HAWAII
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, April 17, 2014
For more info: Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, CA, SNAP Western Regional Director (949) 322-7434, jcasteix@gmail.com, Barb Dorris of St. Louis, MO, SNAP Outreach Director, (314) 503-0003, snapdorris@gmail.com
Victims seek two investigations
Long time Hawaii predator abused several foster kids
SNAP: “Catholic Charities and state agency should take action”
They gave him “unfettered access to vulnerable boys,” group says
One key individual won promotions & is now a supervisor at state bureaucracy
A support group for sex abuse victims is urging Catholic Charities and Hawaii state officials and to investigate how a predator was able to foster children.
Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are urging the two organizations to answer questions about how so many boys were placed in the care of Jay Ram. And investigate Roselyn Viernes, who is the head of East Hawaii Child Welfare Services in Hilo, and was the social worker responsible for placing the children in foster homes.
Ram, who is also known as Gary Winnick, is accused of sexually abusing boys that he fostered and adopted in California and Hawaii. He is believed to be the Tampa Florida area. A recent documentary chronicles Ram’s abuse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2sFheAc1rQ
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