Six More Publicly Accused Child Abusers Are “outed”

SNAP
January 31, 2019

http://www.snapnetwork.org/six_more_publicly_accused_child_abusers_are_outed_ct_jan19

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will disclose the names and histories of six publicly accused child molesters, including one woman, who worked in the Hartford Catholic Archdiocese but were left off a just-posted list of those "credibly accused." The group found six other “overlooked” publicly accused priests and brothers when the list was first released last week.

They will also call on Connecticut’s top Church officials to

include the six new names on the Archdiocese’s “credibly accused” list,

give more details about each abuser, especially their photos, current whereabouts and full work histories, and

urge CT legislators to totally remove the criminal and civil statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse and open a permanent civil window.

WHEN

Thursday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside St. Joseph Cathedral, 140 Farmington Ave. in Hartford CT

WHO

Three victims and advocates who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including Gail Howard, the group's volunteer Connecticut leader and Donna Palomba who is also the founder of a Naugatuck- based organization, Jane Doe No More, dedicated to ending the silence surrounding sexual assault.

WHY

1) For the second time in a week, SNAP has found publicly accused child abusers who are NOT on Hartford Archbishop Leonard Blair’s new "credibly accused" list.

Last week, Archbishop Blair posted the names of 48 local clerics who are "credibly accused" of molesting kids. However, the next day SNAP found four priests and two brothers who have been publicly accused of child molestation but were omitted. Now, the group is “outing” six more names.

All 12 publicly accused abusers that SNAP is highlighting were left off the Archbishop’s list. They mostly worked elsewhere, abused elsewhere, but were also in the Hartford Archdiocese.

SNAP’s new list of six names will be released at the news conference. As best SNAP can tell, 5 are still alive.

Four of them had clear assignments working in Hartford area parishes or schools while two spent time at a church run facility for troubled priests in Hartford.

The allegations came from at least three Connecticut towns, New Haven, Hamden and Norwich, and in at least three states, Pennsylvania, California, and Massachusetts.

One of the clerics was convicted of abuse, two admitted to abuse, at least three of them faced civil abuse lawsuits and at least one of those suits appears to have settled.

SNAP’s initial list of six names included Fr. Donal Collins, Fr. Cornelius T. “Neil” Otero, Br. ThomasSawyer, Br. Michael Benedict Taylor, Fr. Enrique Vasquez and Fr. Walter A.Vichas.

2) For public safety, SNAP believes Church officials should give parents, parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public the whereabouts, photos and detailed work histories of ALL accused of child molestation. This is especially important because ousted abusers often seek other jobs or volunteer posts that put them in touch with other vulnerable families. Sometimes, child molesters legally change their names or start using middle names or nicknames to go “under the radar” and then molest again, SNAP says.

3) It can take child sex abuse victims decades to come to terms with their abuse and find the courage to speak up. Studies show that the average age to disclose is 52, with the median age 48. For these reasons SNAP believes that both the criminal and the civil SOLs should be permanently eliminated in Connecticut. The group also would like to see a permanent civil window opened, to allow those already beyond the civil SOL the opportunity to hold their abusers, as well as those who enabled them, accountable. In 2016, Guam adopted such a window.

CONTACT

Gail Howard 203 644 0387, pennyq99@aol.com , Zach Hiner 517-974-9009, zhiner@snapnetwork.org