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For Immediate Release
Sex Abuse Victims & Advocates Want Secret
Church Documents Made Public
Archbishop Should Obey Pope's Recent Public Request,
5 Groups Say
Pontiff Prods Bishops To "Above All, To
Bring Healing To The Victims"
SNAP Urges Everyone In Settlement Talks to "Disclose
the Truth"
A Similar Church "Mediation" Process
Was Just Sued For Fraud
WHAT: At a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse
victims and advocates will
- prod Denver's Catholic archbishop to disclose church records about
child molesting priests as he settles clergy sex abuse lawsuits, and
- urge victims to insist that such records be publicly released, and
- release copies of a letter four groups are sending to Archbishop
Chaput about this.
They will also encourage victims to continue seeking justice "through
the unbiased, open and time-tested US justice system, instead of through
biased and untested internal church procedures."
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 2, at 1:00 pm
WHERE: In front of the Denver Courthouse, 1437 Bannock,
(on Bannock St btwn 14th and Colfax, facing Capitol)
WHO: Several sex abuse victims who are members of a
support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,
including a Chicago woman who founded the group, and a Washington DC
man who heads the National Center for Victims of Crime, and the Executive
Director of CCASA, Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
DETAILS: Last weekend, the Pope advised bishops to "rebuild
confidence and trust (and) establish the truth of what happened (with
clergy sex crimes) and above all, to bring healing to the victims." (Beliefnet.com)
Toward that end, five organizations have co-signed a letter to Denver
Catholic officials, urging them to make public records about the abusers
themselves and other church employees and supervisors who may have covered
for them. This has happened in numerous settlements across the country,
most recently last Friday in southern California.(The
New York Times -10/28/06)
The five groups are the National Center for Victims of Crime, Voice
of the Faithful, BishopAccountability.org, Colorado Coalition Against
Sexual Assault and SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Last summer, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput unilaterally announced
a "mediation process" without consulting or notifying any of
the dozens of child sex abuse victims who are suing the archdiocese.
Chaput's "top down, my-way-or-the-highway" approach has been
met with considerable skepticism by many victims. But apparently, some
victims are participating and settling.
But SNAP cautions victims that lawsuits sometimes provide the only chance
to help disclose the truth about pedophile priests and complicit bishops.
The group also warns Catholics that monetary settlements don't help parishioners
learn which church officials could have prevented abuse but stayed silent.
Last week, a program in the Albany Diocese similar to Chaput's was sued
for fraud. (The
Albany Times Union -
10/29/06)
Similar processes have been set up in just a few US Catholic dioceses,
including Milwaukee and Cincinnati. SNAP considers these largely harmful
to victims and public safety. "Without complete disclosure of documents,
we can only assume that children in Denver are still at high risk of
abuse," said Blaine. "Honesty and transparency are the only
ways to keep children safe."
CONTACT:
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP President, 312 399 4747
David Clohessy of St Louis, SNAP National Director, 314 566 9790
Jeb Barrett of Aurora, Denver SNAP Director, 720 222 2412
Jeff Dion of Washington, DC, National Center for Victims of Crime, 703 371
6787
Ray Joyce of Boston, VOTF Executive Director, 617 558 5252
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