OR–Victims urge ministers to shun church over abuse case
OREGON
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, May 22
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )
We urge Portland’s religious leaders to shun officials at a local church and we urge local law enforcement to charge those church officials with obstructing justice, evidence tampering, witness intimidation or other offenses because of how they dealt with a predatory pastor.
“This was a worst-case scenario when it comes to a church and a pastor not cooperating.” That’s how Washington prosecutor Kevin Barton described officials at Bethel United Pentecostal Church in Hillsboro.
According to The Oregonian, in a recent child sex abuse case, the church’s head pastor
– “declined to speak with police without a briefing on their investigation,”
– “then declined unless his insurance agent could be…
