NY- Ex-Brooklyn priest sued for child sex abuse, SNAP responds

August 14, 2014

For immediate release: Wednesday, August 13, 2014

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

A new child sex abuse lawsuit has been filed against Fr. William Authenrieth who is originally from the Diocese of Brooklyn, abused in New York and Florida, and now lives in Massachusetts.

We urge Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio to urge his colleagues in Massachusetts to warn the public and their parishioners about Fr. Authenrieth, who has been accused of or sued for child sex crimes at least five times. Since Fr. Authenrieth was recruited, ordained, and trained in Brooklyn (before he was transferred to Orlando), Brooklyn Catholic officials should at least warn unsuspecting families about him.

Some might argue that, given his age (about 80), Fr. Authenrieth isn't likely assaulting children now. They would be wrong.

It takes only seconds for a man to shove his hands down a boy's pants or his tongue down a girl's throat. And who would parents or kids trust more than an elderly, balding, stoop-shouldered, grandfatherly-looking figure?

It's irresponsible for anyone to assume that because a child molester is older, he's somehow safer.

We urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered Fr. Authenrieth's crimes to come forward, get help, call police, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.

(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]), Mary Caplan (917-439-4187, [email protected]), Megan Peterson (218-689-9049, [email protected])

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Showing 2 comments

Ed Nolan commented 2017-10-27 13:19:53 -0500
You got that right Bill, that scumbag got away with way too much while he was at SVF, and they did nothing to stop him. The other priest’s the nuns, nobody did anything except cover for this predator. I believe that what I heard about this pos had alot to do with me being so damn fed up with the church, that as I got older I just turned my back to the church and never looked back. I hope that bastard burns in hell for what he did to so many kids. He really should’ve spent the rest of his miserable life in prison.
Billy McLean commented 2017-10-10 00:16:27 -0500
It’s aboutTIME that son of a bicth got caught. I’M convinced there was a massive cover up at Saint Vincent Ferrer Brooklyn New York between 1964, and 1968 when that Demon conducted his dastardly deeds. I’LL start off with his Mother was very wealthy, and paid the diocese hush money, so he wouldn’t be prosecuted. I’ll even name some people who probably knew: Monsignor Gately ( another pervert), Sister Brendan, Sister Imelda, 2 lay teachers whose off Springs are on the Farragut pool facebook group.

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