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| Boy Scouts of America will bring suspected abusers to attention of police | Boy Scouts of America will bring suspected abusers to attention of police |
| (4 months later) | |
| The Boy Scouts of America plans to begin doing what critics argue it should have done decades ago – bring suspected abusers named in the organization's so-called perversion files to the attention of police departments and sheriff's offices across the country. | The Boy Scouts of America plans to begin doing what critics argue it should have done decades ago – bring suspected abusers named in the organization's so-called perversion files to the attention of police departments and sheriff's offices across the country. |
| The BSA has, until now, argued that it had done all it could to prevent sex abuse within its ranks by spending a century tracking pedophiles and using those records to keep known sex offenders out of the organization. But a court-ordered release of the perversion files from 1965 to 1985, which is expected sometime in October, has prompted a Scouts spokesman, Deron Smith, to say the organization will go back into the files and report any offenders who may have fallen through the cracks. | The BSA has, until now, argued that it had done all it could to prevent sex abuse within its ranks by spending a century tracking pedophiles and using those records to keep known sex offenders out of the organization. But a court-ordered release of the perversion files from 1965 to 1985, which is expected sometime in October, has prompted a Scouts spokesman, Deron Smith, to say the organization will go back into the files and report any offenders who may have fallen through the cracks. |
| Smith said Mike Johnson, the group's youth protection director and a former police detective, would lead the review. | Smith said Mike Johnson, the group's youth protection director and a former police detective, would lead the review. |
| That could prompt a new round of criminal prosecutions for offenders who have so far escaped justice, said Josh Marquis, Clatsop County, Oregon, District Attorney. But investigations may require more than what most Scout files provide, including victims willing to cooperate. | That could prompt a new round of criminal prosecutions for offenders who have so far escaped justice, said Josh Marquis, Clatsop County, Oregon, District Attorney. But investigations may require more than what most Scout files provide, including victims willing to cooperate. |
| "Let's even assume the suspect confessed," Marquis said. "An uncorroborated confession is not sufficient for a conviction." | "Let's even assume the suspect confessed," Marquis said. "An uncorroborated confession is not sufficient for a conviction." |
| Many states have no statutes of limitations for children victimized when they were younger than 16, so even decades-old crimes could be fair game. | Many states have no statutes of limitations for children victimized when they were younger than 16, so even decades-old crimes could be fair game. |
| The Scouts began keeping the files shortly after the organization was created, in 1910, when pedophilia was largely a crime dealt with privately. The organization argues that the files helped it track offenders and protect children. But some files released in 1991, detailing cases from 1971 to 1991, showed repeated instances of Scouts leaders failing to disclose sex abuse to authorities, even when they had a confession. | The Scouts began keeping the files shortly after the organization was created, in 1910, when pedophilia was largely a crime dealt with privately. The organization argues that the files helped it track offenders and protect children. But some files released in 1991, detailing cases from 1971 to 1991, showed repeated instances of Scouts leaders failing to disclose sex abuse to authorities, even when they had a confession. |
| A lawsuit culminated in April 2010 with a jury ruling the BSA had failed to protect the plaintiff from a pedophile assistant Scoutmaster in the 1980s, even though that man had previously admitted molesting Scouts. The jury awarded $20m to the plaintiff. | A lawsuit culminated in April 2010 with a jury ruling the BSA had failed to protect the plaintiff from a pedophile assistant Scoutmaster in the 1980s, even though that man had previously admitted molesting Scouts. The jury awarded $20m to the plaintiff. |
| Files kept before 1971 remained secret, until a judge ruled – and the Oregon Supreme Court agreed – that they should be released. Attorneys are now redacting addresses and other identifying material from the files, which stretch from 1965 to 1985. | Files kept before 1971 remained secret, until a judge ruled – and the Oregon Supreme Court agreed – that they should be released. Attorneys are now redacting addresses and other identifying material from the files, which stretch from 1965 to 1985. |
| The release means that alleged abusers, and the names of Scout leaders who failed to report them, will be made public soon in tens of thousands of pages of confidential documents – one of the largest troves of files the BSA has been forced to produce. A psychiatrist who reviewed the files, Dr Jennifer Warren, found that police were involved in about two-thirds of the cases from 1965-1985. | The release means that alleged abusers, and the names of Scout leaders who failed to report them, will be made public soon in tens of thousands of pages of confidential documents – one of the largest troves of files the BSA has been forced to produce. A psychiatrist who reviewed the files, Dr Jennifer Warren, found that police were involved in about two-thirds of the cases from 1965-1985. |
| Kelly Clark, a Portland attorney who won a landmark 2010 lawsuit against the BSA, says the documents showed that even though the BSA has been collecting the files nearly since their organization was founded, the organization had failed to use them to protect boys from pedophiles. | Kelly Clark, a Portland attorney who won a landmark 2010 lawsuit against the BSA, says the documents showed that even though the BSA has been collecting the files nearly since their organization was founded, the organization had failed to use them to protect boys from pedophiles. |
| "What's significant is that the Boy Scouts could have these files for so long and not learn from them," Clark said. | "What's significant is that the Boy Scouts could have these files for so long and not learn from them," Clark said. |
| Last week, the BSA made public an internal report on the files that was compiled by Dr Warren, who served as an expert witness for the Scouts in the 2010 Portland lawsuit. As part of the report, it emphasized the files' success in preventing pedophiles from entering Scouting ranks, but acknowledged the organization's failure to stop some abusers. | Last week, the BSA made public an internal report on the files that was compiled by Dr Warren, who served as an expert witness for the Scouts in the 2010 Portland lawsuit. As part of the report, it emphasized the files' success in preventing pedophiles from entering Scouting ranks, but acknowledged the organization's failure to stop some abusers. |
| "In some instances we failed to defend Scouts from those who would do them harm," the BSA said in a statement accompanying the report. "There have been instances where people misused their positions in Scouting to abuse children, and in certain cases, our response to these incidents and our efforts to protect youth were plainly insufficient, inappropriate, or wrong." | "In some instances we failed to defend Scouts from those who would do them harm," the BSA said in a statement accompanying the report. "There have been instances where people misused their positions in Scouting to abuse children, and in certain cases, our response to these incidents and our efforts to protect youth were plainly insufficient, inappropriate, or wrong." |
| Warren's report found that in 930 files created between January 1965 and June 1984, there were 1,622 victims. Of the total victims, at least 1,302 were involved in Scouting. | Warren's report found that in 930 files created between January 1965 and June 1984, there were 1,622 victims. Of the total victims, at least 1,302 were involved in Scouting. |
| "My review of these files indicates that the reported rate of sexual abuse in Scouting has been very low," Warren wrote. | "My review of these files indicates that the reported rate of sexual abuse in Scouting has been very low," Warren wrote. |
| Warren compared the rate of victimization in the Scouts – about 1.4 to 2.1 youth per 100,000 – to the nationally-reported incidence of child abuse by the US department of health and human services, which found in 1980n that 70 per 100,000 children experience sexual exploitation each year. | Warren compared the rate of victimization in the Scouts – about 1.4 to 2.1 youth per 100,000 – to the nationally-reported incidence of child abuse by the US department of health and human services, which found in 1980n that 70 per 100,000 children experience sexual exploitation each year. |
| Warren's analysis did not account for the fact that files were destroyed for offenders who died or turned 75 years old, which she said did not affect her overall conclusions. | Warren's analysis did not account for the fact that files were destroyed for offenders who died or turned 75 years old, which she said did not affect her overall conclusions. |
| Critics contend that the organization's legal battles reflect a long-standing effort to protect the Boy Scouts' reputation and to limit any lawsuits. | Critics contend that the organization's legal battles reflect a long-standing effort to protect the Boy Scouts' reputation and to limit any lawsuits. |
| "It's a culture of denial and concealment," said Timothy Kosnoff, a Seattle attorney who in 2006 obtained documents on 5,200 alleged pedophiles who went into the files between 1949 and 2005. | "It's a culture of denial and concealment," said Timothy Kosnoff, a Seattle attorney who in 2006 obtained documents on 5,200 alleged pedophiles who went into the files between 1949 and 2005. |
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