The attorney representing the main alleged victim of Mike Bickle and an advocate group said his clients will not participate in the new investigation announced Sunday by the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC).
The attorney, Boz Tchividjian, told The Roys Report (TRR) that the firm IHOPKC had hired for the investigation—the Lathrop Group in Kansas City, Mo.—boasts about its successes defending church groups against sex abuse allegations.
As a result, Tchividjian said he did not believe Lathrop would conduct an independent investigation.
The development comes as the 24/7 prayer ministry is struggling to deal with allegations that surfaced in October that Bickle sexually abused multiple women over several decades. Today, Bickle released a statement, confessing to “inappropriate behavior” 20+ years ago, but denying “more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting.”
On Lathrop Group’s website, the firm states that it obtained a “complete dismissal of a Texas lawsuit against a California diocese and its bishop” for alleged sexual abuse of a minor by a seminary student.
The firm also boasts that it obtained another “complete dismissal” of a church-affiliated school where a coach sexually assaulted a member of the girls’ softball team. And Lathrop says it represented a Catholic diocese in a group settlement that resulted in “per-claimant awards of less than one-third the national average.”
“Why would reported victims of sexual abuse and misconduct sit down with an attorney from a law firm who represents churches and then brags about their successes?” Tchividjian wrote in a statement to TRR.
“I have no doubt this firm well-represents organizational defendants in sexual abuse litigation. However, it cannot be all things to all people. It cannot represent and defend institutional clients in such cases and then turn around and invite reported sexual abuse victims to meet with you and trust you. It simply doesn’t work that way.”
However, on Sunday at IHOPKC’s Forerunner Church, IHOPKC’s new spokesman, Eric Volz, argued that the firm IHOPKC had engaged would conduct an “independent and impartial investigation.”
He added that IHOPKC would “not control the investigation, meaning it has no ability to dictate the process or the outcome” and “investigators will operate completely independently.”
Volz also claimed the firm was “trauma-informed.” And he said the firm’s attorneys have “extensive experience” conducting investigations, “including cases of clergy abuse allegations.”
Volz did not specify, however, whether the firm’s clergy sex abuse investigations were conducted on behalf of alleged abusers or on behalf of alleged victims.
Volz also would not name the firm IHOPKC had hired “to avoid any interference with their ability to conduct the investigation.”
However, in a video posted online Monday night, Volz said someone associated with the advocate group had “leaked” the name and phone number of the lead investigator to the public. “(T)o avoid confusion,” Volz confirmed on Monday that Rosalee McNamara of the Lathrop Group is the lead investigator.
IHOPKC’s hiring of Lathrop marks the second time IHOPKC has commissioned an allegedly “independent” investigation into the allegations against Bickle.
In November, IHOPKC hired Stinson LLC to conduct an investigation. But less than a week later, IHOPKC decided not to continue with Stinson and hired a lawyer who attends IHOPKC, Audrey Manito, to interview alleged victims.
On Sunday, Volz blamed an “ill-informed” social media post, claiming Stinson was a “threat to the alleged victims,” for dooming the Stinson investigation.
“One social media post had that effect,” Volz said. “Stinson is a national law firm who’s recognized for their work representing victims of sexual abuse. But that fact seemed to be overlooked.”
The objections raised when IHOPKC first hired Stinson focused not just on IHOPKC’s selection of a particular law firm but on the fact that law firms have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients.
“An investigator who has a fiduciary duty to the institution being investigated is also not independent,” Tchividjian wrote in an article posted on the website of GRACE, an organization he founded to empower Christian groups to respond to abuse. “A fiduciary duty is a legal duty to act solely in another party’s interests.”
A petition posted online last month by former staff, students, and “dedicated members” of IHOPKC urged IHOPKC to “cease the use of a law firm and instead invite an organization like GUIDEPOSTS to conduct a true third-party investigation.” The petition also asked IHOPKC to allow the investigating firm to publish its findings “without restriction by IHOPKC or its leadership.”
That petition has more than 3,700 signatures. And it was emailed last Thursday to top IHOPKC leaders.
Volz has not stated whether IHOPKC plans to publish the final report of Lathrop’s investigation should it go forward.
TRR reached out to IHOPKC for clarity on this and other issues. The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) responded that TRR should contact Lathrop directly, adding, “I am sure they will be happy to talk with you.”
TRR contacted Attorney McNamara at Lathrop for more information but did not receive a response.
“Civil war” rages
In the video posted Monday, Volz blamed the advocate group for the current stalemate between IHOPKC and alleged victims.
Source:the roys report
To read more, click here: https://julieroys.com/alleged-victim-mike-bickle-wont-participate-ihopkc-investigation/
International House of Prayer Founder Mike Bickle Confesses to ‘Inappropriate Behavior’ 20 Years Ago
International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) Founder Mike Bickle today released a statement, admitting to “inappropriate behavior” 20 years ago.
“I sadly admit that 20+ years ago, I sinned by engaging in inappropriate behavior—my sins were real,” Bickle wrote. However, he added, “I am not admitting to the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting.”
Bickle said he hates his sin and “sincerely repented in a way that resulted in receiving assurance from God followed by a daily resolve to live holy in all of my ways. . . . Today, I remain sorrowful about those past failures.”
Bickle’s confession comes seven weeks after he was publicly accused of sexually abusing multiple women over several decades.
It also comes a week and a half after an alleged victim told her story to The Roys Report (TRR) in an exclusive interview. According to the woman, Bickle’s abuse began when she was 19 and he was in his 40s and continued for several years.
At the time, the woman said she was working for Bickle and under his spiritual direction, making his misconduct clergy sexual abuse. She added that her sexual interactions with Bickle included everything but intercourse.
Bickle said he is now making a public statement “because I was recently confronted about things that I said or did 20+ years ago—things I believed were dealt with and under the blood of Jesus. Since this has now become public, I want to repent publicly.”
In the statement, Bickle claimed he had written a “first draft” of his statement on Oct. 28. However, at the time, “false allegations of sexual abuse were being circulated against me.” Bickle says he was given “legal advice to wait for several reasons. These included “creating the misunderstanding that I was confessing to the false allegations that were circulating.
“I am very sorry that it took so long for this personal statement to come out. This delay created additional pain, anguish, division, and more for so many people that I love. I am deeply sorry for this.”
Boz Tchividjian, who’s representing the woman Bickle is referring to in his statement, expressed frustration with Bickle’s confession.
“What in the world does he mean by ‘inappropriate behavior’?” Tchividjian wrote in a statement to TRR. “That is undoubtedly a very deliberate word choice as it could mean anything. Furthermore, what does he mean when he denies ‘more intense sexual activities’? Does that mean the referenced ‘inappropriate conduct’ involves less intense sexual activities? What is he saying??
“Though this statement is a page long, I don’t believe it actually says much. Why not simply step forward into the light and embrace transparency and trust God with the consequences? This is all so pitiful and sad.”
Bickle’s full statement:
At the time, the woman said she was working for Bickle and under his spiritual direction, making his misconduct clergy sexual abuse. She added that her sexual interactions with Bickle included everything but intercourse.
Bickle said he is now making a public statement “because I was recently confronted about things that I said or did 20+ years ago—things I believed were dealt with and under the blood of Jesus. Since this has now become public, I want to repent publicly.”
In the statement, Bickle claimed he had written a “first draft” of his statement on Oct. 28. However, at the time, “false allegations of sexual abuse were being circulated against me.” Bickle says he was given “legal advice to wait for several reasons. These included “creating the misunderstanding that I was confessing to the false allegations that were circulating.
“I am very sorry that it took so long for this personal statement to come out. This delay created additional pain, anguish, division, and more for so many people that I love. I am deeply sorry for this.”
Boz Tchividjian, who’s representing the woman Bickle is referring to in his statement, expressed frustration with Bickle’s confession.
“What in the world does he mean by ‘inappropriate behavior’?” Tchividjian wrote in a statement to TRR. “That is undoubtedly a very deliberate word choice as it could mean anything. Furthermore, what does he mean when he denies ‘more intense sexual activities’? Does that mean the referenced ‘inappropriate conduct’ involves less intense sexual activities? What is he saying??
“Though this statement is a page long, I don’t believe it actually says much. Why not simply step forward into the light and embrace transparency and trust God with the consequences? This is all so pitiful and sad.”
To read more, click here: https://julieroys.com/breaking-international-house-of-prayer-founder-mike-bickle-confesses-to-inappropriate-behavior-20-years-ago/
