PA--Victims seek more action re accused PA priest

For immediate release: Friday, April 10

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]

We’re disappointed that Fr. Andrew McCormick won’t be retried. But we hope that others who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes will now speak out. And we urge Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput to use his vast resources to reach out to any other victims, witnesses or whistleblowers who may have knowledge or suspicions about possible wrongdoing by Fr. McCormick.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20150411_After_two_hung_juries__priest_accused_of_sexually_assaulting_boy_will_not_be_retried.html   

It’s not enough for Chaput to keep McCormick out of a parish. Chaput’s insurers, defense lawyers and public relations team will insist that the priest not be given an assignment. That’s the absolute bare minimum Chaput should and will do for purely selfish reasons.

Chaput should also

--put Fr. McCormick in a remote, secure, independent and professionally run treatment facility for sex offenders,

--disclose where that is, and

--personally visit every parish where Fr. McCormick worked, begging others to step forward.

We predict, however, that Chaput will do none of this. He’ll likely say and do the absolute bare minimum. And he’ll keep his fingers crossed that Fr. McCormick. But that’s irresponsible, especially because Chaput has the power to severely limit Fr. McCormick’s access to kids, the resources to help find other victims and the duty to help law enforcement file more charges, if possible, against Fr. McCormick.

Obviously, Fr. McCormick hasn’t been convicted. But let’s remember that parents, police and prosecutors believe this alleged victim. And Fr. McCormick has been accused of inappropriate actions with kids before. Let’s err, if we must, on the side of safeguarding several innocent children versus one popular, well-educated alleged child molesting cleric.

(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]