New Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Baptist Church

[Ian David]

Black Collar Crime

Press Release
New Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Baptist Church



Victim, in her 20s, Will Speak Publicly For The First Time
Perpetrator Pled Guilty to the Abuse Last Month, Sentenced to Four Years
Advocates Say that Church has a History of Shielding Sexual Abuse Predators
At Least Two Other Church Officials Have Been Indicted for Sexual Assault
in Recent Years

CHICAGO, April 23 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:

At a news conference, a new civil sexual abuse lawsuit against a local
fundamentalist Baptist church will be announced. The lawsuit names the
Baptist Church, Marquette Manor Baptist Church of Downers Grove, IL, and
its former youth pastor, Edward D. Greene.



WHEN:
Wednesday, April 23 at 11:00am
WHERE:

Daley Plaza, next to the Picasso, 50 W Washington St (between Dearborn
and Clark) in downtown Chicago

WHO:

The victim, her Chicago attorney, and several members of a self-help
support group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
(SNAPnetwork.org), the nation's largest self-help group for men and women
who have been wounded by religious authority figures.

WHY:

In DuPage County last month, Ed Greene, the former youth pastor at
Marquette Manor Baptist Church, 333 75th Street, Downers Grove, IL, pled
guilty to sexually abusing Rachel Griffith from about 1994 and 1999, when
she was between 14 and 18 years old.

Before the abuse began, Griffith trusted Greene enough to reveal to him
that her father, a former deacon of the church, had also sexually abused
her. Instead of reporting that to police, as he was required to do, Greene
seized the opportunity to abuse Griffith himself. Greene molested Griffith
at least 50 times between 1994 and 1999, all while promising Griffith that
he was helping her. This was particularly confusing for Griffith, given
that the church was a conservative Baptist church that taught her dancing,
drinking, and sexual acts were all sinful.

Greene abused Griffith all over the Chicagoland area, as well as on
church trips to Mexico, Canada, New York, and Wisconsin.

Greene was sentenced to four years in prison, but will likely be
released after serving only two years. He is believed to be married with
children and is currently incarcerated in Illinois.

Two other church officials, John Puga, the former basketball coach at
the school, and Howard Blattel, a former deacon at the church, have been
charged with sexual assault in the last five years as well. Puga was
charged with abusing a child between 2001 and 2002. Blattel was accused of
sexually assaulting an 89-year old woman in 2004.

Griffith, now a resident of South Carolina, is a 27-year-old,
stay-at-home mom. She is married with two young children.



SOURCE Jeff Anderson & Assoc.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-23-2008/0004798358&EDATE=


Related links:
# http://www.andersonadvocates.com