The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops plans to vote Thursday (June 11) on revisions to its cornerstone document addressing the sexual abuse of minors, including new language that emphasizes “the presumption of innocence” for accused priests.
Clock runs out on abuse reform legislation in Missouri
Statute of limitations reform legislation died last Friday after the Missouri Legislature adjourned without passing at least one of the companion bills, SJR-93 and HJR-130, despite the Against the Clock advocacy campaign urging voters to call their representatives and emphasize…
Cindy Clemishire Act does not advance in Oklahoma
Last week, the Oklahoma legislation known as the “Cindy Clemishire Act” died after the state Senate adjourned early, without calling the bill to a floor vote. This came just one day after its unanimous passage out of the Senate Judiciary…
Kanakuk leader Joe White announces retirement
Joe White, the embattled leader of Kamp Kanakuk in Missouri, will retire at the end of this summer camping season, he announced. That does not mean he will relinquish ownership of the camp, however. White and Kanakuk have been embroiled…
Abuse reformers launch ‘Against the Clock’ in Missouri
No More Victims Alliance has launched a new advocacy campaign called “Against the Clock” in response to the stalling of two statute of limitations reform bills in Missouri as part of its national effort to expand abuse survivor access to justice….
Founder of ‘Thank You Jesus’ yard signs pleads guilty
Last Wednesday, Thank You Jesus Yard Sign founder Lucas Timothy Hunt pleaded guilty to a felony charge of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor in Randolph County, N.C. Hunt agreed to enter a plea deal and is sentenced to 36…
Statute of limitations reform stalled in Missouri
Two proposed bills aiming to reform the civil statute of limitations in Missouri for child sexual abuse and trafficking claims have stalled. The bills in question are companion bills SJR-93 and HJR-130, which propose a choice to Missouri voters about…
Oklahoma House passes ‘Cindy Clemishire Act’ and ‘Trey’s Law’
On March 17, the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass House Bill 4227, a piece of sexual abuse legislation now being referred to as the “Cindy Clemishire Act.” Cindy Clemishire is an Oklahoma native who was sexually abused…
Senators announce bipartisan support for a federal ‘Trey’s Law’
Six bipartisan U.S. senators came together to announce the federal filing of “Trey’s Law,” introduced to the Senate as the “Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements Law.” The bill — similar to versions passed or filed in a number of…
Yandell v. Kanakuk lawsuit proceeds despite dismissal in appellate court
The Yandell v. Kanakuk lawsuit will proceed after requests for the case to be transferred to the Missouri Supreme Court, despite dismissal at the appellate level. The case was brought by former Kanakuk camper Logan Yandell in 2022 against Kanakuk…
Three Baptist schools retain ties to Kanakuk Institute
Four educational institutions, including three seminaries, remain partnered with Kanakuk Institute, an eight-month program aimed at equipping post-graduate students with “biblical skills for a lifetime of ministry” with connections to Kanakuk Kamps. Three of these schools are Baptist affiliated. Over…
Protecting Epstein survivors should be a bipartisan priority
With news of Prince Andrew’s arrest, it is even clearer that the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse deserve justice and healing. During the recent testimony of the U.S. attorney general to the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was…