NEW MEXICO
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy, director of SNAP (314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)
Police have seized documents from the headquarters of the Catholic church in New Mexico because of a child sex abuse case. We applaud this move and hope it results in top church officials being criminally charged for ignoring or hiding evidence about possible child sex crimes.
All too often, law enforcement agencies are not aggressive in pursuing those who commit or conceal heinous crimes against kids in religious settings. All too often, they go after the predators but not the enablers. All too often, they take church officials’ word that church staff have little or no relevant information in these cases.
Such a naïve approach is irresponsible, especially given the long and continuing pattern of Catholic officials valuing secrecy over openness and protecting their own careers over their flocks.
So we applaud the decision by New Mexico secular authorities to secure and execute search warrants on both the church headquarters and a parochial school (Santo Nino Regional Catholic School in Santa Fe).
We hope every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by Aaron Chavez or cover ups by his colleagues will come forward, get help, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.
And we hope Archbishop John Wester will use personal news conferences, pulpit announcements, church bulletins and parish websites to beg anyone with information or suspicions about crime by Chavez or cover ups in the Santa Fe archdiocese to call police and prosecutors.
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