Alleged victims of first Catholic bishop of Memphis speak out

By Siobhan Riley
Fox 13 News
March 10, 2019

https://bit.ly/2TweBIf

The victims abused by priests spoke out Saturday morning about the first Catholic bishop of Memphis who has been named on a list of priests accused of child sexual abuse.

FOX13 spoke with a victim involved in a separate incident who is demanding immediate action from the newly named Bishop for Memphis Catholic Diocese. 

“All these buildings, all these facilities, all these awards named after Carroll T. Dozier, I want them taken down,” said David Brown with Survivors Network of those abused by Priests or SNAP.

Victims abused by priests have several questions after recent headlines accusing Bishop Carroll Dozier’s of sexual abuse against a minor.

The Richmond Virginia Diocese released the list accusing Dozier of the allegations.  Dozier who led the Memphis Diocese from 1971 to 1983 was the first Catholic Bishop of Memphis.

“Did they report that to the Memphis Diocese, did they tell them then or did they remain silent which begs to question, they maintain what we call canonical files on all these priests, these are what they call the secret files, where are they,” Brown stated.

We spoke with Brown outside of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Midtown where Dozier was buried.

Last month we reported that there was a list released by Richmond Diocese saying the allegation of abuse against Dozier was made after his death in 1985.

“There may be survivors of him down here that have been so afraid to speak out,” Brown said. 

Brown said he hopes Bishop David Talley, who is set to take over the Memphis Diocese, will address the allegations.  Talley is set to be installed at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the coming weeks.

“To be silent and wait any longer about Carroll Dozier is to let other victims suffer and hurt and I don’t want that,” Brown said.

FOX13 recently revealed last year that records unsealed in 2010 indicate at least 15 priests were accused of sexual misconduct over more than 40 years at the Memphis Diocese.

Brown said he received information through a third party about a victim Dozier may have attempted to sexually abuse in Memphis.

Brown is looking into those new allegations.