Childhood Sexual Abuse Victim Speaks out against Diocese

WGRZ
March 4, 2018

http://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/childhood-sexual-abuse-victim-speaks-out-against-diocese/71-525322750

The man who made recent headlines after recounting how a Catholic Priest sexually abused him as a child continued to pressure the Diocese of Buffalo this weekend.

Victim and survivor Michael Whalen participated in a media conference Sunday afternoon, publicly addressing his "disappointment and outrage" at the Diocese's Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP).

The program, announced just Thursday, is for individuals claiming they were sexually abused by members of the clergy in Buffalo. But the Diocese of Buffalo will only accept applications from those who have submitted their claim before March 1, 2018.

Whalen, who came forward regarding abuse recently, wanted to "encourage his fellow victim/survivors to come forward and begin healing," but the time restriction "further harms victims of clergy sexual abuse by preventing their healing and preventing them from obtaining validation."

Any clergy abuse victim who did not file a claim before March 1 should call diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator Jacqueline Joy at (716) 895-3010.

All this, just days after Reverend Norbert Orsolits admitted to The Buffalo News that he had numerous sexual encounters with teenage boys during the 1970's and 1980's.