For immediate release: Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Statement on the indictment of a priest in West Virginia for sexual abuse of a Cincinnati area boy

SNAP CINCINNATI issues the following statement on the indictment of a Cincinnati area priest in West Virginia for criminal sexual abuse against a Cincinnati area boy in 1991:

(see these links for more information http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=74507 and http://www.wlwt.com/news/22413407/detail.html )

The Cincinnati Chapter of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests - a self help group for those sexually abused by Catholic priests and other religious authority figures) applauds the victim in this case for rightly contacting law enforcement officials about the sexual abuse he endured at the hands of Rev. Robert F. Poandl.

We also question the motives of this priest’s religious order, the Glenmary Home Missioners, a religious society of priests and brothers in Cincinnati, for not publicly disclosing this accusation when they found out about it in June 2009, after which time they have not permitted Poandl to publicly function as a Catholic priest while he resides at the Glenmary residence in Cincinnati. We feel that this religious order, as well as Cincinnati’s top Catholic official, Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr, should have publicly disclosed the suspension of this priest because of this allegation and warned Cincinnati and West Virginia area Catholics of this allegation and taken a more public posture to urge others who may have also suffered abuse by this priest or any others at the locations where this priest was assigned (including in Georgia, where this priest was assigned at the time of the indictment), to come forward to law enforcement officials.

We applaud the law enforcement officials in West Virginia who took this crime very seriously, and hope that they can offer this victim justice and accountability, very important parts of the healing process. It is only through the criminal and civil courts that religious sexual predators are usually exposed, and we always urge victims and parents to contact law enforcement, NOT church officials, when sexual abuse comes to light in their family. This is a proven method for keeping kids safe.

SNAP opens our hearts and minds to anybody who was sexually abused by any religious authority figure. The abuse of power and authority when used to exploit the innocence of a child is as unseemly as the sexual abuse itself. We understand that emotional wounds of a child remain fresh well into adulthood, and we stand ready and able to assist victims and survivors of childhood sexual abuse cope with their scars. We are victims and survivors too, and we are here to help. Please contact us if we can assist you in your healing process

CONTACT
Individual requests for media interviews can be made through:
Daniel Frondorf, Chapter Leader, SNAP Cincinnati 513-706-7403 cell dandorf@fuse.net
Judy Block Jones, Director, SNAP West Virginia 636-433-2511; snapjudy@gmail.com
Mike Lewis, Charleston SNAP Leader 304-932-5913
David Clohessy, National Director, SNAP 314-566-9790 snapclohessy@aol.com

On the web:   www.SNAPnetwork.org   www.wheeling-charlestontruth.org