When I was young my friend was sexually abused by a Catholic Nun.
This is a story that didn't make huge headlines and was covered up pretty well by the media and Catholic church. My friend Brian was only 12 yrs old at the time when his Catholic school teacher and former nun started her years long sexual affair with my friend. I went to public school while he went to Catholic school but he hung out in the same circle of friends as me and we were all like one big happy family of rag-tag kids that would all hang out at the same desolate beach in the Bronx, being boys and pondering life while swimming in the sound and being slightly mischievous (nothing too crazy, like I said, just being boys).
He was 15yrs old at the time I got to know him and I was 12. I was one of the younger members of this circle of friends that ranged from about 11 to 16. Our friendship continued to about the time I was 16 (he was 19), that was when he started doing drugs and seemed depressed and rarely came around anymore. It didn't seem worrisome or out of the ordinary being most of the group around that age started splitting up and just getting on with life. The older kids were off to college or trade schools, driving cars, chasing girls, going to clubs, etc. And just like that we all pretty much parted ways and moved on to bigger and better things other than starting our little beach bonfires or making rafts out of washed up styrofoam from boats and planks of wood.
Anyway, to make a long story short, I just wanted to shed light on all of the hidden victims of these church scandals that we often don't hear about. In the year 2000 my friend sued the Archdiocese and Catholic church and on the day he was poised to take the stand and blow the whole case open with tape recordings from his sexual encounters the church settled and offered him millions of dollars to remain silent. He complied. When the truth came out it turned out that she was not only having sex with him but also paid him each time and threatened to commit suicide if he told anyone.
She's still alive and living in upstate NY. He's still alive as well and living in Florida. A couple of years after the lawsuit he went on 20/20 or 60 minutes and told his story. He used a fake mustache and wore sunglasses while also using a fake name. Didn't get much more coverage than nor did he care to keep re-living it. He took so long to tell his story because he was embarrassed that he was a boy and felt powerless over a woman sexually molesting him and being blackmailed, but felt compelled to speak up and prevent her from doing this to another child.
For a little more background see here: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news5/2000_09_19_Ross_ArchdioceseSettles.htm
BTW: I personally never knew about the abuse while it was occurring, not sure if he told anyone else in our circle of friends. Also, before intercourse she would put a contraceptive on him according to those in my neighborhood who know the full story. The church's victim list is never-ending.
= new reply since forum marked as read
