DISCLAIMER: The contents of this website (not including links to other sites which are the responsibility of those site owners) are based on the opinions of David Samarzia and presented with the understanding that he does not intend to render any type of medical, psychological, legal, or any other kind of professional advice.
So many sex-abuse scandals have surfaced, and countless stories
have been written about them. This one is different.
Copyright David Samarzia 2022
Ever concerned for children's safety, David volunteered his house as a McGruff Safe House for Kids. After the required background check by law enforcement and the training orientation, he was accepted into the McGruff program in June 1995.
“David went through hell trying to do the right thing. Church members shunned and insulted him, and accused him of money-grubbing — it was clear that money was the farthest thing from his mind...”
Susan Stanich, award-winning journalist and writer for The Duluth News Tribune
Blindsided: A Memoir by David Samarzia
The first in a fully-documented series telling the true story
behind the headlines that shocked a nation
Looking for representation in 2022
After twenty-five years of confusion and silent self-blame, David Samarzia discovered that children from his hometown of Duluth MN were being sent on a church mission trip to work, and live, alongside the pastor who’d abused him in childhood. He had to find the courage to tell the church. He had to rescue the kids—how many lives might be lost if he didn’t? No other child should have to live hiding in shame every hour of every day, as he had. Or try to kill themselves as he had tried.
With the church's newly-written sex abuse policy in hand, David informed church leaders about the minister-molester. He didn’t ask them for a dime—just keep that pedophile away from children. In a bewildering turn of events that made national news before spreading around the globe, ecclesial officials chose to defend a child molester who'd already admitted the abuse and go after the victim instead. With the church itself at risk of going on the auction block, even more betrayal of trust would follow...
As seen on NBC’s "Dateline" and written up in Newsweek, The London Times, and WORLD magazine,
David Samarzia's case against a mainline Protestant church set a legal precedent, published
as case law on Jan. 15, 1997. It opened the flood-gates for other victims of childhood sex abuse
to take successful court action against predators right up to the present day.