Riverside: Man Still Haunted by Alleged Priest Abuse

By David Olson
Press-Enterprise
August 20, 2013

http://blog.pe.com/2013/08/20/legislature/

David Nickell in 1980

I wrote today on the debate over a bill in the California legislature that would allow some alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse a chance to sue even if their cases are decades old.

On Monday, I sat down for four hours with David Nickell in his Riverside backyard as he told me the wrenching story of how, he said, a priest in San Bernardino repeatedly abused him when he was 11 and 12 years old.

Nickell’s hands were shaking during much of the interview. Other times, they were clasped together tightly.

“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he told me.

I was struck how even at age 45, Nickell still partially blames himself.

“I just don’t know what I did to make him do this,” he told me.

Nickell said he knows he shouldn’t feel that way. He has been working for a year and a half with a counselor at The Grove Community Church, an evangelical congregation in Riverside. She has emphasized how what allegedly happened wasn’t his fault – but he said it’s hard not to wonder what he may have done wrong.

“I had so much respect for the man,” he said. “He gave me a lot of attention. He was a father figure in a way. I don’t know why he would violate a kid, and who knows how many kids.”

As I noted in the story, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino declines to comment on the allegations because Nickell filed suit against it. The case is on hold but likely would move forward if the bill passes.

Nickell said the abuse marked his life forever and led to years of “self-medicating” and jumping from job to job and relationship to relationship.

“I was happy back then, before that crap with him,” Nickell said. “But I’m not happy now.”

The counselor at The Grove is helping him with self-esteem problems and with “getting right with God,” Nickell told me.

“I’m growing on having respect for myself and my self-worth through my church,” he said.

Nickell said he wants to speak publicly to help others realize they’re not alone and because it may spur others to come forward. But he doesn’t want to discuss all he’s been through, for fear of losing the respect of his 11-year-old daughter.

Nickell is intensely protective of his daughter. He tells her never to be alone with any adults.

“I tell my daughter, ‘You kiss no man on the lips. You kiss your father on the cheek, if you choose to. But your lips are sacred and for your husband,’” he said.

Nickell is so angry with what he said was the Catholic Church’s failure to protect him and other alleged victims of abuse that he believes the church doesn’t have the right to run any schools. He said that is putting kids now at risk of molestation.

Internal Catholic Church documents released during sexual-abuse litigation revealed that high-ranking officials in some dioceses – including former Cardinal Roger Mahony in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles – shielded suspected abusive priests from law enforcement.

But John Andrews, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, said there are far more protections and oversight today than in the past.

“The diocese and the church as a whole nationwide have done a 180 in response to this issue,” he said.

Today, when allegations of abuse are made, diocesan policy is to notify law-enforcement authorities within 24 hours. If the alleged abuser is a priest, he is temporarily barred from active ministry until an investigation takes place, Andrews told me.

Then, a special review board comprised mostly of laypersons reviews the accusations. If they are found to be credible, the bishop permanently removes the priest from active ministry and notifies all parishes and other church offices where the priest served of the allegations, he said.

The San Bernardino diocese and other Catholic dioceses from around the state are opposed to the bill, in part because it does not include public institutions.

The YMCA and groups representing private schools and universities are also opposed.

Ron Reynolds, executive director of the California Association of Private School Organizations, told me that legislators shouldn’t allow a child alleging sexual abuse by a private-school teacher 20 or 30 years ago to file suit the school – but bar suits against public school districts for similar abuse that occurred in the same time period, he said.

The bill would temporarily lift the statute of limitations for some older cases involving private institutions.

Kevin Eckery, a spokesman for the coalition opposing the bill, said it’s difficult to gather information on incidents that are in some instances decades old.

“A statute of limitations is there so suits are filed when memories are fresh and documents are available,” Eckery said.