NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will:
–Disclose a new lawsuit being filed against an accused predator priest, the Vatican, two Louisiana dioceses and two bishops,
–Urge victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers to call police, and
–Beg Louisiana Catholic officials to “aggressively seek out” other victims.
WHEN:
Wednesday, February 20 at 2:00 pm
WHERE:
Outside the chancery (aka archdiocesan headquarters) 7887 Walmsley Ave (corner of Fern) in New Orleans
WHO:
The victim’s attorney and a clergy sex abuse who is the outreach director for the international support group SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY:
A clergy sex abuse lawsuit is being filed against a Catholic priest who attended a New Orleans seminary and mostly worked in the Lake Charles diocese. The alleged victim was abused between 1985-88 at Our Lady Queen of Heaven parish in Lake Charles and in 1992 at St. Eugene’s parish in Grand Chenier.
The New Orleans archdiocese and the Lake Charles diocese (along with the prelates who head each of them), and the Vatican are named as defendants in the 40 page civil suit filed in US district court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The priest, Fr. Mark A. Broussard, was arrested last April by the Calcasieu Parish sheriff’s office. He was indicted on two counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of oral sexual battery, two counts of aggravated rape, and one count of sexual battery. He is charged and indicted in both Calcacieu and Cameron parishes. (St. Eugene is in Cameron Parish.)
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