Accused Bishops Must Be Held Accountable

By Patti Koo
The Express-News
April 12, 2019

https://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Accused-bishops-must-be-held-accountable-13763907.php

Patti Koo holds a sign with another victim of sexual assault who did not want to be identified by name during press conference, March 8, outside the San Antonio archdiocese headquarters discussing the finding of four more priests who have served in San Antonio and have been credibly accused abuser priests. The names of the accused priests should be publicized nationwide — no matter where their transgressions took place.

It is important to publicize names of credibly accused priests who were in San Antonio, even if their alleged abuses took place in other regions. Although no claims of abuse were made locally, it is naive to conclude there were no incidents. Statistics show that 1 in 10 victims of sexual abuse will report their abuse, and studies confirm that most sex offenders have more than one victim.

The attorney general of Pennsylvania put it best when he said, “We are sick over all the crimes that will go unpunished. We are going to name their names, and describe what they did ... because that is what the victims deserve.”

In the case of a priest on January’s list, Galeb Mokarzel, who was credibly accused of sexual abuse and housed near two schools in San Antonio, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller replied that he had no power over religious orders.

The independent lay commission report in January not only released the names of credibly accused clergy, but it also published recommendations for the archdiocese. The full report is available online. It recommends that the archbishop have appropriate authority over religious order clergy, as well as clergy outside the diocese, in cases of alleged abuse.

This lay commission consists of your fellow citizens, working long hours after their regular jobs, making sound recommendations to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe. Archbishop Garcia-Siller has not moved forward yet with these recommendations. Instead, he is in defensive mode, unwilling to change the status quo. Who will hold him accountable? The lay commission has done its due diligence. It is time we demand the changes that are needed. Read the commission’s recommendations. Write to the bishop asking for these changes.

If you have been abused by clergy, and you are ready to report that abuse, it is time to skip the middle man of the church. The church is still in risk-and-liability mode when it comes to abuse issues. Please report the abuse to SAPD; even if the abuse was years ago, or your abuser has died. You can make an anonymous information report, that allows for tracking if other claims have been made. They can also provide reimbursement for counseling through victim assistance funds. I have not met a survivor who regretted reporting; and the reason they report: to keep others safe from the abuse and its damaging aftermath.

You can join SNAP’s local peer support group or just go to the website and get inspiration from other survivors: snapnetwork.org/.

Patti Koo is a SNAP volunteer leader in San Antonio and lives in Canyon Lake. Koo can be contacted through email at snappkoo@gmail.com