Religion and Child Abuse News: Four Amish elders plead guilty for not reporting child sex crimes but are only fined $300

News-Leader - Springfield, Missouri October 20, 2010

Amish elders plead guilty for failure to report abuse

by NEWS-LEADER STAFF

Four elders of an Amish church in Seymour have pleaded guilty to failing to report child abuse as mandated reporters.

Christian Schwartz, Jacob Schwartz, Emmanuel Eicher and Peter Eicher pleaded guilty Monday in Webster County Circuit Court in Marshfield. Each must pay a $300 fine and court costs, court documents show.

The four men were charged with misdemeanor violation of Missouri's mandated reporter law, which requires teachers, medical professionals and others to report potential abuse to authorities.

Prosecutors said the men were aware for at least six months that Johnny Schwartz, a member of one of Webster County's six Amish churches, had been molesting two girls.

Johnny Schwartz was arrested in October 2009 and charged with four counts of statutory sodomy and two counts of child molestation. He pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

His wife, Fannie Schwartz, was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child because she allegedly knew he was sexually molesting the girls, now ages 15 and 16.

She received five years' probation with 100 hours of community service.

According to a probable cause statement, Johnny Schwartz admitted to the congregation that he had molested the two girls. Although the church shunned him multiple times, no one ever reported the years of abuse to authorities.

Christian Schwartz, one of the bishops of the church, said it was against Amish rules to report child sexual abuse to law enforcement, the probable cause statement said.

This article was found at:

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010200379

SIMILAR ARTICLES:

Amish culture of secrecy protected child molester, church leaders may be charged for not reporting child abuse

4 Amish bishops who "shunned" child molester charged with failing to report sexual abuse of children

Missouri court rules Amish elders are "mandated reporters", must stand trial for failing to report child abuse

Amish man gets 20 years for child rape, wife gets probation for failing to report abuse, elders on trial next

Amish distrust of outsiders creates culture of fear and secrecy, prevents reporting child abuse to authorities

Amish man who sexually abused kids for years finally reported to police after third excommunication

Summary of US State legislation on the issue of clergy as mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect

Phoenix pastors charged for not reporting incest to authorities, told girls to make amends with their father

Judge: Law requires clergy to report sex abuse

Baptist pastor and three elders charged with failing to report child sex abuse, prosecutor says shameful conspiracy