ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, July 7, 2014
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 503 0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )
The brave, strong young woman who was abused by Fr. Joseph D. Ross, because Catholic officials protected him, has settled her civil case against the archdiocese.
We have the deepest admiration for this incredibly courageous young woman who prevailed against a mean-spirited onslaught by lawyers for Archbishop Robert Carlson. Her courage will inspire others to get help and expose Catholic officials who commit and conceal heinous crimes against children.
(Two-four SNAP members will discuss the settlement at 2 p.m. today outside the Cathedral on Lindell in the Central West End.)
Through this suit, she forced Archbishop Robert Carlson to disclose thousands of pages of long-secret church records about child molesting priests, nuns, seminarians and brothers.
Through this suit, she has shown that there are far more local church clerics and staff who have been accused of assaulting kids. Documents obtained through this suit reveal that at least 115 St. Louis Catholic priests and other employees have been accused of molesting children.
(Until this suit, the public knew of 51 proven, admitted and credibly accused St. Louis area predator priests and nuns, thanks to BishopAccountability.org, an online research and archive group.)
Through this suit, we suspect she has wrested millions from the archdiocese (though the amount of the settlement is confidential and we have no solid information about it). Given the horrific facts of this case, and the size of settlements in similar cases, we are confident in this estimate. Hopefully, that financial penalty might make one or two Catholic officials think twice before acting recklessly, callously, and deceitfully again in future clergy sex abuse cases.
And if anyone is uncertain about whether this priest assaulted this girl, ponder why Archbishop Carlson is willing to pay so much money to her, and to prevent her evidence from surfacing in court.
For decades, Catholic officials protected Ross despite his long and sordid history of sex crimes and misconduct. We suspect that dozens of families have suffered and are suffering because Carlson and his predecessors refused – and still refuse – to help law enforcement charge and convict this serial predator. If anyone is uncertain about whether local Catholic officials have reformed or are reforming on abuse, ponder why there’s precious little outreach to abuse victims in church pulpits bulletins and elsewhere.
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