Most Influential 2015: Joelle Casteix

By Theresa Walker
Orange County Register
December 21, 2015

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/abuse-696943-advocate-victims.html

Joelle Casteix, the Orange County woman who was abused by a choir director in the 1990s at Mater Dei High when she was 15, years later got a settlement from the OC diocese and became an outspoken advocate for other victims as the pedophile priest scandals unfolded. Photo by MICHAEL GOULDING

Age: 45

Role: Author, speaker and advocate for victims of sexual abuse; western regional director for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

Bio: Victimized by her high school choir director in the late 1980s, when she was a teenager, Casteix emerged in 2003 as an outspoken critic of the Catholic Church and its handling of child sex abuse cases. In 2005, she won a $1.6-million settlement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. Since then, she’s continued to advocate on behalf of abuse victims around the world. She lives in Newport Beach.

Why she’s an influencer: In August, Casteix published her book, “The Well-Armored Child: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse.” Earlier, she gave a TEDx talk on responsibility and empowerment and, in June, she was named an Ambassador of Peace by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County. In September, during Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, Casteix made several media appearances, calling for transparency from the Vatican in dealing with abuse.

Biggest challenge: Lingering reluctance to the idea that people who have been sexually abused should speak out and be acknowledged as victims. “There’s a certain closed-mindedness, the idea that these bad things can’t happen here and everything is fine in my home.”

Work philosophy: “It is a series of very, very small vicious battles that are slowly pushing the needle in the direction it needs to go.”

Inspiration: “I get so much satisfaction when someone comes to me and says ‘No one is believing me and I have no hope’ and I am able to do something to get them justice, expose what happened, and give them back their dignity.”

What’s next: Relaunching “The Worthy Adversary,” a proposed book that delves into her experience as both a victim and advocate. Publishers rejected it years ago, but she plans a series of e-booklets using Amazon’s self-publishing tool.