Former Colorado state senator sexually assaulted children as a priest, report says
A Pueblo priest who served as a Colorado state senator sexually assaulted a 5-year-old girl and a high school junior before joining the statehouse, according to a report about clergy sex abuse in Colorado.
John Beno, who died in 2000, served as a Democratic state senator representing Pueblo from 1981 to 1986 and sat on multiple committees, including the joint budget committee and the education committee.
Beno is one of 40 priests named in a report published Wednesday by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. The report details an 8-month investigation into clergy sex abuse in Colorado. Beno’s connection to the General Assembly was first reported by Colorado Politics.
Beno’s victims reported being abused by him in 1996 and 2005.
One woman said Beno raped her in 1961 when she was a first grader at St. Francis Xavier Parochial School in Pueblo, according to the report. She said that if she reported the rape she would be committing a mortal sin.
The woman reported the abuse in 1996, when Beno was on medical retirement from the priesthood. When confronted with the allegation, Beno said he had no recollection of sexually assaulting the girl and didn’t recognize the woman’s name, the report states.
The Pueblo diocese never reported the allegation to police, according to the report. It did, however, pay a financial settlement to the woman after corrobor...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director