UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
WHO
Three St. Louisans who have never spoken publicly before and are all connected to the same predator priest. One is Christopher Bertke, whose friend was molested by the priest. Another is John Doe, a victim who sued that priest. The third is a relative of a victim of that same priest. (The latter two will talk in silhouette without revealing their names.) With them will be two leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
WHY
Police report available HERE
In 2009, Fr. Kevin F. Hederman – a St. Louis priest – was suspended from his ministry in Belize when he was sued for allegedly abusing a St. Louis teenager who he met at Christian Brothers high school (CBC) in Clayton.
But local Catholic officials have not disclosed that in the mid-1990s, another man filed a similar abuse suit against Fr. Hederman. (Both suits settled.) Nor did they admit that Fr. Hederman made some damning admissions when he was questioned by police about the abuse allegations.
Now, it looks like Fr. Hederman may soon be returned to ministry.
Last week, in an email to SNAP, Fr. Hederman’s sister-in-law said that he was recently “cleared” by a letter from the Vatican. She is Terry M. Hederman, an art specialist at Moline Elementary in the Riverview Gardens school district (869-7436 ex. 4977, thederman@rgsd.k12.mo.us). SNAP believes she’s telling the truth, given how similar cases have been handled by Catholic officials in recent years.
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