The Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic fraternal organization,
is vehemently denying accusations that they willfully covered up
reports that one of their members sexually abused minors several decades
ago.
On Dec. 14, the Miami law firm Mermelstein & Horowitz filed two
lawsuits against the Knights national organization and its leader,
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, alleging that Julian Rivera, who worked as
a leader in Columbian Squires youth program in Brownsville, Texas,
sexually abused two boys in the 1970s.
One victim, who identifies himself as “John Doe,” says Rivera
threatened him with sexual demands at gunpoint when he was as young as
12 years old, telling him that he would kill his family if he did not
comply.
The abuse, which began in 1970, is reported to have continued
for several years.
The second plaintiff – who released his name as Jim Dennany – claims
that Rivera began showing him pornography at age 12 and began sexually
abusing him from the ages of 14 to 16.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue in the briefs that the Knights of
Columbus had knowledge of abuse claims against Rivera but concealed them
and kept him in a leadership position.
Complicating matters, attorneys for John Doe claimed that he reported
his abuse to the Knights of Columbus in 2009, saying that he wanted to
enter a treatment program for chemical dependence caused by the trauma
of the abuse.
The Knights of Columbus officials allegedly agreed that
they would pay for his treatment and gave him $200 for his travel
expenses to the facility.
Doe said that he was given two separate pages to sign as
acknowledgment for receipt of the money and that a witness notarized the
pages.
Doe then said he later received an eight-page settlement
agreement in the mail – a document which he claimed he had never seen
before – that bore his signature releasing his legal rights.
The Knights of Columbus, which has never been sued over sex abuse
charges, issued a statement Dec. 14, “vigorously” denying the
accusations.
“Although we have not yet been served with the lawsuits, we have
obtained and reviewed copies of the complaints, and we emphatically deny
the allegations that have been made,” spokesman Patrick Korten said.
On the charges involving Rivera, Korten explained that they “first
became aware of allegations of sexual abuse against him only one year
ago, in December 2009.”
“We acted immediately, removing him from any responsibility involving
youth programs, and referring the case to Brownsville law enforcement
authorities.”
Rivera terminated his membership in the Knights of Columbus in January of this year.
Korten also said that in 2003 the Knights of Columbus formalized its
“Youth Protection Program” to train youth leaders about how to protect
children from abuse.
He added that every member who agrees to serve as a youth leader must undergo a background check every three years.
“The safety and well-being of the youngsters involved in our
Columbian Squires program and all other youth activities of the Knights
of Columbus are among our highest priorities, and are at the heart of
our approach to helping young Catholics become faithful and responsible
citizens and future leaders of the church,” Korten said.
As of 2010, there are 27,983 Columbian Squires in 1,483 of the group's Squires Circles.
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