NC- Victims question if an admitted predator priest won't be charged
For immediate release: Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
Even though he confessed to molesting a child four years ago, we fear that criminal child sex abuse charges against Fr. Michael Joseph Kelleher will be dropped today by Stanly County prosecutor Reece Saunders who, we believe, has some tough questions to answer about why he let this case linger for four years.
(Apparently, a Charlotte attorney shares our fears: http://sethlangsonlaw.com/blog)
After civil child sex abuse lawsuits against Fr. Kelleher were dismissed days ago, a hearing on his criminal prosecution was put on the schedule for 2 p.m. today. That just doesn't pass the smell test. We call on Saunders (704 986 7010) to explain his rationale and this timing.
When Fr. Kelleher was arrested four years ago, Albemarle Police Chief Ronnie Michael said "We have a solid case."
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/07_08/2010_07_07_Rivenbark_FormerCharlotte.htm
Doesn’t this smack of some kind of “sweetheart deal” between a prosecutor, a bishop and a defense lawyer? We hope not! But it sure looks like something's not quite right here.
If Saunders drops this case, he will essentially be helping an admitted child molesting cleric and hurting that cleric's already-wounded victims.
Fr. Kelleher is an elderly man. But we believe he could still be dangerous. (Plenty of men in their 70s and 80s sexually violate kids. It's a crime that requires cunning, not strength. And plenty of parents relax their vigilance and trust their kids around a 70 or 80 year old balding, stoop-shouldered, slow-moving man who looks harmless but in fact is not.)
The prosecutor isn't the only person who must act now. We also call on all current and former church members and employees in each of the towns where Fr. Kelleher worked (Greenville, Charlotte, High Point, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Asheboro, Waynesville, Albemarle, Asheville, Hendersonville, Lexington, Lincolnton) to speak up with any knowledge or suspicions they may have about the cleric.
We call on Charlotte Bishop Peter Jugis to aggressively reach out to his flock - using his bully pulpit, church bulletins, diocesan website, and personal parish visits - and beg anyone who saw, suspects or suffered child sex crimes to come forward, report any crimes or misdeeds they may have seen, suspected or suffered by Fr. Kelleher to police and prosecutors. We urge him to hold a news conference and admit that the men who report having been sexually assaulted as kids by Fr. Kelleher are credible, and prod others with information or suspicions to speak up now.
(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 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]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])
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
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