An amazing and liberating story told by the most credible and unprejudiced source, the attorney who has successfully obtained a $28 million jury verdict in one of the highest awards in a sexual abuse case. The Whole Truth exposes the breadth of the media's bias against the Catholic Church using the child sexual abuse dilemma in society as the launching point. There is no statistical evidence that shows more abuse occurred in the Catholic Church than in any other institution or organization. The problem is similarly present across all religions, organizations or nationalities, yet the Catholic Church seems to get an inordinate amount of press on the issue.
The Whole Truth by Joseph Klest sheds light on the overwhelming reform that has transformed the Catholic Church into a blueprint for prevention and intervention of abuse. The steps you can take to protect your children from abuse and the legal recourse available if your child has been abused.
Based on the surveys and studies conducted by different denominations over the past 30 years, experts who study child abuse say they see little reason to conclude that sexual abuse is mostly a Catholic issue. "We don't see the Catholic Church as a hotbed of this or a place that has a bigger problem than anyone else," said Ernie Allen, President, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The famous "Spotlight" investigation by the Boston Globe wants us all to celebrate its "breaking" of the "Catholic" abuse scandal. In fact, Hollywood has helped us all relive the well publicized Catholic scandal with the production of the major motion picture, "Spotlight." The fact of the matter is that the Globe and the New York Times and other major media outlets have long been headlining abuse reports involving the Catholic Church proudly on page one, while instances in other religions and organizations received less moderate and standard coverage, or no coverage at all. In fact, the full breadth of the problem has been little discussed. Why? "Because to expose the truth would undermine the most favored storyline of mainstream media - the Catholic Church and its many evils," says Klest.
The Whole Truth sets forth facts that every person should know about sexual abuse in America, especially if you have kids. For people who practice the Roman Catholic faith, this is a must read. However, every parent in the country and the world should be made aware that everything we hear, read and see about sexual abuse against children is not always as it seems. The book is especially compelling when you consider the long time author's professional experience. The author is an agnostic/atheist attorney who has made millions suing the Catholic Church and other religions and nonreligious organizations as well as individuals. He has no ax to grind, no predisposition, no prejudice regarding the subject matter. He came upon these astonishing facts in the trenches, helping victims of sexual abuse by clergy and others.
About the Author:
Joe Klest is a Chicago native who has practiced law for over 30 years. He is highly respected by his peers and is nationally recognized for his work in helping abuse victims. Mr. Klest has obtained significant outcomes for the victims of sexual abuse and assault. An especially notable result is a milestone victory for sexual abuse victims involving a $28,000,000 verdict in the matter of Snyder v. Kenny. The verdict represents the largest civil sexual abuse verdict in Illinois history and is among the largest in the nation. He is the coauthor of Illinois' 2003 Child Protection Act, which expanded the statute of limitations to allow more victims to sue their abusers, and was a member of the American Association for Justice - Childhood Sexual Abuse Litigation Group.
He is currently a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. He has argued abuse cases before the Appellate and Supreme Courts. He has counseled thousands of sex abuse victims throughout the United States and around the world, and has handled over 500 sexual abuse cases against both individuals and institutions, including various Catholic dioceses. He is also the coauthor of the 2010 book Illinois Injury Law - A Reference for Accident Victims; a guidebook for people who have been involved in serious accidents, or have family members who were, and need help sorting out the many legal, financial, medical and personal issues they face. Joe also has several years of film production experience under his belt, including but not limited to his recent role as producer of "Defending a Monster", a feature-length documentary regarding the trial of John Wayne Gacy. Joe is also one of the producers of "Some Girl(s)", a 2013 theatrically released narrative feature film.
The Whole Truth: What the Spotlight team of the Boston globe fail to uncover about Sexual Abuse in America
By Joseph Klest
Foreword by Thomas Doyle, J.C.D
ISBN: 978-1523377114
Trade paperback, pp 152, $11.95, February 2016
Available on Amazon in print and ebook formats or directly through the website.
