Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Quietly Adds More Names to their List
We are glad that the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has updated their list of priests publicly accused of abuse. We are disappointed, however, that they did so without notifying the public.
The entire point of these lists is to keep parishioners and the public informed. When people are aware that those listed have abused others, they know to look within their own communities for survivors who might be struggling in silence. And when survivors see the name of the person that abused them listed, it often helps them realize that they are not alone and encourages them to come forward and get help.
We encourage church officials in Wheeling-Charleston to publicly announce the changes they have made to their list, explain why these nine names have been added and renew their calls for survivors, witnesses, and whistleblowers to come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors.
CONTACT: Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Regional Leader, (636-433-511, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)