GEORGIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Feb. 10
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314-503-0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )
In just less than an hour, using simple “Google” searches, we’ve found six predator priests who’ve been in Atlanta but have never been exposed here as credibly accused child molesters. We suspect there are many more of them still “beneath the radar.” We also suspect that some of them have hurt kids here in Georgia and one or more of them may still be here, posing current threats to unsuspecting families, neighbors and co-workers.
That’s why we are urging Georgia citizens to help protect kids from these and other molesters, by pushing for a House Bill 17, the Georgia Hidden Predators Bill. This law would prevent more child sex crimes by enabling more victims to expose more predators. It would give anyone who was abused at any time by any predator to use the court system, over a two year period, to warn parents and the public about those who commit and conceal child molesters.
[Atlanta Journal Constitution]
And we are urging Georgia’s religious leaders – including its two Catholic bishops – to push for this sorely-needed child safety measure too. All too often, church figures fight against stronger child safety laws, fearing more abuse and cover up lawsuits. But if religious officials haven’t hidden child sex crimes and act responsibly when abuse is suspected or uncovered, they have nothing to fear from this legislation.
Virtually none of these six predator priests we’ve uncovered have attracted any real attention in the Atlanta area. Virtually any of them could have hurt a Georgia kid. And again, one or two of them could be back here in Atlanta right now visiting former parishioners and assaulting one of their children.
At the risk of seeming too graphic, I want to stress that it takes just seconds for a man to put his tongue in a girl’s mouth or his hands down a boy’s pants.
Until we found these new names, there were at least eight already publicly accused predator priests in Georgia – six the Atlanta archdiocese (Fr. Clarence Biggers, Fr. Philip S. Gage, Fr. Stanley D. Idziak, Fr. Anton Mowat, Fr. Alberto Rodriguez and Fr. Louis P. Rogge) and two in the Savannah diocese (Fr. Wayland Yoder Brown and Fr. Robert Murphy.)
Thanks to brave victims and responsible journalists, police and prosecutors, many in the public are aware of these eight dangerous men. But again, few in Georgia know much, or anything at all, about the six names we’re revealing today. We strongly suspect there are many more child molesting clerics about whom the public should be warned and who are still being hidden by Georgia Catholic officials.
We beg every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Georgia to speak up, expose wrongdoers, protect others, deter cover ups, start healing and prod lawmakers about the Georgia Hidden Predators Bill.
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