MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Wrongful death suit vs. archdiocese settles
Parents of young man who died by suicide to speak for 1st time
His death led to first “assisted suicide” trial in MO in 100 years
Abusive cleric was convicted of molesting another boy & did jail time
Now defrocked, he lives in St. Charles Co. and is reportedly married
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, parents of a young St. Louis man who died by suicide will speak for the first time about
–his tragic death and
–their recent settlement of a wrongful death lawsuit against the St. Louis archdiocese that employed the priest who molested the boy.
They’ll be joined by a few clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters. The group will urge anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered the priest’s crimes to get help and call police
WHEN
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 11:15 a.m.
WHERE
Outside Rosati-Kain High School, 4389 Lindell (corner of Newstead) in the Central West End, St. Louis
WHO
The parents, Dan and Pat Harkins of Florissant, and two-three child sex abuse victims who belong to a self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY
An unusual civil lawsuit has been settled. In it, a St. Louis couple charged that a now-convicted priest – who still lives and works in the St. Louis area – raped their 13 year old son and that archdiocesan officials are responsible for their son’s 2009 death by suicide.
In 2009, the boy, Alex Harkins (then 21), made a suicide pact with a friend, Jacob Runge (then 22) of St. Peters. In May of that year, Harkins shot himself at St. Stanislaus Park in Hazelwood. Runge, however, did not follow through. Days later, Runge led Harkins’ parents to Alex’s body, and in June 2009, Runge was charged with “assisted suicide,” the first such case in Missouri in 100 years. He was acquitted.
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