OH--Columbus predator priest passes; Victims respond

By David Clohessy
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
April 26, 2016

http://www.snapnetwork.org/oh_columbus_predator_priest_passes_victims_respond

Kids are safer now because a Columbus predator priest has passed away.  We hope this news will bring some comfort to those he assaulted.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/04/26/Accused-priest-dies.html

We are relieved that Fr. Ronald J. Atwood cannot hurt anyone else. We hope his passing will enable others who saw, suspected or suffered crimes by Fr. Atwood or cover ups by his colleagues and supervisors to step forward.

Even though Fr. Atwood can’t be criminally charged, it’s possible that others who ignored or concealed his crimes might be prosecuted. So we urge current and former church members and staff to share whatever knowledge or suspicions they might have about Fr. Atwood or his colleague with law enforcement immediately.

We hope anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered, Fr. Atwood’s crimes, or cover ups by his church colleagues or supervisors, will call police, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.

We hope that Bishop Frederick Campbell will personally visit each parish where Fr. Atwood worked, begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to speak up. We also hope he’ll do the same at any place where a recently-outed Pennsylvania predator priest, Msgr. Harold J. Burkhart worked. (That predator, Msgr. Harold J. Burkhart, spent a quarter century in Columbus but has virtually never been “outed” in the Columbus area.)

http://www.snapnetwork.org/oh_victims_urge_bishop_to_do_outreach_about_predator

Fr. Atwood worked at seven places in Columbus and one in Johnstown.

No matter what church officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Catholic churches or institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.