Sex abuse victims blast archdiocese

St. Louis archbishop helped stop IL victims from suing

New court ruling yesterday is "dangerous for children," SNAP says

Group to 2 bishops: "You're protecting predators & jeopardizing kids"

Victims are also upset that bizarre "sexually violent" priest is released

Bizarre cleric, who abused dozens, worked here for ten years in the 1990s

Despite his colleague's warning, St. Louis archdiocese let him work here at 5 places

He gave boys naked ‘massages’ & dressed them in “revealing baby Jesus’ costumes”

WHAT
Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will
-- harshly criticize St. Louis' new archbishop for helping to stop Illinois victims from suing, and
-- urge him to fight cases against pedophile priests on the merits, not on technicalities.

They will also announce that a bizarre cleric, who may have molested 30 kids,
-- is now free, having just completed his sentence as America's first "sexually violent predator" priest,
-- gave boys naked ‘massages’ and dressed them in ‘revealing baby Jesus costumes’ as part of an alleged ‘research project’
-- worked at five St. Louis locations in the 1990s: three Catholic parishes and two hospitals

SNAP will urge
-- his former employers here to do outreach to others who may have been hurt by the convicted priest.
-- anyone who saw, suspected or suffered his misdeeds to call police, so the predator can be charged for other crimes.

WHEN
TODAY, Friday, Sept. 25, 2:00 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the St. Louis archdiocese headquarters, 4144 Lindell (near Taylor) in St. Louis' Central West End

WHO
Three victims of clergy sex abuse, including leaders of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
1) Yesterday, St. Louis' archbishop and Belleville's bishop prevailed when the state Supreme Court ruled in their favor and against a St. Louis area firefighter who was molested as a boy by a priest with ties to both dioceses. The two bishops' legal moves now stop dozens of pedophile priest lawsuits in Illinois and will prevent, SNAP predicts, hundreds of victims of other, non-clergy child molesters from exposing their predators and seeking justice in the court.

SNAP condemns allegedly spiritual figures who take advantage of every possible legal maneuver to defend proven pedophile priests. The group will urge St. Louis Catholic officials to fight child sex abuse victims on the merits, not on legal technicalities.

2) Yesterday, America's first-ever priest to be deemed a "sexually violent predator" was freed from a Rushville IL facility. He's Fr. Fred Lenczycki who was convicted in 2004 of molesting three boys. He was to be released from prison in May 2006. But prosecutors felt the chance of him re-offending was high, and they successfully fought to have him kept in state custody and be declared "sexually violent" under a relatively new state law.

For roughly ten years throughout the 1990s, he worked at five St. Louis locations: DePaul and Deaconess (now Forest Park) hospitals and three area parishes: St. Blaise Parish in Maryland Heights, North American Martyrs in Florissant and St. George’s in south St. Louis County.

Lenczycki was originally a priest in the Joliet diocese. Joliet's now-retired bishop has publicly said he sent Lenczycki to treatment because of abuse allegations and warned then-St. Louis Missouri Archbishop John May about Lenczycki's crimes. Nevertheless, May let Lenczycki move to St. Louis and work here.

Two years ago, SNAP asked hospital and archdiocesan staff to reach out to others who may have seen, suspected or suffered Lenczycki’s sex crimes. Though he remains under state supervision, SNAP feels kids will be safer if Lenczycki is charged, convicted and imprisoned again for other crimes he's committed.

Between assignments in Joliet and St. Louis, Lenczycki was sent to San Francisco, where he allegedly molested three other kids.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-lenczkcki-priest-released-25sep25,0,6059553.story

CONTACT
David Clohessy 314 566 9790 cell, Barbara Dorris 314 503 0003