Category: News

After seven years of on-and-off-again writing, a memoir entitled “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope” that was co-written by Patty Wetterling – Co-Founder of Jacob Wetterling Resource Center – and Joy Baker will be published and released October 17, 2023.

Listen to the discussion about the new Netflix documentary, “Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” and its impact on the community of survivors featuring actor and advocate Anthony Edwards and Zero Abuse Project staff and Board members.

Hancock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Aimee Herring was one of a handful of professionals across the state invited to present at the Indiana ChildFirst Forensic Interview training as a part of Zero Abuse Project’s National Forensic Interview Training — a five-day, 37-hour course. “When we come to the table with the common goal of protecting children, we can all learn something from each other,” Herring said.

San Francisco’s Roman Catholic archdiocese filed for bankruptcy Monday, saying the filing is necessary to manage more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials.

On Sept. 6, Netflix will debut “Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” a documentary about how one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S. — with over 700,000 members — tried to cover up one of the most widespread child sexual abuse scandals in history. The project will prominently feature Zero Abuse Project Board member, Detective Michael Johnson.

Zero Abuse Project recognizes that training is not often available around forensic science and evidence collection; in response, the organization has created a resource that empowers law enforcement and prosecutors working child maltreatment cases.

In the past couple of years, the University of South Dakota has seen its first groups of students earn certificates with CAST, where participants get a deeper understanding of child maltreatment and how to respond. The University of South Dakota’s Department of Social Work Chair Kelly Bass is the director of the new program. He said integrating realistic cases through simulation has helped USD’s model see some early success.

Today, a settlement was announced in the Diocese of Syracuse bankruptcy case on behalf of hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse who courageously came forward to file claims in the Diocese’s bankruptcy case. The $100 million settlement includes contributions from the Diocese of Syracuse, the Diocese’s parishes, and other entities affiliated with the Diocese.

Five members of Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations were charged with child sexual abuse by the Pennsylvania’s attorney general on Friday, following a yearslong investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in the religious community. READ MORE

A shocking investigation by the Illinois Attorney General has found that nearly 2,000 minors were sexually abused by Catholic priests in the state over 69 years, outlining the desperate need for trainings and resources to assist those victimized by abuse within the faith community. READ MORE

States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality Zero Abuse Project staff speaks to the necessity of mandatory reporting in the faith community in a new story centering

In a new article revealing decades of abuse often enabled by other spiritual leaders within the faith community, Zero Abuse Project‘s Victor Vieth speaks about the ways in which purity culture and religious themes may be used as a means of normalizing and justifying the grooming patterns of an abuser. READ MORE

Governor Wes Moore has signed legislation which eliminates the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, effective October 1, 2023. The bill was signed days after the release of the Maryland Attorney General’s report documenting the sexual abuse of over 600 children by priests and others within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. READ MORE

Teams of law enforcement officers, child advocates, prosecuting attorneys, doctors, and others who investigate sex crimes against children received a special training from Zero Abuse Project’s signature forensic interview program, ChildFirst. The event was the first in-person version of this crucial training to happen in-person in Indiana since the pandemic began in 2020. READ MORE

Menlo Church leadership acknowledges abuse from decades ago A Menlo Park megachurch is apologizing for several instances of abuse from decades ago that “had not been addressed in a way that honored the survivors at the time” after information about them was unearthed in recent years and in the aftermath of a 2021 investigation by Zero Abuse Project. READ MORE

Ouachita Baptist University’s community & family services program in the Pruet School of Christian Studies and the Title IX department discusses the crucial need for hosting “Keeping Faith,” Zero Abuse Project’s signature faith-based course that empowers faith communities to recognize and respond to cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect, while providing details of the impact on

Zero Abuse Project CPO Victor Vieth authors this piece in the January/February issue of the Sexual Assault Report discussing the Southern Baptist Church, including an overview of the case against the SBC, failures of the investigation, and recommendations for reforms. Now in its 26th year of publication, Sexual Assault Report is a bimonthly report letter written for professionals working to prevent and prosecute

Zero Abuse Project Senior Attorney Robert Peters discusses emerging trends in online enticement reports in this article covering The Wynona’s House Child Advocacy Center’s 2022 Training and Workshops on Child Maltreatment, featuring a keynote delivered by Zero Abuse Board of Directors member Mike Johnson. READ MORE