PERU
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )
Apparently, Vatican officials have quickly and quietly defrocked a child molesting Peruvian bishop. Defenders of the Catholic hierarchy will no doubt claim that this shows Vatican officials are making progress on abuse. We disagree.
First, a Peruvian prosecutor is complaining that church officials aren’t giving him the information he is seeking so that criminal charges might be filed against Bishop Gabino Miranda of Ayacucho.
That’s NOT progress. This kind of selfish and reckless secrecy is how most Catholic officials have dealt and are dealing with cases of child sex crimes, whether the predator is a priest, nun, seminarian, teacher or bishop. That is one of the MOST irresponsible steps a Catholic official can take – interfering, directly or indirectly, with a police investigation into a possible predator.
Second, helping police and prosecutors charge and convict child molesting clerics should be church officials’ highest priority. Once a church predator is behind bars and away from kids, then church officials can start discussing whether he should be defrocked.
Third, Catholic officials have long taken action (albeit secretively, slowly and inadequately) against those who commit child sex crimes. But they refuse to take virtually any action against those who conceal child sex crimes. That’s why this crisis continues – because the prelates who could prevent child sex crimes but don’t are never punished. So that’s where Catholic officials should focus.
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