List of 130 accused Minnesota abusive clerics, church staff, nuns to be provided

National Survivor Advocates Coaliton
April 30, 2012

http://nationalsurvivoradvocatescoalition.wordpress.com/press-release/

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at sidewalk multiple news conferences, clergy sex abuse victims and supporters will herald a hopeful end of the insidious secrecy, minimizing and hiding heinous child sex crimes and sexual exploitation.

They will hang symbolic May Baskets with an unprecedented list of known villainous Minnesota cleric’s names and assignments on the chancery doors. They will “ring the chancery door bell” but not run away. They will wait for church officials and demand them to add names and assignments of those missing from our list, and:

? Announce and discuss the list of 130 villains,

? Ask why Minn. church officials continue to keep clergy sex crimes secret and thus continue to keep children in harm’s way,

? Speak publicly for the first time about a priest known to have abused children, Rudolph Henrich,

? Urge anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes to call police not church officials.

WHO

Clergy sex abuse victims and child abuse prevention advocates and members of the support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org).

WHEN

Tuesday, May 1 at 1 p.m.

WHERE

Outside these Catholic headquarters:

Archdiocese St. Paul & Minneapolis, 226 Summit Ave., St. Paul

Diocese of Winona, 55 West Sanborn St., Winona

Diocese of New Ulm, 1400 6th St., New Ulm

DETAILS

Sexual abuse of children by pedophile priests, monks, brothers, nuns, deacons, and other religious, went unchecked because Minnesota church leaders ignored the problem or worked to keep it secret.

It seems the lessons of secrecy’s insidious nature have not dawned on diocesan leaders. Open declarations about accusations and actions need to be made, bringing forth other victims and healings. Sunshine is needed to cleanse the pulpit and light the paths for victim recovery. No more minimizing and hiding heinous child sex crimes, no more secrets.

Our Criminal and Civil law exists to punish wrongs, compensate victims for injury, and deter further wrongdoing. The best way to deter further wrongdoing is to expose the full scope and scale of sexual abuse and exploitation. If we don’t know what church officials knew and did, how can we be sure that they won’t turn around and do it again?

“This is a public safety crisis, a child safety crisis that needs to be investigated,” Bob Schwiderski, Minnesota SNAP Director says. “We need to know who they are, where they were and where they are now. How can there be thousands of crimes committed by over 130 clergy/religious offenders across the state of Minnesota and there be no accountability?” he said. Schwiderski notes that some of the named villains are members of religious orders and that religious order officials do not typically make public the names of their accused members, and the archdiocese/dioceses claims it is not responsible for them though they have historically helped to staff its parishes and schools.

What is not known is the magnitude of the abused children involved. This beginning report of 130 alleged offenders – who have not previously been named by the Minnesota dioceses – is a clear example church officials have not assisted in the legal punishment or public safety actions of protecting children by exposing clerics for their crimes and misdeeds committed while wearing a collar or other religious clothing.

Historically, the bishops of Minnesota have acted irresponsibly with their handling of religious based abusers and are acting negligently with regard to child safety now. It is alarming they seem to wash their hands of these villains knowing full well what they have done and will likely continue to do, and consider the matter resolved.

[Links to maps of known assignments of many of the accused villains: Minnesota cities - – Minnesota state-wide .]

[Link to information and assignment history of Rudolph Henrich]

[List of - 130 accused villainous clerics, nuns, staff – will be available at this link at 3 p.m., May 1st]