Abuse victims blast Ft. Wayne bishop

Abuse victims blast Ft. Wayne bishop

SNAP: “He’s hiding alleged at least 11 accused priests”

The clerics mostly abused elsewhere but escape scrutiny here

They were in Fort Wayne, South Bend, Huntington, Garrett, Donaldson & Cedar Lake

“Victims, witnesses & whistleblowers should call attorney general,” group says

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victim and advocate will publicly disclose for the first time that 13 publicly accused predator priests (including one who became an internationally known author and lecturer) have been left off the diocese's 'accused' abusers list.

They will also

--prod Ft. Wayne’ bishop to explain these omissions, add the priests, and other alleged predators, to his “accused” clergy list, and

--beg anyone who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups in Indiana to contact the attorney general who they say should be conducting an investigation into this crisis.

WHEN

Tuesday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Ft. Wayne diocese headquarters (“chancery”), 915 S. Clinton St. (corner of East Washington) in Ft. Wayne, IN

WHO

At least two abuse victims: a Missouri man who is the St. Louis volunteer leader of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (and the organization's former long time executive director)

WHY

Under pressure, like more than 100 other Catholic prelates, In September 2018 Ft. Wayne-South Bend Bishop Kevin Rhoades released a list of clergy who were ‘credibly accused’ of molesting kids.

https://todayscatholic.org/diocese-of-fort-wayne-south-bend-publishes-names-of-credibly-accused/

However, SNAP has discovered 13 other credibly accused clerics who were publicly ‘outed’ as abusers elsewhere, spent time in the Ft. Wayne-South Bend diocese, but were left off Rhoades’ list.

Most of them have attracted virtually no attention in Indiana but were publicly accused elsewhere.

Among other places, they worked or lived in at least seven Indiana towns: Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Huntington, Garrett, Michigan City, Donaldson and Cedar Lake, IN. At least four were at Notre Dame.

One was suspended after an allegation in the 1950s. The most recent was ‘outed’ less than three months ago.

Six were ‘outed’ by their own church supervisors and/or listed on Catholic websites as “credibly accused” by five different Catholic institutions (Jesuits, Crosiers or one or more Minnesota dioceses).

One faced 23 accusers, another allegedly “handed” his victim over to another accused priest who succeeded him in a parish.

Only one was ever criminally prosecuted, though at least two faced civil lawsuits (and one was involved in the largest clergy abuse settlement ever: $660 million)

Besides Indiana, they worked or spent time in 12 states (DC, MI, MN, CA, AK, AZ, MT, NH, WI, SD, ND, and PA) and two foreign countries (Indonesia, Italy and Canada). Four came from Chicago and three from Minnesota.

One or more of them were in the diocese in each decade from 1950 until at least 2011.

At least five are deceased.

Their names and more details about them will be provided at the news conference.

SNAP wants Ft. Wayne-South Bend church officials to explain these 13 omissions, include them on their ‘accused’ list and include ALL alleged offenders who have been in the diocese: staff, nuns, bishops, seminarians, brothers and priests-living or deceased, diocesan or religious order. SNAP also wants the list to include photos, whereabouts and full work histories of the accused.

2) SNAP is also begging anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups in Indiana to contact Indiana’s attorney general who the group says should be investigating all of the state’s dioceses.

CONTACT

David Clohessy 314 566 9790, [email protected], Zach Hiner 517 974 9009, [email protected]