AZ-Ex Mormon bishop arrested
For immediate release: Monday, Feb. 3
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
An ex-Mormon bishop faces child sex abuse charges.
http://www.kpho.com/story/24535353/ex-mormon-bishop-accused-of-luring-male-teen
We are grateful that this company apparently acted responsibly, that law enforcement is involved and that this victim is apparently cooperating with them.
Now, it's crucial that the church and the firm use their resources to help police by aggressively seeking out anyone who saw, suspected or suffered this clergyman's crimes. All too often, suspected or known child predators are merely suspended. That's inadequate. That's the bare minimum. That's a smart public relations and legal defense move by employers.
But employers have a civic and moral duty to do more. They shouldn't passively sit back and wait for subpoenas. They must turn over every shred of paperwork about possible predators. And they must actively reach out to others with information or suspicions about possible wrongdoing.
We hope Mormon officials will disclose every place where this alleged predator worked and will act like caring shepherds, not cold-hearted CEOs, and seek out others who may have been hurt and may be suffering in silence, shame and self-blame.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])