ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
February 13, 2019
Last November, the Diocese of Harrisburg announced that they were creating a victims compensation fund to aid survivors of clergy abuse in their diocese. Today we have learned the details of that fund.
The plan from the Diocese of Harrisburg is as milquetoast as is it ineffectual. The details – giving survivors a mere 90 days to come forward while also precluding their ability to sue in the future – are intended to sound good and mollify an angry public. The fact is, if Church officials cared about protecting children and supporting survivors, they would have devised a very different plan.
We believe that the more information that is known about abusers the better parents, parishioners, and the public are equipped to prevent future cases of abuse. We notice that the Diocese is not offering to make public the information that they receive from victims. Removing a survivor’s right to sue will not prevent cases of abuse, but will prevent survivors from using legal tools that can compel dioceses to release information or correct misinformation.
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