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  Crime Victims Applaud US Attorney Investigation of LA Archdiocese, Including "Creative Lawyering"

By Kay Ebeling
Examiner
January 29, 2009

http://www.examiner.com/x-1960-LA-City-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m1d29-Crime-victims-respond-to-news-stories-that-US-Attorney-investigation-LA-Archdiocese

[with video]

Video: Pedophile priest crime victims respond to storm of news stories saying the US Attorney has begun an investigation of Cardinal Roger Mahony and the Los Angeles Archdiocese, in a meeting with the press Wednesday January 29.

Victims of pedophile priests met in front of the LA cathedral Thursday in response to news stories that the US Attorney is investigating Cardinal Roger Mahony for mishandling of the pedophile priest crisis. SNAP leader Joelle Casteix said, "We are cautiously optimistic" and "encouraged law enforcement is using creative methods."

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TRANSCRIPT OF 2 MINUTE BYTE:

I am Joelle Casteix making this statement for the advocacy group SNAP Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

I’m the Southwest Regional Director of SNAP.

As you know we also have survivors and family members here who do speak Spanish.

With me are survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Los Angeles and across California, as well as their family members and we are here today for a very - very important reason.

We are cautiously optimistic about the announcement yesterday that the US Attorney will be investigating the coverup of child sex abuse crimes here in the diocese of Los Angeles. For the first time we are very-very encouraged that law enforcement is using creative methods to make sure that men who allow children to be abused and for their families and parishioners to suffer unnecessary pain, that these people will be punished.

The way to deter a crime is to put a criminal behind bars. And we believe that if this investigation shows that Cardinal Mahony or other members of the hierarchy in the diocese of Los Angeles were criminally liable for covering up sex abuse crimes and causing unnecessary pain to parishioners and family members, then we certainly hope that he is punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Cardinal Mahony talks a lot about the past but there are things going on right now. In fact there is a predator priest from Los Angeles who worked in Mexico for many-many years. But the diocese of Los Angeles didn't tell us about Father [SOUNDS LIKE] Lauren Ribi. The diocese of Cincinnati did. Parishioners were not notified, children were not notified, and law enforcement was not notified.

Now Father Lauren Ribi travels the United States raising money for his non profit organization that works with men and women in the Chiapa state of Mexico.

When he goes into people’s homes, no one tells them that this man is a molester

 
 

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