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  Scott Brown's Story Prompts New Abuse Allegation

CBS News
April 6, 2011

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/06/earlyshow/living/parenting/main20051204.shtml

(CBS News) A man who wants to remain anonymous claims he was sexually abused decades ago at a summer camp on Cape Cod. The man's attorney says his client apparently attended the same camp as Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown.

Brown revealed in a memoir released two months ago that he was sexually abused at a camp, although the senator did not name the camp.

But attorney Mitchell Garabedian says that, two weeks ago, an 35 year-old man who wants to remain unidentified stepped forward, claiming he was sexually assaulted in 1985 at a Cape Cod summer camp called Camp Good News.

CBS News Correspondent Michelle Miller, reporting on "The Early Show" from Sandwich, Mass., noted Camp Good News, a Christian fellowship camp in business for 76 years, is now under a microscope because the alleged perpetrator may still work there.

On "The Early Show" Wednesday, Garabedian said he does.

"I have been informed this person, this alleged perpetrator still works at the camp, and has been working there for a number of years," he said.

Miller said these new allegations of abuse have prompted an investigation by Massachusetts State Police. Camp officials say they are taking the allegations seriously and will fully cooperate.

But why now -- 25 years later?

The new allegations are being made, Garabedian said, "flat out" as a result of Brown's story.

When Brown initially said he'd been sexually abused as a young boy at a summer camp in the 1970s, he said he wanted to encourage others who had been abused to come forward.

Brown said on "The Early Show," "It's taken 42 years to even really talk about it. And I'm not out to settle any scores, but if I can help people certainly move forward with their lives by talking about it."

Garabedian says his client and Brown almost certainly attended the same camp.

He said, "Based on the information I had, after speaking to my client and being informed about the activities at Camp Good News and when Senator Scott Brown was there, I firmly believe that this was the same camp that Scott Brown attended."

Scott Brown sex abuse revelation "human, not political"

Brown has not commented publicly on the recent developments. In a statement to CBS News, his office said: "Senator Brown has not identified the camp where his abuse took place. What happened to him is part of his life, but certainly not the only part."

According to the Boston Globe, Camp Good News confirmed Brown did attend the camp, and even sent him a letter of apology when he released his autobiography. Victims' rights advocates credit Brown with paving the way for others to speak out against sexual abuse.

Gary Bergeron, co-founder of Survivors Voice, a child sexual abuse awareness group, said, "We've been waiting for a decade for somebody in a position of power to say, 'It happened to me, too."'

Garabedian added, in cases like these, people may yet come forward to report similar alleged abuse.

"Because Scott Brown, for instance, inspired my client to come forward, now my client may inspire another person to come forward. It has a domino effect," he said. "The victims embolden other victims when they come out and discuss sexual abuse."

Brown's spokesperson told CBS News Wednesday that Brown has "no desire to explore this matter further."

 
 

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