Pedophile Priest Victims Say ‘spotlight’s’ Oscar Helps Their Fight
By Ventura County Star
"If this movie had been made 40 years ago, what happened to me would never have happened," he said, crediting the film for helping people understand the horror of clergy abuse and the cover-up by Catholic leaders. "I think it's that big of a deal." The film about The Boston Globe's investigation of pedophile priests won best picture at the Academy Awards Sunday. Survivors said Monday the long-shot victory aids their fight to help victims and bring about more change in the church. "No pun intended but it puts our story back in the spotlight," said Bashforth. He said he and his brother were molested by the Rev. Michael Wempe when the priest served at St. Jude Catholic Church in Westlake Village. Wempe also served at other local parishes, including St. Rose of Lima Church in Simi Valley, Sacred Heart Church in Ventura and St. Sebastian Church in Santa Paula. According to personnel records from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he admitted molesting 13 boys in the 1970s and 1980s. The Boston scandal broke early in 2002, triggering nationwide revelations including allegations involving more than two dozen priests who served in Ventura County. Manny Vega has been in the fight from the beginning. The retired Oxnard police detective said that as an altar boy at Our Lady of Guadalupe he was molested by the Rev. Fidencio Silva in a series of abuse that lasted five years. Vega became an advocate and leader, protesting in a weeklong vigil at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels and fighting for legislation that allowed more victims to file lawsuits. "It's part of who I am," he said Monday of the abuse. "It doesn't go away." The Archdiocese of Los Angeles came to a $660 million settlement in 2007 with more than 500 victims, including Bashforth and Vega. In 2013, the archdiocese released personnel records for more than 120 accused clergy. Vega wants more names released of monsignors, bishops and others who protected accused priests and facilitated them being moved from one parish to another. He said the best picture Oscar for a movie he watched three times helps put the fight "back on the table." It raises awareness with the general public but Vega is not convinced the new attention will last long. "Tomorrow, they won't remember," he said, citing presidential primaries, "because Super Tuesday is going to wipe everything away." In a written statement Monday, Los Angeles archdiocese officials said they remain vigilant in their commitment to protect children from harm. They said 300,000 adults and 1.4 million children have been trained in awareness and abuse prevention programs. "The archdiocese has a zero-tolerance policy and reports any incidents of abuse involving minors," they said. Lawsuits are still being litigated involving accused priests — some connected to Ventura — and the Los Angeles archdiocese, said Anthony De Marco, a Pasadena clergy abuse lawyer. He thinks the best picture Oscar will help ensure the clergy abuse crisis is not only remembered but understood. "The power of cinema is immense because of its accessibility to anyone," he said. Joelle Casteix, of Newport Beach, said she became pregnant and contracted a sexually transmitted disease after being sexually abused by a choir teacher at a Catholic high school in Santa Ana. Now, she's Southern California director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. The group held protests across the nation on Oscars Sunday, pushing bishops to post the names of predator priests on websites. Casteix said "Spotlight" reaches an audience that wasn't paying attention or was too young when the clergy abuse crisis exploded more than a decade ago. "This movie saved lives," she said. "It raises awareness. It tells survivors it's safe to come forward." Casteix urged survivors who need help to call a suicide hotline at 1-800-784-2433.
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