Clergy sex abuse victims leaflet downtown

They hand out fliers targeted to archdiocesan staff

Group begs Catholic employees: "Search your conscience & call prosecutors"

SNAP feels “dozens” of current & ex-church workers have info that could help new probe

Victims also want explanation for 'deceit & delay' with 2006 arrest of parochial school principal

WHAT
Over the lunch hour, clergy sex abuse victims will hand out fliers to passers-by near the LA archdiocesan headquarters. The leaflets urge church employees to take action and respond to a new federal probe of clergy sex crimes and cover ups by

-- calling prosecutors & sharing what they know, and
-- contacting former colleagues and church members, and urging them to do likewise.

The victims will also publicly prod Cardinal Mahony to explain and apologize for

-- waiting months to oust a school principal who faced a criminal child sex probe, and
-- letting his PR man deceive the public about the church's secrecy and delay in the 2006 case.

WHEN
TODAY, Monday, Feb. 2, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 and again from 12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

WHERE
At two sidewalk intersections on Wilshire Blvd. near the LA Catholic archdiocesan headquarters, 3424 Wilshire Blvd., in downtown Los Angeles

WHO
Five-six clergy sex abuse victims and their loved ones who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
Last week, two news outlets disclosed that a new federal grand jury probe is looking into clergy sex crimes and cover ups in the LA archdiocese. Given that the church employs hundreds of people, SNAP members are convinced that some of them have information about such crimes, including recent ones. The group is appealing to those archdiocesan workers - current and former - to contact the federal prosecutor Thomas O'Brien's office with that information.

In 2006, Mahony's spokesman Tod Tamberg told the LA Times that law enforcement officials asked church officials not to tell parents about a child sex abuse probe into a prominent parochial school principal. The next day, however, the district attorney's office and Los Angeles Police Department said they made no such request.

The principal, John Joseph Malburg of Daniel Murphy Catholic High School, was later arrested, charged and fired. But because of the church officials' months-long secrecy and delay, Malburg was able to keep videotaping an unsuspecting boy in the shower for two months, according to a criminal complaint.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news5/2006_11_17_Hong_CorruptionTarget.htm

SNAP believes the case is one of several that prove that the LA archdiocese has not reformed. The group wants Mahony to publicly explain and apologize for his staff's deceit and delay.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2006/11_12/2006_11_19_NBC4_ArchdioceseChurch.htm

CONTACT
Mary Grant of SNAP (626) 419-2930, David Clohessy of SNAP (314) 566-9790, Barbara Dorris of SNAP (314) 862-7688 home, (314) 503-0003 cell, Esther Miller of SNAP (562) 673-9442 bilingual/Spanish, Joelle Casteix of SNAP (949) 322-7434