Growing sexual abuse scandal hits Boy Scouts

http://bit.ly/2vlMCw6 Stunning new details about the scale of the sexual abuse scandal are rocking the Boy Scouts of America. New court documents suggest about 3,000 additional volunteers and former leaders were involved in abuse over the course of 72 years. The testimony shows more than 7,800 former Boy Scout leaders were removed from the organization for “reasonable allegations of child sexual abuse.” “When we got this information, we had to sound the alarm,” said Jeff Anderson, an attorney who represents sexual abuse survivors, who shared the information. That information, exposed as testimony in an unrelated case, is part of the organization’s private database of banned volunteers. Records also identify more than 12,000 alleged child victims in that same period. It’s unknown how many other potential victims and abusers have gone unreported. “There is and has been a large scale, wholesale coverup by the Boy Scouts of America,” Anderson said. The findings are part of testimony from Dr. Janet Warren, an expert hired by the Boy Scouts in 2011 to review their database of banned volunteers and to offer recommendations on how to best protect children from predators. On a call Wednesday, Warren defended the Boy Scouts, saying the reported abuse rate in the organization is “far less than the rate of incidence in society” and stating clearly she found “no evidence of a coverup.” In a statement to CNN, the Boy Scouts of America expressed support for victims: “Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in scouting, and we are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children. At no time have we ever knowingly allowed a perpetrator to work with youth, and we mandate that all leaders, volunteers and staff members nationwide immediately report any abuse allegation to law enforcement.” “If they really felt that way long ago, they wouldn’t have kept these secrets. They wouldn’t have hidden these files. They wouldn’t have allowed children to remain at risk,” said Mark Crawford, a sexual abuse victims’ advocate. In February, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act, which allows survivors to file civil lawsuits even after the statute of limitations has passed. New Jersey lawmakers passed a similar bill last month. “We absolutely anticipate Governor Murphy signing this bill wholeheartedly and giving these victims in this state - this great state where I was born and raised - a voice,” said Greg Gianforcaro, an attorney that represents sexual abuse victims. The new law is prompting survivors and those who represent them to encourage others to come forward. “This is far from complete, and this work has just begun,” Anderson said.