PA--Victims blast Penn State trustee

For immediate release: Wednesday, April 9

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, 314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected]

A Penn State trustee criticized Jerry Sandusky’s victims today as the university settled at least one more child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit.

Penn State "has been targeted very, very much by those who would take advantage of who we are," Robert Jubelirer said. "We need to put a stop to the spigot that has been turned on, and actually fight back and stand up for the university."

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/04/penn_state_board_acts_to_settl.html  

Shame on Robert Jubelirer for his callous and mean-spirited remarks. And shame on every trustee who claims the university is hurting because of “the actions of a ‘lone wolf,’" (according to Penn Live). That’s both insensitive and simply wrong. No one university staffer ignored, minimized, concealed and enabled Sandusky’s crimes. Several of them did. 

Ever wonder why most victims of sexual violence stay silent? In large part, it’s because many hard-hearted adults like Jubelirer think and say such hurtful things about victims and because so many other adults tolerate haters like Jubelirer.

Let’s hope Jubelirer will be even more honest and tell the public and the university community exactly what a child’s innocence, trust, self-esteem and safety is worth. 

One can defend a school without attacking child sex abuse victims and ascribing selfish motives to people who have been raped or sodomized as kids by trusted adults while other trusted adults did little or nothing to prevent or stop the heinous crimes. That’s what compassionate adults would do. But Jubelier can’t bring himself to back the university without attacking child sex abuse victims in the process. He should be ashamed of himself. And the entire university community should be ashamed of him too.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We were founded in 1988 and have 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, [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003, [email protected], Barbara Blaine 312-399-4747, [email protected]