MILWAUKEE (WI)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Sept. 3
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )
Today’s AP report about whether and when Milwaukee Catholic officials did and didn’t call police about predator priests is inherently flawed. It’s based solely on information from church staff.
Reporting known or suspected abuse is the bare minimum. What bishops virtually never do it take real steps to help law enforcement convict predator priests.
When abuse reports or admissions surface against clerics, bishops should promptly hold a news conference and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police. They should personally go to each parish or school where the accused worked and beg those with knowledge or suspicions to call police.
They should post notices on every parish website and in every church bulletin and make pulpit announcements everywhere, urging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to contact law enforcement. And they should immediately give every single piece of written information about the accused to police.
But virtually no Catholic official has ever done this.
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