Religions > Atheism > Christian Coalition leader faces child sex abuse allegations
| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Johnny Asia poki_pongo at yahoo.com" |
| Date: |
10 Oct 2005 05:08:32 PM |
| Object: |
Christian Coalition leader faces child sex abuse allegations |
Beres family members told The Oregonian that they called the child
abuse hot line last month after several women in the family said they
openly discussed for the first time what happened with Beres. The
names of the family members have been withheld because The Oregonian
generally doesn't identify alleged sex abuse victims.
Another family member said she does not recall being abused by Beres,
but said she would often wake at night and see him in bed with another
young female family member.
Rich Galat, 41, of Oakland, Calif., is Beres' nephew. He said he told
detectives that Beres has molested several female family members over
two generations.
"My family has gone through hell," Galat said. "Lives have been
ruined. Those of us who have come forward have been ostracized,
verbally abused and the victims of character assassination. . . . It
must stop."
Law enforcement officials said Saturday they are investigating
complaints that Louis Beres, longtime chairman of the Christian
Coalition of Oregon, molested three female family members
when they were pre-teens.
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/112885559554010.xml?oregonian?lcen&coll=7
Sunday 9 October 2005 By MICHELLE ROBERTS and JEFF MAPES - The
Oregonian
Investigation
Coalition leader faces sex abuse allegations
Law enforcement officials said Saturday they are investigating
complaints that Louis Beres, longtime chairman of the Christian
Coalition of Oregon, molested three female family members when they
were pre-teens.
"There is an investigation of allegations that have been made,"
Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk said Saturday.
The Oregonian talked to three of Beres' female relatives, including
two who told reporters that he molested them. All three said they have
been interviewed for several hours by detectives.
"I was molested," said one of the women, now in her early 50s. "I was
victimized, and I've suffered all my life for it. I'm still afraid to
be in the same room with (Beres)."
Beres, 70, whose group champions socially conservative candidates and
causes, confirmed he is under investigation for alleged molestation.
He blamed "personal and political enemies" for the reports and said,
"I never molested anybody."
Two of the alleged molestations occurred decades ago and likely would
not result in criminal charges because state law limits prosecution of
certain crimes.
For example, the statute of limitations on sex abuse expires after six
years.
One case, however, may fall within statutory timelines, authorities
confirmed. That investigation involves a female family member who was
allegedly molested by Beres when she was in elementary school,
authorities said.
Beres family members told The Oregonian that they called the child
abuse hot line last month after several women in the family said they
openly discussed for the first time what happened with Beres. The
names of the family members have been withheld because The Oregonian
generally doesn't identify alleged sex abuse victims.
Another family member said she does not recall being abused by Beres,
but said she would often wake at night and see him in bed with another
young female family member.
Rich Galat, 41, of Oakland, Calif., is Beres' nephew. He said he told
detectives that Beres has molested several female family members over
two generations.
"My family has gone through hell," Galat said. "Lives have been
ruined. Those of us who have come forward have been ostracized,
verbally abused and the victims of character assassination. . . . It
must stop."
Beres, of Clackamas County, is state chairman of the Christian
Coalition, a political action group that endorses candidates and
causes, publishes voter guides, lobbies the Legislature and Congress,
and campaigns for and against ballot initiatives.
Its Web site describes the group as "Oregon's leading grassroots
organization defending our Godly heritage." The group opposes
abortion, gay rights and stem cell research.
The Oregon group is affiliated with the national Christian Coalition,
which was founded in 1989 by television evangelist Pat Robertson. At
its height in the late 1990s, the Christian Coalition claimed a
network of nearly 3 million people in 48 states -- including 20,000 in
Oregon -- publishing an estimated 40 million voter guides and
distributing them at evangelical churches.
However, the national group's organization and influence have waned in
recent years. Robertson resigned in 2001 as president of the Christian
Coalition amid growing debt and declining membership. It wasn't known
Saturday how many members remain in Oregon.
Beres is also former chairman of the Multnomah County Republican
Party.
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/112885559554010.xml?oregonian?lcen&coll=7
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"As democracy is perfected, the office of president
represents, more and more closely, the inner soul
of the people. On some great and glorious day the
plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire at last and the White House will be adorned
by a downright moron." --- H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
"Ignorance is an evil weed, which dictators may cultivate among their
dupes, but which no democracy can afford among its citizens."
- William H. Beveridge, 1944
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism
by those who have not got it." - G. B. Shaw
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