MICHIGAN
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release on Friday, April 25, 2014
For more info: Melanie Sakoda ( 925-708-6175 cell, melanie.sakdoa@gmail.com ), Cappy Larson ( cappy@rlarson.com ) David Clohessy ( 314-566-9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )
Church officials oust deacon about abuse
But they keep allegations secret for months
Victims group blast “irresponsible behavior”
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims has written again to a Michigan archbishop in response to his letter about a registered sex offender who had been serving as a subdeacon. They want him to help them make sure the wider community knows about the man’s record and the possible danger that he poses and they also want to know why abuse reports were not immediately reported to law enforcement.
Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, sent a letter earlier today to Archbishop Nathaniel Popp (517-522-4800), the leader of the Romanian Episcopate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). They thanked him for responding to their letter asking if Robert A. Mitchell was still serving as a subdeacon. The group was relieved to know that he had been removed and that steps were taken to ensure that no other convicted child molester will be given a leadership role in OCA.
However they express concern that the archbishop has not used every avenue available to warn the community about this dangerous predator. The group reported receiving a disturbing email from Father Moses Berry stating that officials in Michigan kept secret the reason Mitchell was no longer active in the Church.
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