Chicago Jesuit Is Accused of Molesting in Michigan

SNAP
November 15, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/il_chicago_jesuit_is_accused_of_molesting_in_michigan

The Chicago Jesuit hierarchy is handling the new case of credible child sex abuse allegations against a priest who molested a Michigan boy.

[Upper Michigan Source]

The Marquette Michigan diocese says it has received and deemed credible an accusation that Father Bernard (“Fr. Ben”) Van der molested a boy in 1989 while substituting for a vacationing Marquette priest.

The Chicago Jesuits are at 2050 N. Clark St., Chicago IL 60614 (800) 922-5327

[Marquette diocese]

Michigan Catholic officials are urging victims to call church figures. That's wrong. Anyone who sees, suspects or suffers child sex crimes should call secular officials not church officials

Father Van der Schueren is dead. He can't be prosecuted. But some of his peers or supervisors might be, especially if they destroyed evidence, intimidated witnesses, hid crimes or refused to report suspicions of child sexual abuse to law enforcement. So it's critical that anyone with knowledge or suspicions about wrongdoing here to call police and prosecutors

We applaud this brave victim for stepping forward. We hope his courage inspires others who are suffering in shame, silence and self-blame to do likewise. Staying silent hurts worse than stepping forward.