Sex Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against Knights of Columbus

I am a former 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and was a founding member of Knights of Columbus ("KofC") Council 10804 in Virginia Beach - but that was a number of years before the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal exploded in Boston and then reverberated all around the world and before the KofC pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into anti-gay initiatives such as Proposition 8. I left both the KofC and the Catholic Church in disgust at the moral bankruptcy of the institutional Church and the KofC which brown nosed and kissed up to documented members of the Church hierarchy involved in threats against victims and their families and members of the hierarchy up to their necks in cover ups as they shuffled predator priests from parish to parish. Now, some Divine justice seems to be coming home to roost with the KofC in the form of sex abuse law suits against the Order's Columbian Squires (for Catholic boys between the ages of 10-18). PR Newswire has the story, and here are some highlights:
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The Miami law firm of Herman, Mermelstein & Horowitz announces the filing of two new child sexual abuse lawsuits against the Knights of Columbus, one of the world's largest organizations for Catholic men. The Knights of Columbus operate a youth program, known as the Columbian Squires, for Catholic boys between the ages of 10-18. Two former Columbian Squires alleged today that they were sexually abused by the adult leader of their Columbian Squires group in Brownsville, Texas. This is believed to be the first time the Knights of Columbus have ever been sued for child sexual abuse allegations.
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The suits allege that the two boys were sexually abused on multiple occasions by Julian Rivera, the leader of the Columbian Squires in Brownsville, Texas. One victim claims that Rivera sexually abused him at gunpoint, and also threatened to kill his family if he did not comply with Rivera's demands. Both Plaintiffs allege that Rivera provided them with alcohol and pornography to "groom" them before the physical contact began. One suit alleges that Rivera "shared" his young victim with another Columbian Squires leader, who also sexually abused him.
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According to the Complaints, Rivera was a leader in the Columbian Squires youth program until very recently, despite a 1986 report to two different Knights of Columbus officials that Rivera sexually abused a member of his Squires group.
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Copies of the lawsuits can be found here. The Hartford Courant also has details on the lawsuits. Here are some highlights:
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One of the victims claims he was forced to travel with his Knights abuser to youth conventions, where he was displayed to other adult, male group leaders. "We allege in the complaint that he was being passed around by different leaders," said Jeffrey Herman of Miami, one of the lawyers involved in preparing the suits. "A convention would take place and he would be put on display."
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In addition to claiming that the victims were repeatedly abused, the lawsuits assert that the Knights of Columbus failed to act on an abuse complaint by one of the victims in 1986 and, a year ago, deceived the victim in an attempt to prevent him from pursuing a damage claim in court.
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Both said Rivera gave them alcohol and pornographic pictures before engaging them in sexual acts, sometimes while traveling away from their families to Columbian Squires events. The anonymous man asserted in his suit that Rivera showed him a handgun and threatened to kill his family if he reported the abuse.