Group outs 6 Accused Priests Who Were in Kansas City

Group ‘outs’ 6 accused priests who are/were in KC

They allegedly abused elsewhere but spent time here

SNAP urges victims, witnesses & whistleblowers to call 911

And victims want Catholic bishops to house suspended clerics

WHAT

Holdings signs at a sidewalk news conference, abuse victims and concerned Catholics will

• disclose a list of six credibly accused child molesting clerics who worked in/around KC but have virtually gotten no public or press attention here,
• call on Catholic officials in both KS & MO to house alleged predator priests so that they will be supervised/monitored and so that kids will be safer, and
• beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers in both states to contact local law enforcement and their state attorney general so that those who commit or conceal child sex crimes might be prosecuted, convicted and jailed.

WHEN

Saturday Dec. 15 at 1:45 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the KC Catholic headquarters (“chancery office”),

20 West 9th Street (at Baltimore) in downtown Kansas City MO

WHO

Three-four concerned KC area Catholics along with two-three victims of clergy sexual abuse who are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a St. Louis man (David Clohessy) who is the group’s former long time national director & current St. Louis director

WHY

1) SNAP has found, and is disclosing for the first time, six proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesting clerics who have been ‘outed’ elsewhere but have attracted no secular media attention in the KC area. Each of these priests is listed in a data base of accused clerics maintained by the most credible source of information on the Catholic abuse and cover up crisis, BishopAccountability.org. All have been sued, publicly exposed by Catholic officials or mentioned in credible mainstream secular and/or religious news media (usually in other states). Their presence or time in the KC area is confirmed through the same sources.

For the safety of kids, SNAP wants KS Archbishop Joseph Naumann and KC Bishop James Johnston warn parents, police, prosecutors and the public about them, reveal exactly where they worked and their last known whereabouts and reach out to anyone local who may have been hurt by them.

(Not counting these six individuals, there are 26 publicly accused abusive clerics in KC MO and 15 in KC KS, according to BishopAccountability.org and public records.)

2) SNAP also wants Catholic officials in both KS & MO to house alleged predator priests in remote, secure but publicly disclosed locations so that these men will be supervised/monitored and so that kids will be safer. Some bishops do this (Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis) and while it’s far from ideal, it’s better than letting these clerics live “under the radar” among unsuspecting neighbors.

If they’re too dangerous to work in Catholic churches or schools, SNAP maintains, they shouldn’t be quietly living on their own in residential neighborhoods (especially if they haven’t been defrocked and are still getting support from church officials).

3) Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is looking into abuse sandals in Missouri Catholic dioceses. While SNAP members are skeptical of the probe, the group is urging anyone who saw, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups to first call local law enforcement, then Hawley’s office.

CONTACT

David Clohessy 314 566 9790, [email protected], Jim McConnell 816 741 9882 or 816 590 4752, [email protected],[email protected]