"I didn't think anyone would believe me," Buffalo woman says she was abused by a Buffalo Priest

By Marissa Perlman
WIVB
May 9, 2018

https://goo.gl/MsuZGp

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - - Another person who claims sexual abuse by a member of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese is coming forward Wednesday.

But for the first time, we're hearing from a woman, who says she was abused by a Priest in Buffalo in the 90's.

"I didn't think anyone would believe me."

It's been 25 years since Evelyn safe says she was sexually abused by Father Robert D. Moss. 

For the first time, she wants to talk about it. 

"I think it's disgusting that somebody in power would do something like that."

This is the same priest that officiated her own wedding ceremony. Safe, sought help from "Father Bob," a friend of her family, and a Priest at Queen of Heaven Church in West Seneca. 

She says this happened on multiple occasions at her home in 1993.

She says she was raped in her early 20's by a stranger. She went to Father Moss  looking for guidance. 

But instead, "He would come over to my house, and I always felt uncomfortable because he would kiss me on the lips, and then he started rubbing himself up against me. After that, it escalated to him exposing himself to me while my husband was sleeping in the living room."

Father Moss was also a Chaplain with the 42nd Infantry or the Rainbow Division with the Army National Guard. 

Leaders tell us he started his service in 1972. Later on, in her late 20's, Safe decided to join the National Guard. 

At that time, she didn't know she would end up in the same unit as her alleged abuser. 

She said, "I never said anything to my parents about what Father Bob did. And I can imagine my father, he would've flipped a lid."

Safe says she eventually came forward to leaders with the Diocese of Buffalo and to leaders with the National Guard about Father Moss. She says she received very different responses from each organization. 

She said, "The way I look at it, The Catholic Church doing nothing, they were condoning it."

The National Guard launched a full investigation into Safe's complaint. 

A criminal investigations officer came to Buffalo to interview her.

National Guard Leaders confirm they investigated Safe's complaint in August of 1994. 

Chaplain Moss was "retired" from service 30 days later.

Safe says her complaint to the Diocese was dismissed. 

"The Catholic Church as far as i'm concerned, they stabbed me in the back and twisted the knife by transferring him from parish to parish and allowing him to have the gall and audacity to stand up there and preach the bible when he wasn't going by the bible."

A spokesman for the Diocese says he cannot comment specifically on questions pertaining to this case.  

We are told Father Moss would not appear in the official list of accused priests. That's because Safe was not a minor when this alleged abuse happened.  Safe says she now speaking out, so other women impacted by abuse feel they can too. 

"Because I think people need to speak up sooner, be strong, tell somebody."

And she wants those people to know, they're not alone, and for the church to take action. 

"It's time for them to wake up and start doing something about these priests that are taking their positions of authority and abusing people."

Safe believes the Church was possibly never made aware of the National Guard's investigation into the allegations against Father Moss. 

Father Robert D. Moss died in March of this year-.
We know he served at Queen of Heaven Church in West Seneca until the late 80's. He also spent time as a Pastor of St. Andrew Church in Sloan.