face such charges.

What are your views on religious life? Should the church revisit it?

It is high time the church revisited religious life to make it more relevant to the changed world scenario.

We are living in a global village with more transparency and accessibility to information, unlike in the past.

Unfortunately, some sisters are made slaves in the name of religious life and obedience.

Consecrated women are made to work in hospitals and schools without minimum wages. Shouldn't we end this exploitation?

Changes are indeed required.

Have you been happy as a nun?

Of course, I am happy.

I was born at Karikkottakary in Kerala's Kannur District as the seventh of 11 children.

I became a nun to serve people.

My father's charitable works and simplicity attracted me. My parents had deep faith in Jesus. I did whatever I could as a nun to help people and make society better.

When I look back, I have no reason to be dissatisfied with my decision to become a nun.

• First published in Matters India. Republished with permission.

Franciscan Clarist nun, Lucy Kalappura (54), says she joined a group of Missionaries of Jesus last September to protest Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar's alleged rape of their former superior general.

The bishop is now on bail and the case against him is being heard in court.

Kaalappura's letter of expulsion claims the congregation had pointed out her continuous violation of the vows of poverty and obedience to her since 2015.

"However, [Kalappura] was not willing to make the corrections," a letter from Sister Jyoti Maria, head of the congregation's Mananthavady province, says.

Among her alleged failings, Kalappura committed dress code violations, bought a car, disobeyed authorities, became involved in large monetary transactions by publishing a book and bringing out a music CD, did not submit her salary to the convent and made media appearances.

Kalappura maintains that her possessions - especially the car - shouldn't be seen as a violation of her vow of poverty but as a means to better fulfill her responsibilities.

"I have been driving the car only for apostolic work, to fulfill my duties in a better way.

"In the one year since I bought the car, which was the cheapest available in the market, I have been able to visit hundreds of poor patients and people in their houses, support them, and pray for them.

"When I go to school, I also take underprivileged children in my car and drop them off. I have not done anything wrong. It's the perception of others, of the other nuns, that is a problem," she added.

Kalappura said she was tired of hearing the words obedience and disobedience.

"Obedience is not just about shutting one's eyes and saying ‘yes'. I'm so tired of explaining that I simply don't want to talk about these allegations against me regarding the car, theImage: books I published, the music CD I created.

"How is that wrong if I'm using it for God's work, which is my duty as a nun? The CD has worship songs that I wrote by myself."

Kalappura was allowed 10 days to appeal Rome.She has appealed her dismissal to the Pontifical Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Kalappura's congregation has asked her 84-year old mother to take her back.

Source

• Matters India
• Matters India
• Matters India
• Image: Deccan Herald

A trial court in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state, acquitted 52-year-old Bhopal archdiocesan Father George Jacob on June 21.

The priest was arrested last Aug. 11 and sent to jail after a middle-aged woman complained that he raped her after inviting her to his presbytery.

The priest was released on bail on Aug. 20 after a medical report found him incapable of performing the sexual act. Read more

Franco Mulakkal was charged with raping the nun several times between 2014 and 2016, according to the police deputy superintendent in the district of the southern state of Kerala where the investigation was carried out. Read more

His family suspect foul play. However, local medical staff said he had a series of health problems.

Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, 67, was found dead inside his room a week after Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar was granted bail by the state court in Kerala and went back to his diocese. Read more

I was pretty upset about that tape, but not because I am a prude or even that I am shocked that men talk like that.

When Billy Bush says "will you give him a hug" while holding back giggles, I remembered all the times that I was the girl who was the butt of jokes between boys and men.

I was upset that a man running for president would talk like this, but come on, it's Trump, I wasn't shocked.

He's been on Howard Stern talking about all kinds of sexual escapades, I heard them way before he was ever a household name because he is gonna make America so great again.

I heard the tape on the way to confession on Friday.

It was my wedding anniversary and my husband wanted to start our celebration with a clean slate by going to confession together. As we drove there I saw the story breaking and listened to the video.

I was flabbergasted and so was my husband.

I was so sure that this was it, Catholics would all see what they had been supporting this entire time and it would be over for Trump.

I had all faith that Catholic men would not stand for this kind of complete disregard for the dignity of women.

We went to confession, ran one last errand and then went to our favorite dive bar to have a few drinks before leaving town.

I have an issue with drinking when the memories of my trauma come up.

I can't do anything when that happens but sit at home look at a picture of Jesus on the cross and pray for the flashbacks to go away while my dog lays next to me to keep me safe.

I have done this a million times and if I even sense for a second that I am in anyway reliving what happened to me, I do not drink.

I didn't think that what Trump said would bring up any of it for me because I am Catholic now.

I have an army of Catholic men who are ready to protect me and other women.

My brothers in Christ will keep me from ever being the victim of another man's objectification. Maybe not all of them, but the ones that I know are pro-life do. Or so I thought. Continue reading

• Leticia Ochoa Adams is a writer, blogger, student, mother of 4, step-mom of 3 and grandmother of 2.

Hercock had earlier admitting two charges of rape, one of attempted rape and four of indecently assaulting a girl aged between 12 and 16.

Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington said that while justice had finally been done for the victims, the effect of Hercock's offending on their lives was long-lasting and painful.

"Great harm was done to the victims by a person in a position of trust", said Dew. "We deeply regret that this ever happened."

"Sexual abuse complainants who approach the Church are encouraged to take their complaint to the police."

"For many this step is very difficult."

"The courage of the victims of Peter Hercock in seeking justice through the courts is humbling and to be admired."

The offending happened in the 1970s and 1980s in the Hutt Valley, Wellington, against four Sacred Heart College pupils.

It was premeditated, and in some cases involved girls been plied with alcohol.

Judge Hastings apologised to everyone present for the explicit details in the court summary of offending before he read through what Hercock did.

Hastings said Hercock had caused lasting emotional and psychological harm, but have him credit for remorse, participation in the church investigation, letters of apology, offer of reparation and guilty pleas.

"You were out of your depth," the judge told Hercock.

"I accept that this may explain the context in which your actions took place but I do not accept that this excuses your actions in any way."

"You may have been a naive, ill-prepared priest but you are also a human being."

"There's a bedrock of acceptable behaviour under which decent human beings do not go."

"You knew what you were doing and knew it was wrong."

"You stole from these women something that makes all of us more human — the ability to have lasting, satisfying, mutually supportive relationships."

"You also stole their faith. There can be no greater hypocrisy for a priest."

In 2003, a church process resulted in Ms Shelley receiving a $25,000 payment from the church. Two other victims received $31,000 and $30,000 respectively.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• Supplied
• Image: media.syracuse.com

The former partner of the 11-year-old's mother is accused of the rape.

The baby weighed 3.3 kilos and was born by caesarean section. Post-operative recovery is going well.

Paraguayan law permits abortion if a mother's life is endangered.

In this instance, a panel including medical doctors, psychologists and judicial officials determined that the life of the girl was not at risk.

In June, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights asked that the Paraguayan government allow an abortion in this case.

Continue reading

The bishops' conference health committee chair Bishop Anselm Umoren told a press conference the life of every baby is distinct from that of the parents.

Aborting the unborn children of the rescued women would visit the sin of the terrorists, who impregnated the women, on the innocent, he said.

Bishop Umoren acknowledged the trauma involved in sexual assault and rape.

But he said the Catholic Church in Nigeria is prepared to provide some support to help the healing, rehabilitation and resettlement of the victims, leading to their integration back into society.

Continue reading

The priest made the comments in an end-of-term service for a Catholic primary school.

He reportedly said that if Irish woman Jill Meagher had been more "faith-filled" she would have been at home instead of out in the early hours of the morning when she was raped and killed.

The vicar-general of the archdiocese of Melbourne, went on radio to apologise.

"I've spoken with the priest; he acknowledges that the homily wasn't appropriate and apologises for the offence and upset it has caused," Msgr Greg Bennett said.

Continue reading

Bishop Joseph Gomes of Krishnagar, who visited the nun in hospital on Monday, added: "She told me that ‘justice should be done'."

"This should be never be repeated or happen to anyone else."

The attack took place after a group of masked men broke into the Jesus and Mary Congregation convent in Ranaghat, about 60 kms from Kolkata, last Friday night.

Ten suspects are currently being detained in connection with incident.

Demonstrations have taken place throughout India calling on authorities to hasten their investigation.

Continue reading

The bodies of Srs Bernardetta Boggia, 79, Lucia Pulici, 75, and Olga Raschietti, 82, were found in their dormitory in Kamenge, north of the capital Bujumbura.

Police said three suspects had been detained for questioning as they probe claims it was a botched robbery at the hands of a mentally unbalanced attacker.

Fr Mario Pulicini, who is responsible for the parish in a northern suburb of Bujumbura, said Srs Pulici and Raschietti were found "partially decapitated" in their dormitory on Sunday.

It appeared all three Italian nuns had been raped.

The Vatican said Pope Francis was "greatly saddened" by the killings of the women, who had worked at the African convent for years.

The Pope offered condolences in the "tragic death" of the nuns to their families, the local parishioners and the sisters' order, the Xavarian Missionary Sisters of Mary.

Continue reading