Media Statements

A mistrial was declared in the case of a Wisconsin Catholic priest who has been accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. This mistrial was only declared because attorneys for the cleric were able to sway the judge with irrelevant arguments about the immigration status of the victim’s mother. We hope that prosecutors will retry this case and help protect children in Wisconsin.

Dear Cardinal O’Malley:

Recently, D.C. Councilman David Grosso publicly acknowledged he was abused by a Capuchin friar, Fr. Scott Asalone. The cleric was first identified as an abuser in 1993. However, for reasons unclear, Fr. Asalone was not removed by the Capuchin Friars until 2007, and he was not publicly acknowledged as a perpetrator until he was included on the Diocese of Arlington’s list of accused priests released last year.

Dear Attorney General,

In a time where cases of sexual violence perpetrated within religious institutions are being reckoned with like never before, we are writing to you to urge your attention to a critical issue affecting citizens in your state.

Jim Bartko was many things. He was a part of many things. He achieved great things despite the "demons" he had. He was a hero. 

Following an allegation of abuse being reported to the Iowa attorney general, the Diocese of Davenport has suspended a priest who has been accused of sexual misconduct in the 1990s. Once again, reports made to law enforcement resulted in immediate action from Catholic officials. We hope this story encourages other victims and witnesses in Iowa to come forward and make a report to the attorney general.

This week, American Catholic bishops are touting a new reporting system that can be used by victims and witnesses to report crimes committed by prelates. While giving the public options is usually a good thing, we hope that instead of using this internal Church-run system that victims and witnesses will instead choose to report to police and prosecutors.

A former Catholic priest who molested a DC Councilman has been arrested and charged with child sexual abuse. We applaud the brave victim in this case and hope his example will encourage other survivors and witnesses to come forward and make a report to police.

An abusive French Catholic priest who admitted to abusing at least 80 boys was sentenced today to five years in prison. While we are grateful that this dangerous man will now be kept away from children, we worry about the message being sent by this sentence.

In a Wisconsin courtroom this week, defense attorneys for a priest accused of sexually abusing a child attempted to smear the child’s mother by arguing that the allegation “is a path for citizenship.” This is a disturbing attempt to shift the focus from the accused to the parent of the victim, and we hope the jury sees through this sad attempt by the defense.

Once again, Catholic officials are manipulating the legal system to hide assets and secrets to the detriment of survivors, parishioners and the public. We hope that the judges presiding over this case can reverse the deceptive moves of church leaders and force transparency on this secretive institution.