Growing up near Denver’s Fairmount Cemetery arboretum, I’d notice years when crows and magpies dominated. I always rooted for robins and sparrows. The bigger-billed bully-birds disrespected the smaller birds’ bodies, property and even their offspring. Magpies and crows, for all their character flaws, are brilliant birds. So was Jeffrey Epstein. Skipping grades because he was […]
sex assault
Posted inSun Investigation
Sexual abuse, misconduct allegations kept quiet for decades at world-renowned Colorado Center for the Blind
More than a dozen previously unreported instances of sexual misconduct and abuse spanning at least two decades at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton have surfaced during an internal investigation of the school’s parent organization. Among the offenses were the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by a summer youth camp counselor […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Bill Cosby accuser who lives in Colorado now wants spotlight on proposed changes to sexual assault laws
Despite a court ruling that freed Bill Cosby years after his sexual-assault conviction, a Douglas County resident says progress is being made to help victims come forward and find justice in cases of rape and sexual assault. But she says that more needs to be done. Heidi Thomas, who testified in court that Cosby sexually […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Colorado’s review of Catholic Church sex abuse named priests, but not those who covered up their crimes
Warning: This story contains explicit descriptions of sexual assault. A pair of explosive reports on decades of child sex abuse in Colorado’s three Catholic dioceses named 52 priests but kept confidential the identities of numerous church officials — from administrators to bishops — who covered up or ignored allegations of misconduct and transferred known child […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Justice means we must believe sexual assault survivors first
It is heartbreaking, infuriating and almost too hard to watch. A young woman is asked to repeat the painful details of her sexual assault to investigators over and over and over again. Viewers of the Netflix series “Unbelievable” will recognize this story of a serial rapist in Colorado and in Washington State. It may be, as […]
Posted inColoradans, Culture, News
Wannabe Catholic priests can expect interrogations about porn, psych evaluations and abuse prevention training
Investigators examining decades of child sexual abuse by Colorado priests are expected to release their report within weeks. The reckoning is due, say Catholic leaders, but the public account will sting as it brings a fresh round of damage to the church. “Our psyche at large as a church, as the body of Christ, has […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado prosecutors warn DUI-testing mess could have impacts far beyond drunken driving cases
Two district attorneys representing some of Colorado’s largest counties are warning that problems with the state’s ability to conduct blood testing in driving under the influence cases could have much broader impacts across the criminal justice system if they aren’t quickly resolved. That includes placing in jeopardy cases ranging from vehicular homicide to murder, where […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers aim to close loophole that led appeals court to overturn foster parent’s child sex assault conviction
The following story contains graphic details from a child sexual assault case that could be objectionable to some readers. When Senon Louis Ramirez’s conviction for sexually assaulting one of his foster children was overturned last year because of a loophole in Colorado law, there was outrage over how such a gap could exist. But the […]