COLORADO
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
A new lawsuit has been filed against a predator priest who lives in Denver. Colorado Catholic officials should warn parents, police, parishioners, prosecutors and the public about him.
He’s Fr. Henry Slade and he pled guilty in 1990 to sexual misconduct with a disabled 18 year old. He’s been sued for child sexual abuse before and Joliet’s bishop admits Fr. Slade is “credibly accused” of child sex crimes.
(This new suit also says another priest, Fr. Phillip Dedera, heard and ignored the boy’s screams for help and later offered him marijuana after the attack to “help him forget” it.)
Archbishop Samuel Aquila should personally visit the parishes near where Fr. Slade lives, begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward. He should also use parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements across the entire diocese to seek out others who may have been assaulted and are still suffering. And he should permanently post on his diocesan website the names, photos and whereabouts of every child molesting Denver are cleric, whether alive or dead, diocesan or religious order, or admitted, proven or credibly accused. (About 30 US bishops have done this. It’s the bare minimum a bishop should do to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded.)
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