DELAWARE
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, Nov. 9, 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)
We hope Delaware’s attorney general succeeds in winning a conviction against Jehovah Witness officials who did not report suspected child sex crimes to secular agencies.
We are grateful that these charges have been brought in the first place. All too often, law enforcement authorities pursue only the “low hanging fruit” in child sex cases: just the perpetrator. Far too rarely do prosecutors go after church officials who knew of or suspected the crimes but stayed silent or hid them.
Elders Joel Mulchansingh and William Perkins of the Seaford Kingdom Hall are accused of not reporting the sexual abuse by Katheryn Harris Carmean White, a fellow member of the congregation and a teacher’s aide at Seaford Middle School, when the victim’s mom told them about the crimes.
We beg church goers in every denomination: please call the independent, unbiased professionals in law enforcement when you see, suspect or suffer child sex crimes. Please do NOT call church officials when reporting abuse.
And we beg police and prosecutors: Spend more time and energy preventing child sex crimes and cover ups by charging those who conceal suspected child sex crimes.
Finally, we beg anyone associated with Seaford Middle School or the Seaford Kingdom Hall to aggressively seek out others who may have been hurt by White.
If Perkins and Mulchansignh are found guilty, we hope they get the toughest possible penalty. That’s the best way to scare other church officials into obeying the law, protecting children and reporting crimes.
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