CA- Church must do more about 2 priests, victims say

Church must do more about 2 priests, victims say

They release, for the first time, a 25 page police report

Bishop should say where the alleged predators are now

And both should be put in treatment centers, victims say

SNAP: “Top Catholic official should visit affected parishes”

Soto must beg victims & witnesses to speak up, group insists

Victims want “real outreach” that will help law enforcement

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood  photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will prod Sacramento's Catholic bishop to do more about two priests who, within the last year, have been investigated by police about alleged child sex crimes.

In the first case, victims will give out copies of a previously-undisclosed 25 page police report about a priest has been accused of sexually abusing two Sacramento kids one Milwaukee kid. And they will urge the bishop to disclose the outcome of a church investigation into the allegations.

In the second case, they will urge the bishop to disclose who paid the just-arrested priest's bail.

In both cases, the victims will beg the bishop to

--tell his flock where the two alleged child molesting clerics are now,

--do all he can to put them in a remote, secure, independent treatment center, and

--aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by either cleric.

And the victims will prod anyone with knowledge of or suspicions about clergy sex crimes or cover ups to call police officials, not church officials.

WHEN

Monday, May 19 at 11:00 a .m     

WHERE

Outside the Sacramento Catholic diocese headquarters (“chancery office”), 2110 Broadway in Sacramento

WHO

Three to four victims of sexual abuse who are members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), the nation's largest support group for men and women abused as kids in religious or institutional settings.

WHY             

In the last year, two priests have been publicly accused of molesting Sacramento kids. In both cases, SNAP believes Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto should be more forthcoming about the allegations and should use parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements to seek out others who could help police and prosecutors resolve the accusations.

1) Last week, Fr. Hector Coria was arrested for “statutory rape” involving a child.  

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/05/10/davis-priest-arrested-on-sexual-abuse-charges/

2) Last year, Fr. Robert “Bob” Marsicek (cell 916 835 7452) was investigated for allegedly molesting a young girl in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwautosa.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2013/03_04/2013_04_19_Davila_FormerOrangevale.htm

According to a detailed 25 page police report, Fr. Marsicek repeatedly had her sit on his lap, rubbed her thighs and breasts and he's accused of other inappropriate behavior around other youngsters.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Fr. Marsicek worked at Divine Savior Catholic Church in Orangevale and was investigated for allegedly abused two children there.

For reasons that aren't entirely clear, Fr. Marsicek is not being criminally charged, though SNAP suspects that could still happen if Bishop Soto “acts responsibly and does real outreach.”

And Fr. Marsicek's direct church supervisor pledged to do an internal church investigation into the allegations. SNAP believes Bishop Soto has a duty to disclose the results of that investigation to Sacramento Catholics.

For the safety of children, SNAP says, Bishop Soto should make the current whereabouts of both clerics public.

“Catholic officials often claim they're 'monitoring' or 'supervising' accused predator priests,” said Tim Lennon of San Francisco. “And many times, it turns out that in fact they do not. Sometimes, these suspended predators end up molesting again while they're under 'investigation.' That's incredibly reckless and callous of church officials.”

“Bishop Soto's predecessors let Fr. Marsicek work in Sacramento. And Bishop Soto has promised to be 'open' about clergy sex abuse cases,” added Melanie Sakoda of Moraga. “So he can't pass the buck here to the Salvatorians, who ordained Fr. Marsicek. Bishop Soto himself must tell his parishioners how this case is being handled”

SNAP is also urging Bishop Soto to reach out to the Spanish speaking communities where Fr. Coria worked, as well as the student community at UC Davis, where Coria conducted seminars and retreats.

Fr. Coria met his alleged victim at St. James Catholic Church in Davis. Earlier he also worked at Assumption parish in Carmichael. Besides Sacramento and Milwaukee, Fr. Marsicek also worked as Arizona and Alabama before moving to Orangevale.

Photos of Fr. Coria and Fr. Marsicek are available at BishopAccountability.org

CONTACT
Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Melanie Sakoda (925-708-6175, [email protected]), Joey Piscatelli (925-262-3699, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), David Clohessy (314-566-9790, [email protected])