COLUMBUS (OH)
WXIX - Fox19 [Cincinnati OH]
October 20, 2022
By Chris Riva and Jennifer Edwards Baker
Ohio needs laws that do a better job protecting children from sex predators who victimize them, according to activists who traveled to Columbus and held a news conference Thursday inside the statehouse to call out lawmakers.
These activists include Paul Neyer, the man who came forward in 2019 to press charges against a priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Father Geoff Drew, and one of his classmates from St. Jude School, where the rapes occurred, Rebecca Surendorff.
This is Neyer’s second trip to our state’s capitol this year to lobby for a state law change to give victims more time to take civil and/or criminal action against their abusers.
Neyer is coming out with his story again and again as he tries to be a part of the change he says is needed to prevent more kids like him from being victimized.
He confronted Drew in court at his sentencing and then went on camera and released his name in an interview with FOX19 NOW followed by an address as he held up a photo of himself at the age he was raped when he appeared before a Senate committee on May 31.
He urged senators to extend the statute of limitation for victims to seek the justice he says they deserve (amendment to Senate Bill 226).
So far, it appears no state law changes are coming this year.
Both the Ohio House and Senate are in what the activists referred to as a “lame duck” session.
The General Assembly hasn’t voted on proposed legislation in months and isn’t expected to until at least after the Nov. 8 election.
Neyer, meanwhile, plans to keep sharing his story and doing more research into what the Archdiocese knew about Drew, when they knew it and what they did. Some of these details were expected to come out at Drew’s trial had he not pleaded out.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has conceded it made “serious mistakes” for years in responding to concerns about Drew’s behavior.
They are seeking the “laicization” of Drew, essentially stripping him of his priestly duties. He will no longer be permitted to hold Mass, take confessions, administer sacraments and have a priestly assignment in any archdiocese.
The second-highest ranking member of the archdiocese, Bishop Joseph Binzer, ultimately resigned in the fallout over Drew.
Binzer remains a priest. He holds the title “Bishop Emeritus” and was assigned last year to be the pastor at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Symmes Township.
Neyer, meanwhile, plans to share his story this weekend with some 2,000 men from more than 40 states who are traveling to Greater Cincinnati for Crossroads’ annual “Man Camp” in Clermont County’s Washington Township.
He hopes that he will inspire them to speak out about anything bothering them. His message, he says, isn’t specific to just sex abuse victims.
“Some men are known as the weight carriers in most instances. Men are told ‘carry this weight.’ Men don’t seek therapy, don’t speak out, don’ talk to people,” Neyer said Thursday morning as he drove to Columbus for the news conference.
“Women, on the other hand, they talk to somebody all day. They go to the bathroom together, everything is talking. Men feel alone, judged, scared, etcetera. So to have somebody stand in front of them and tell them their history at the beginning of a safe event (like Crossroads’ “Man Camp”), my hope is when they are in their small groups (talking at the camp), when they have the opportunity to go to prayer camp, they are able to open up about whatever it is in real life that is holding them back.”
It was a Crossroads “Man Camp” where Neyer first felt strong enough to confide to others about being sexually abused.
“We all have spider webs,” Neyer said. “We all clean out our closes but no one goes in and kills the spider. That’s what I hope these guys do.”