Victims Urge "Boycott" of Diocese

SNAP
May 1, 2019

http://www.snapnetwork.org/victims_urge_boycott_of_diocese_may19

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will prod Rockville Centre Catholics to

--“donate elsewhere” until their bishop reveals the names of ALL accused clerics, and

--look at three different on-line sources to learn about crimes and cover ups in their diocese.

They will also disclose the names of more publicly accused priests who are or were in the Rockville Centre dioceses but have largely been ‘under the radar.’

Finally, they will urge church officials to permanently and prominently post the photos, whereabouts, and work histories of the accused on church websites, and ‘aggressively reach out’ to anyone who may have been hurt by any Long Island church staffer.

WHEN

Thursday, May 2 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside St. Agnes Cathedral, 29 Quealy Place in Rockville Centre, NY

WHO

Two-three members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a Long Island woman who is the organization’s local volunteer leader and who was molested as a child by a Rockville Centre priest

WHY

1) Most US dioceses (and seven of the eight in New York) have revealed names of accused abusive clerics. Last week, the New York archdiocese did so (120 names) and the Sacramento diocese (62 names) did so this week. Bishops began doing this 17 years ago.

[link] https://pix11.com/2019/04/26/archdiocese-of-ny-release-names-of-120-priests-accused-of-sexual-abuse-related-acts/

[link] https://www.scd.org/clergyabuse/list

[link]

Until the Rockville Centre diocese does the same, SNAP is urging Catholics to donate elsewhere.

“Every day that an abuser’s name is hidden, kids are at risk of horrific abuse,” says SNAP. It wants Rockville Bishop John Barres to post accused clerics’ names “immediately,” at least those who are living “and pose threats to children right now.”

Rockville Centre is the biggest diocese in the nation that is refusing to post such names. (It’s the 8th largest, behind Detroit and ahead of Newark.)

[link]

[link]

Earlier this week, diocesan officials repeated this refusal.

[link] https://www.newsday.com/long-island/religion/diocese-of-rockville-centre-sexual-abuse-1.30440634

“We don’t want people to sit on their wallets. In fact, we urge Catholics to be more generous than ever, but to give to organizations that help kids and fight abuse, not those that hurt kids and hide abuse,” said Janet Klinger of Plainview, SNAP’s Long Island leader. “It’s unconscionable for followers to financially reward officials who act irresponsibly.”

[]

[]

2.) In February, SNAP drew attention to two publicly accused priests who molested elsewhere, spent time on Long Island but have attracted little or no attention in New York. One was Fr. Freddy Washington, who was arrested in 2017 for the alleged sexual abuse of two boys (around 11 years old)

[link]

[link]

The other was Fr. Christopher Pliauplis, who in 2006 was accused of inappropriately touching a 17-year-old boy, put on leave, ‘cleared’ by church officials, returned to active duty but again, but put on leave in 2012 where he’s been ever since.

[link]

That same month, SNAP also called on “anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups” by recently-accused Bishop John McGann.

[link] https://abc7ny.com/2-women-accuse-longtime-long-island-bishop-of-sex-abuse/5145220/

And earlier this week, a veteran clergy sex abuse attorney disclosed the names of two other accused Long Island priests-Father Edward J. Byrne and Father Harold H. Paul.

[link]

3) Finally, when Bishop Barres does finally disclose his ‘accused’ list, SNAP wants him to include the photos and whereabouts of those priests. Those details should be provided, SNAP says, because they will help survivors identify their abuse as well as protect kids.