MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Sunday, July 6
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 )
A clergy child sexual abuse and cover up trial is set to begin tomorrow, only the second in St. Louis history and the first since 1999. We are grateful to the brave and persistent victim in this case. Her courage will inspire others to get help and expose Catholic officials who commit and conceal heinous crimes against children.
We suspect that dozens of local families have suffered and are suffering because Catholic officials hid and enabled Ross’ crimes.
This is the first such trial in the St. Louis area
–since 1999,
–in which the archbishop was punished for contempt and secrecy before the trial even begins, &
–in which a judge ordered Catholic officials to give thousands of pages of long secret church records to a victim.
Fr. Joseph D. Ross has a long history of abuse and sexual misconduct and for decades, Catholic officials hid his crimes. In 1988, Ross plead guilty to sexual assaulting an 11 year old boy. At that time he admitted he had molested one child in the 1970s.
Still, despite his admission and conviction, St. Louis Catholic officials quietly put him back on the job around unsuspecting parishioners at St. Cronan’s church in south St. Louis city where he sexually assaulted another child.
Here’s how BishopAccountability.org – a credible, independent, research-based website – summarizes Ross’ clerical career: “Pled guilty 1988 to sexual assault of 11 yr old boy 12/86. Sentenced to 2 yrs probation and treatment. Admitted then he had been accused of molesting one youth in 1970s & had also been arrested for propositioning a police officer & public indecency. Allowed to return to work. Removed 3/02. Civil suit filed 11/02 alleged abuse of 14 yr old boy in 1977. Laicization announced 8/02. Arrested 9/08 on new charges from 2000. Crim. charges dropped 8/10. Lives in AR. New suit filed 10/11 re abuse of girl.”
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