KENTUCKY
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, Aug. 21
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
Fr. Stephen Pohl is at least the 65th Louisville Catholic cleric to be accused of child sex crimes.
We’re glad church officials are talking about this case but hope they use this opportunity to aggressively prod anyone with information or suspicions about Fr. Pohl to call law enforcement immediately.
[WDRB]
It’s a simple but crucial question for Louisville Catholic officials and church members: Do you help law enforcement, or not, in a child porn investigation against a priest? We hope they find the courage to do what’s right and work hard to seek out anyone who might have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by this priest and other priests.
[WHAS]
When Fr. Pohl was suspended from St. Margaret Mary parish for possible child pornography charges, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz issued a vague and disingenuously timed news release.
In our experience, in cases like this, Catholic officials do the bare minimum. Rarely do they use church websites, parish bulletins and pulpit announcements to repeatedly prod victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward. Rarely do they ask their flock to reach out to ex-parishioners who may have knowledge or suspicions of wrongdoing by Fr. Pohl. But those are the caring, responsible and moral steps they should take.
We urge anyone – Catholic or not – to call law enforcement if they have any information that might help prove or disprove these troubling allegations.
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