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  3 Quit Abuse Victims Panel

By Barb Ickes bickes@qctimes.com
Quad-City Times [Davenport IA]
September 8, 2005

The three men who have been representing victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport have resigned.

The men, who are among 37 claimants in a $9 million settlement reached with the diocese during October, said they resigned in frustration over the refusal by the diocese to compromise on their recommendations for protecting children from future abuse.

One of the victims' representatives, Greg Schildgen of Texas, said the trio has "no incentive" to continue meeting with Bishop William Franklin and the Diocesan Review Board. The meetings are among the non-monetary terms of a nearly year-old settlement between some victims and the diocese.

The three men were selected to attend the meetings on behalf of the victims.

The trio said they are disappointed over a response from the diocese to their list of 11 recommendations geared toward protecting children. Schildgen said the diocese not only refused to implement the actions but also refused to even discuss the possibility of a compromise on ideas such as giving new victims a timeline for responding to allegations.

"Rather than doing the right thing, the diocese kept covering up and that's what got them in trouble," he said. "It's what they're continuing to do."

He said the diocese has not responded to their letter of resignation, which was signed Friday by Schildgen and fellow victims' representatives Mike Hitch of Oklahoma and Terry Webb of New York.

"I don't expect much response from them," he said. "I think this is what they wanted."

On Tuesday afternoon, the diocese did respond.

The Rev. Robert Gruss, chancellor, told the Quad-City Times the diocese and Review Board regret the men's decision to resign and said they welcome future meetings with victims as required in the settlement.

He said the victim representatives' recommendations are either "outside the framework" or "not within the scope" of diocesan and U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops policies.

"The Diocese of Davenport is committed to protecting God's children in society today through its various programs so that this awful tragedy is never repeated and they will never have to experience clergy sexual abuse today or in the future," Gruss said.

Schildgen and Hitch said diocesan officials have the wrong attitude and should be meeting with victims because it is "the right thing to do" and not because it is an obligation.

"They said they would honor their obligation to meet with us, but made it clear they are only doing so because it is a legally binding obligation," Schildgen said. "We decided it's a waste of our time to keep meeting."

Hitch said the decision to resign was especially difficult because the trio's absence leaves several dozen victims of sexual abuse by priests without representation.

"That was the hardest part of walking away," he said. "There is no one to talk for them now.

"When you realize you are beating your head against the wall, you need to walk away," he said. "We should all have the same goal — the diocese and the victims — and that goal is to see to it that this never happens again.

"The diocese does not share that goal."

Barb Ickes can be contacted at (563) 383-2316