BishopAccountability.org
	Editorial: Don't Hide Cases of Child Abuse News-Press November 10, 2011 http://www.news-press.com/article/20111110/OPINION/311100001/0/CRIME/Editorial-Don-t-hide-cases-child-abuse?odyssey=nav|head The child abuse scandal that threatens to tarnish the reputation of Penn State football coaching legend Joe Paterno hammers home a lesson that should have been learned a long time ago: When a person has credible evidence of child abuse, that abuse should be reported to law enforcement, for the sake of the victims, past and future. Almost every state in the union requires certain professionals to report suspected child abuse, and Florida requires anyone to report it — 800-96ABUSE (800-962-2873). People with knowledge of such a crime must not pass the buck around among themselves, no matter who is implicated in the case. One would think that the continuing agony of the Catholic Church over sexual abuse of young people by priests and resulting cover-ups by church higher-ups would have shown how a culture of silence perpetuates the abuse and ends up costing institutions dearly, in money and reputation. We must be especially vigilant about those who abuse a position of authority to take advantage of children. Southwest Florida has seen some chilling examples. Al Zimmerman, then a spokesman for the state Department of Children and Families, was accused of taking nude photos of at least two teenage boys for distribution to overseas pornographers. One of them has been identified as a foster child in DCF’s care. Zimmerman pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2009 to 24 years in prison. Nelson Faerber, a member of the Collier County School Board, a Sunday school teacher and prominent Naples attorney, was charged with five counts of sexual activity with a boy 12 and older from 1997 to 2001. He was never convicted; Faerber committed suicide in 2004. A final report on his case from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement contained statements from 20 other possible victims. At Penn State, a grand jury report says Paterno was told in 2002 by a coaching staffer that he saw former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, founder of a children’s charity, raping a boy in the Penn State football building. Paterno then told the athletic director, who merely banned Sandusky from bringing boys on campus. Sandusky was finally charged last weekend with 21 felonies involving eight boys assaulted over 15 years. Paterno’s glorious reputation is at risk, none of which matters set against the suffering of Sandusky’s victims, who might have been spared if this matter had been handled the right way from the beginning.
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