Posted on 03/10/2023 8:54:27 AM PST by Morgana
Kanakuk abuse survivors testified at a hearing last month on new legislation that would modify the legal process for reporting child sexual abuse.
On February 13, survivors and family members of victims of sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps, a popular evangelical camp outside Branson, Missouri, testified before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee in support of a new bill regarding the statute of limitations for sexual abuse.
The bill, H.B. 367, proposed by local state Rep. Brian Seitz, offers an extension of the civil statute of limitations. As a result, victims may file civil actions any time before the victim turns 55. Furthermore, the bill would allow survivors to revive cases that authorities dismissed before the bill’s passing due to statute of limitation issues.
Elizabeth Phillips testified before the committee that the non-disclosure agreement her brother had to sign as part of his abuse settlement with Kanakuk left him afraid to speak about the incident to anyone.
Her brother, Trey Carlock, committed suicide in 2019 following his abuse by Kanakuk counselor Pete Newman. Newman is serving two life terms plus 30 years in a Jefferson City prison for molesting children.
“I used to refer to him as a survivor,” Phillips said about her brother. “But he didn’t survive past the age of 29, so now I refer to him as a victim, and I’m trying to be his voice.
“It’s time to stop the clock for child sex abuse survivors,” she continued. “Don’t rush them into civil litigation like my brother. A short statute of limitations can be lethal, as my family knows, and another form of rape.”
“The average age of disclosure is 52,” Phillips said. “Missouri currently stops the clock at 31 years old, and you’re pushing child rape victims, forcing them to sprint a race when they’re struggling just to survive and heal.”
Evan Hoffpauir, who also endured Newman’s abuse at Kanakuk, said the trauma and embarrassment caused him to hide what had happened to him until 2022 when after learning that Kanakuk knew of Newman’s predatory behavior and failed to protect children, he gathered the courage to tell his family and seek legal help.
Hoffpauir said when he sought legal help to hold his abusers accountable, he was “crushed” to discover he was only a few years past the Missouri statute of limitations.
“The law was telling me there was nothing to be done about it, and the clock had run out on me,” Hoffpauir said.
In addition to advocates who spoke in favor of the bill, others appeared before the committee to oppose the changes.
Michael Essma from a Kansas City law firm testified on behalf of the American Tort Reform Association.
Although he mentioned a few foreseen issues with the bill, Essma said his client’s concern mainly focused on the bill’s retroactivity.
Lobbyist Rich AuBuchon also spoke against the bill, but started his testimony by stressing that his issue was not about the subject matter.
“Let me start by saying that I am not here to protect some sex offender,” he began.
AuBuchon continued, “The acts perpetrated upon these people are wrong. We agree with that. It shouldn’t have been done. There is a criminal sanction for those folks. What we see here, though, is forgetting about our Constitution.
“Even defendants in this particular case, no matter how abhorrent, have a right to due process in the state of Missouri, and our job is to preserve the right to due process,” he said.
MinistryWatch reported last spring that at least two Kanakuk counselors have gone to prison for crimes committed while on staff. The prosecutor overseeing Newman’s case said the number of victims could be in the “hundreds.”
Additionally, Lee Bradbury pleaded guilty in 2013 to four sex-related charges involving campers at Kanakuk. Five other men who served on Kanakuk’s staff in the 1980s, ‘90s, and 2000s were convicted of sex crimes perpetrated after they served on Kanakuk staff.
Kanakuk came under fire when a case disposition for a lawsuit revealed Kanakuk leaders knew about Newman’s abusive behavior at least six years before they fired him. As a result, one of Newman’s victims won a nearly $20-million default judgment against Newman in 2018—the largest judgment of its kind in Missouri that year.
Seitz’s bill will soon undergo an executive session hearing before a committee vote. The bill’s fate remains in question as committee members have yet to agree on whether to pass the bill.
The clock should run out after three years or age 19, whichever is later.
If you are old enough to vote, you are old enough to call a lawyer.
and if you found it it had been your child who was molested/raped?
I think the issue is that there should be no binding NDA in case of child sex abuse.
most of these are going to be he said/ she saids. Unless you have many accusers come forth.
but how does a person, accused, defend them self with, “where were you at 7: 45pm tuesday 35 years ago?”
Even if the accused is not convicted, they are forever labeled a pedophile in the court of public opinion.
“but how does a person, accused, defend them self with, “where were you at 7: 45pm tuesday 35 years ago?”
Even if the accused is not convicted, they are forever labeled a pedophile in the court of public opinion.”
Why was this okay when it as in the catholic church but not okay now?
You are not dreaming, the nightmare is real. Sex abuse is everywhere and in every religion. Why can’t these victims have their day in court?
The abuse should be reported as soon as possible.
A person who does not report abuse enables another child to be abused.
The first to report should get twice the amount of money as the second to report and four times the money the third to report, etc. Those not reporting before the trial should share equally in the remaining settlement funds.
Because they enabled further abuse.
Many women were alleged to have been assaulted by a Philadelphia area man, but most kept silent which allegedly enabled the man to continue assaults.
I believe the best way to catch child abusers is to scrutinize their lives.
Those who abuse children are going to continue to pursue this behavior. If there is not enough evidence to convict them of previous crimes, keep an eye on them. They’ll try again.
“The abuse should be reported as soon as possible.”
Yes today. In 2023.
When did this abuse happen at Kanakuk Kamp? Back when people were still saying “shh don’t say that, ‘touch not God’s anointed’” to victims.
In some churches they are still saying it.
This has to stop. I hope this law passes because so called “God’s anointed” will get anointed in prison.
“Those who abuse children are going to continue to pursue this behavior. If there is not enough evidence to convict them of previous crimes, keep an eye on them. They’ll try again.”
The average child sex offender has up to around 60 victims before caught. So you want one more to put in in jail for what? 8 years?
I mean really if they were doing a Chris Hanson sting I’d say “okay” but otherwise haul his ass in.
I’m not sure what can be done. Punishment is a step in the right direction. Prevention is better. Incarceration or execution can prevent future offenses but not the first ones before the culprit is caught.
It seems pretty difficult to catch a lot of offenders if the victims do not immediately cry out for help. Unfortunately, children often feel too helpless to seek help, especially when the abuser is in a position of power and/or trust.
I’m not a fan of statutes of limitation, but I do believe evidence needs to be rock solid when charges of crimes are made. One of the problems of not having a statute of limitation for certain crimes is that sometimes it means exculpatory evidence may be lost or destroyed.
But here’s what I mean by keep an eye on them. Perhaps when a victim comes forward many years after the abuse, it might be reasonable to issue a search warrant to see if evidence of this crime or similar crimes can be obtained. A child abuser might have preserved “souvenirs” of his crime or others since. Track his whereabouts. Watch for suspicious behavior that might lead to exposing other crimes. Even if there may not be enough evidence to convict based on a delayed accusation, it still should be taken into consideration for probable cause for issuing search warrants, wiretaps, surveillance, etc.
I am good with 7 years after they reach 18, and 7 years for people to tell their story. Otherwise, shut up there is no chance to defend yourself really. Now if you can find others who have similar accusations, there is nothing wrong with building a base of witnesses.
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