Martinsburg Abuse Coverup Case

[Just This Guy]

I wanted to give everyone an update on how the sexual abuse coverup case in Martins burg, WV is proceeding.

Jury trial started Jan 18, and is still ongoing.

There have been various dealing back and forth. Here are some report of how it has progressed.
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... ch-begins/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... use-trial/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... on-church/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... -cover-up/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... on-church/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... week-five/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... eek-seven/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... st-church/

IT was put on hod for a couple weeks while the judge was out sick. It restarted earlier this week. According on one source, there was evidence presented today showing that the church has changed their story about what they knew about the abuser, showing a coverup.

https://www.facebook.com/MormonTips/vid ... 669796928/

I'm not sure I follow all this, so I can't really say where it is going. Maybe someof you can make more out of this.

[Red Ryder]

Is the secret tape mentioned in your FB link played at the trial available to the public somewhere? That would be interesting to listen to.

[wtfluff]

Update: The church has settled, details are confidential.


Tithing dollars at work!

[Just This Guy]

What I am being told is the confidentiality is a procedural thing at this point and is court ordered, not a condition of the settlement from LDS Inc. The family of the victims are telling me that they intend to release details once all the paperwork as been finalized and the judge gives the okay.

We'll see what happens.

[wtfluff]

What I am being told is the confidentiality is a procedural thing at this point and is court ordered, not a condition of the settlement from LDS Inc. The family of the victims are telling me that they intend to release details once all the paperwork as been finalized and the judge gives the okay.

We'll see what happens.

Details released would be awesome.

[moksha]

https://www.facebook.com/fred.karger.5/ ... 537250077/
Usually, the Church settles as soon as the plaintiff's attorney asks to see the Church financials. The settlement this time probably hinged on the strength of the case and a reading of the jury by a talented Stake Patriarch.

[Not Buying It]

This needs much wider publicity than it is getting. Things don’t change in the Church without a lot of negative publicity.

[deacon blues]

It says the Church's agreement to settle with all plaintiffs is "an admission of guilt for covering up and continually reassigning church member, serial child sexual predator Michael Jensen."
Didn't they get Elder Oaks Memo?

[Just This Guy]

It's an admission of guilt, not an apology, so Oaks' policy is still in effect.

[wtfluff]

Anyone hear / see any further updates on this, or is it just going to go down the tithing-dollars-paying-for-victim's-silence memory-hole?

[BriansThoughtMirror]

Is any other news outlets covering this?

[BriansThoughtMirror]

Oh, I guess this was actually resolved a while ago, and I'm just late reading the news:

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/04 ... nia-abuse/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... urch-case/

[Arcturus]

The settlement this time probably hinged on the strength of the case and a reading of the jury by a talented Stake Patriarch.

[wtfluff]

Oh, I guess this was actually resolved a while ago, and I'm just late reading the news:

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/04 ... nia-abuse/
http://www.journal-news.net/news/local- ... urch-case/

Yes it was settled, but one of our colleagues mentioned that the settlement details could eventually become public:

What I am being told is the confidentiality is a procedural thing at this point and is court ordered, not a condition of the settlement from LDS Inc. The family of the victims are telling me that they intend to release details once all the paperwork as been finalized and the judge gives the okay.

We'll see what happens.

If details do become public, it will probably take some time, but I'm impatient.

[Just This Guy]

As of right now, I have not heard anything from the families involved on this.

[wtfluff]

Further light and knowledge:

Months after the Mormon Church sexual abuse is settled, the families involved are speaking up

[moksha]

From the above link:

"They stop at nothing to attack the parents," said Tom Stollings, a former member of the church who is speaking up now.

Tom Stollings and Kelly H., are among the nine plaintiffs who sued the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Martinsburg, saying the church covered up years of sexual abuse, involving member Christopher Michael Jensen. They say the case was prolonged for nearly five years before a date for the civil trial was set in January in West Virginia.

"I felt like we were settled to shut up," said Kelly H.

The case was officially settled almost five months ago. While Tom and Kelly say they aren't allowed to speak about the settlement, they are breaking their silence in hopes of protecting many more children.

[Anon70]

Could they lose their settlement by speaking up?

[Just This Guy]

According to the people I know who are involved, the terms of the settlement only prevent them from commenting on the actual amount of the settlement. Everything else is open. So unless they state exactly how much they were paid, they are not breaking any terms.

[Emower]

https://www.athoughtfulfaith.org/270-se ... -juliette/


Holy cow. This was a tough listen.
TL;DR,
The local leaders are douchebags, the members are douchebags, and the top leaders are douchebags. Kirton and McConkie are evil.
The description of obstructionism is infuriating. At one point when Jensen was brought back from his mission, placed in a members home without telling them any of the circumstances and actually lying about why he was home, local leaders were planning on shipping him out to some relative's home who had a ton of foster children. The sexual abuse situation in this church is so bad.