CT--Accused predator priest put back to work; Victims respond

December 23, 2015

For immediate release: Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])

An accused predator priest has supposedly been “cleared” by his clerical colleagues and will be put back to work, a move that we believe may endanger more innocent kids.

http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/929118.txt

Hundreds of times, Catholic officials have repeated this dangerous pattern: deeming child sex abuse reports against clerics “not substantiated,” putting those clerics back into parishes, then removing them again later for the same allegations or added allegations, and having put vulnerable kids in harm’s way for years and years. It’s utterly tragic and irresponsible. It’s proof that bishops keep putting their employees above their flocks.

Fr. Jeremiah Murasso of Blessed Sacrament Church and the Shrine of St. Anne is accused of molesting a child years ago at St. Francis Home for Children (also known as Highland Heights) in New Haven. Archbishop Leonard Blair claims his staff did an “extensive” investigation. Really? The let him hold a news conference and explain this process, instead of hiding behind a vague news release.

Shame on Fr. Kevin J. Forsyth of St. Augustine parish in Seymour, who publicly said the accusations were "baseless and just about money." We strongly doubt Fr. Forsyth has ever met the accuser. His callous, hurtful comment will deter others who have been sexually violated – by clergy, parents, teachers and other trusted adults – from finding the courage to report these horrific crimes.

We beg anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups in Hartford to summon the strength to speak up. Kids are safer only when adults are courageous enough to call police, prosecutors, therapists, or support groups like ours with information or suspicions about child sex crimes.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 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], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])

Accused priest cleared Archdiocese allows Father Murasso to return to borough parish

BY DESTINY LOPEZ REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY — The Rev. Jeremiah Murasso of Blessed Sacrament Church and the Shrine of St. Anne will return to ministry after accusations of sexually abusing a minor were found insubstantial by the church.

The Archdiocese of Hartford said in a release Monday it "conducted an extensive and thorough investigation" of the sexual abuse allegations made this past summer and found the accusations without basis.

Attempts to reach Murasso were unsuccessful Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement last June, the archdiocese said . . .

Read full article here

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Showing 2 comments

Ronald Robison commented 2015-12-23 13:13:06 -0600
David, like everyone else you convicted Father Murasso without learning the facts. The accuser is, and was in jail for murdering his father at the time of the accusations and was looking for a defense against a life sentence. His story changed multiple times, his description of the house where the alleged act took place was so far off it was comical.Police were the first to dismiss the accusers story and therefore never brought charges against Murasso. The church continued their investigation long after Murasso was cleared by police. I give the Catholic Church no pass on the way they have handled things in the past but to convict without the evidence is a dangerous game. You yourself, police, and the church have asked anyone else to come forward with allegations against Murasso, where are they! Child molesters can’t stop at one, it’s proven that they will always feel the way they feel and Murasso was around children for 20 years, where are the victims! The only victim here is Murasso!!
@ tweeted this page. 2015-12-23 11:24:13 -0600
CT--Accused predator priest put back to work; Victims respond http://www.snapnetwork.org/ct_accused_predator_priest_put_back_to_work_victims_respond?recruiter_id=342
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