TEXAS/ARIZONA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 201
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org
A priest who has long lived in Arizona has been arrested for murdering a Texas girl. We are deeply grateful that John Feit has been apprehended
We are thrilled that Rene Guerra – who has refused to aggressively pursue a murder case involving a priest — was defeated at the polls and that newly elected prosecutor Ricardo Rodriguez honored his pledge to re-open this troubling case.
Guerra made biased and hurtful comments that will make it harder for police and prosecutors to pursue criminals (because he publicly and inappropriately attacked the honesty of a witness, which deters other witnesses from stepping forward)
[SNAP]
We hope that this move brings some hope to Garza’s family. And we hope that anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered clergy crimes or cover ups in the Brownsville diocese will call police, expose wrongdoers, protect others and start healing.
We also hope that Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores will use personal appeals, parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements to beg others with information or suspicions about Feit to call law enforcement immediately. Now is no time for Catholic officials to act powerless or for citizens to be complacent. Every shred of evidence – no matter how small, old or seemingly insignificant – should be withheld from police and prosecutors.
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