RHODE ISLAND
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
We share the outrage of those hurt at St. George School over delays in acting against an allegedly callous therapist who reportedly refused to call police about suspected child sex crimes. The officials in charge simply must do better.
The state Health Department and state Board of Psychology must move more quickly to at least suspend Peter Kosseff. It doesn’t take a year to investigate the charges that he hurt kids by refusing to call 911.
In the years since his alleged wrongdoing at St. George, one wonders how many other possible cases of sexual violence has he kept silent about. How many other known or suspected child sex crimes is he hiding right now?
If wrongdoing is ignored, wrongdoing is repeated.
Many blame victims of sexual violence for not reporting promptly. But few express outrage when authorities don’t respond to such reports promptly. This is an unjust and unhealthy “double standard.”
Those who commit child sex crimes are sick and compulsive. They can’t be deterred. But those who conceal child sex crimes CAN be deterred. As a society, we must simply expose, ostracize and “throw the book” at them. When therapists, doctors, teachers and lawyers lose their license for endangering kids by keeping quiet, this kind of irresponsible inaction will end.
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