BishopAccountability.org

Editorial | Support for sexually abused a phone call away

Tribune-Democrat
March 28, 2017

http://www.tribdem.com/news/editorials/editorial-support-for-sexually-abused-a-phone-call-away/article_87748c98-131a-11e7-8bd0-1717aee83812.html


At first glance, a 200 percent increase in the number of adult male victims of childhood sexual assault seeking help from Victim Services Inc. within the past year is alarming.

But put into perspective, the time frame roughly follows the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s release of a grand jury report detailing an alleged decades-long cover-up of child sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

Are the two related? Mike Oliver, executive director of Victim Services, said there was “no way to gauge” because “that’s not a question that we ask (clients).”

However, the high-profile case and news coverage it received could have been the impetus for more victims to come forward, Oliver told reporter Dave Sutor.

Erika Brosig, Victim Services’ clinical supervisor, agreed.

“With all the media attention on the case with the diocese, a survivor who maybe was not dealing with that specific situation … has been triggered by the constant attention to it, so we’ve had a lot of people coming in for that reason,” she said.

Leaders of the local Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests chapter would like to collaborate with Victim Services to help individuals who were assaulted by authority figures in the church.

Oliver said his agency, although not officially linked with SNAP, nonetheless “would be able to help those individuals the same as we would be able to provide services to any victim of sexual assault within Cambria or Somerset county.”

Help that is available includes therapy and comfort during the legal process, he said.

Oliver urged anyone who may be hesitant to seek help to contact Victim Services.

“Please reach out to us,” he said. Victim Services’ telephone number is 288-4961.

Guidance and support are available to anyone who wants to talk. They only need to make a telephone call.

 




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