OR--Pedophile priest case settles; Victims group responds
For immediate release: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
An abuse and cover up suit against the Portland archdiocese and a convicted predator priest has settled. We deplore the secrecy surrounding this case.
The cleric, Fr. Angel Armando Perez, was the only priest ordained in the archdiocese in 2002.
We fully understand why the young boy’s family would not want to take this case to trial. The parents are surely most concerned with the emotional well-being and recovery of their wounded child.
That said, however, we are sad that apparently no records about Fr. Perez, and his church supervisors and colleagues who may have hidden his crimes, will be disclosed. And the amount of the settlement, which might deter future recklessness and callousness and deceit by other church officials, remains secret.
We hope Portland Catholic officials will honor their repeated pledges to be “open and transparent” about clergy sex crimes and cover ups by being more forthcoming about this case and others.
When Fr. Perez was criminally charged, the Oregonian reported that “The Archdiocese of Portland offered an open-ended loan to the Rev. Angel Armando Perez to cover the legal fees of (his expensive defense lawyer).” We hope Portland area Catholics will insist that Archbishop Alexander Sample divulge whether this “loan” has been or is being repaid or not.
When this suit was filed, church spokesman Bud Bunce referred to Fr. Perez’ crimes as “misconduct.”
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2014/03_04/2014_04_24_Green_PriestMolester.htm
That’s a familiar pattern by Oregon Catholic officials: deliberately minimizing horrific felonies. It’s a hurtful and blatant public relations moved designed to distract parishioners and the public from these heinous crimes. Shame on Bunch and Sample for rubbing salt into the already deep and often still fresh wounds of clergy sex abuse victims with their self-serving and insensitive public comments.
We hope every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by Fr. Perez or other clerics will speak up. We hope they will call police, expose wrongdoers, protect others and start healing.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])
Suit against St. Luke, archdiocese has settled out of court
10 December 2015 10:51 | Written by Tyler Francke, Portland Tribune
An $8.5 million lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland, along with St. Luke Catholic Church in Woodburn, has been dismissed following an out-of-court settlement.
The complaint, filed last year on behalf of an unnamed Salem boy, was in connection with . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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