The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
SNAP Press Release
Victims blast recent OH Supreme Court Ruling
It stops most who repress abuse memories from suing
Group wants lawmaker to restore rights of those molested and for Bishop Blair to support it
Clergy sex victims to attempt to hand-deliver letter to Blair
Victims demand answers why convicted murderer is still a priest in good standing
That Fr. Robinson is still a priest shows church isn’t reforming, group says
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will
-- criticize a recent Ohio Supreme Court ruling that makes it harder for victims to expose child predators,
-- blast a Toledo justice for not recusing herself in the case,
-- call on state lawmakers to remedy the “injustice” caused by the decision, and
--ask Bishop Blaire to support the effort.
They will also urge the Pope and Toledo’s Catholic bishop to work harder to defrock a priest who was convicted of murdering a nun and is accused of molesting a girl. Then they will attempt to hand-deliver letter to Bishop Blaire.
WHEN
Monday, May 24, at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE
Outside the headquarters of the Diocese of Toledo, 1933 Spielbusch Avenue
WHO
Three or four survivors of sexual abuse by priests and their supporters including a Toledo native who founded SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
WHY
Earlier this month, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that an alleged child sex abuse victim was unable to pursue a civil lawsuit because of the statute of limitations. She alleged that she had repressed memories of the sexual abuse until 2007, when a news event triggered the recovery of the memories. But the Court decided, by a 6-0 margin, that a 2006 state law essentially prohibits most cases involving repressed memories, which Ohio law had previously allowed. http://www.legalbaldeagle.com/
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/crime/woman-takes-abuse-case-to-the-streets-703069.html
SNAP wants legislators to restore the victims’ rights which were taken away by the 2006 law, and to open up a one or two year civil ‘window’ (like California and Delaware have done) which lets anyone victimized as a child by any predator take legal action against him/her (and complicity colleagues and supervisors) in court. SNAP will ask Blair to support the effort.
SNAP believes that Justice Judith Lanzinger, a former Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge and onetime head of a Committee of the Toledo Catholic Diocese dealing with sex abuse by priests, should have recused herself in the case. Several times, Lanzinger has stepped aside in cases that involve the Catholic church, particularly those that involved cases of child molestation. (Lanzinger recused herself in a case involving Fr. Gerald Robinson, who murdered a Toledo nun.) But SNAP feels she should withdraw from all child sex abuse cases.
Lanzinger was the head of the policy committee that authored policies that essentially circumvented the justice system, by instructing Toledo Catholic employees to alert church officials, not criminal officials, when suspicions or reports of child sex crimes arise. She was also formerly employed by Shuemaker, Loop & Kendrick, the law firm that represents the Toledo Catholic Diocese.
Father Gerald Robinson was convicted of killing Sister Margaret Ann Paul in 2006. He was also accused of sexually abusing young girls.
In recent weeks, the Pope’s defenders (usually top Vatican staff) have claimed he is doing “everything he can” to punish abusers and protect kids. They claim he’s speeded up the process of ousting predators. The Pope himself claims he’ll take more “action” against abusive clerics. Robinson, convicted in May 2006 has yet to be defrocked.
Victims want Blaire to push for Robinson to be defrocked and fear Blaire is dragging his feet because of a deal he made with Robinson. (http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2009/09_10/2009_10_18_Wagner_ImprisonedPriest.htm)
Vatican officials are working harder to get predators defrocked and Blaire should be doing the same since Robinson is one of the most egregious criminal priests in the US.
The victim in the recent Supreme Court case, Amy Pratte of Indiana, was represented by Mason OH attorney Konrad Kircher. 513 229 7996.
CONTACT
David Clohessy, SNAP Executive Director, 314 566 9790
Claudia Vercellotti, SNAP Toledo Spokesperson, 419 345 9291
Barbara Blaine, SNAP President and Founder, 312 399 4747
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
www.snapnetwork.org