OK--Victims blast OK City archbishop over convicted priest

For immediate release: Monday, April 25, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley is both endangering and misleading his flock and the public. Over the weekend, Coakley released and factually wrong, incredibly deceptive and hurtful statement about the convicted cleric who assaulted a teenager but is being promoted to head three Oklahoma churches.

http://kfor.com/2016/04/23/priest-convicted-of-sex-crime-finds-home-in-lawton-parish/

Here’s where Coakley is factually wrong.

--He claims the crimes happened at the priest’s office when they did not.

http://www.10news.com/news/priest-accused-of-sexual-assault-pleads-not-guilty

--He claims others were present when they were not.

http://www.10news.com/news/priest-accused-of-sexual-assault-pleads-not-guilty

Here’s where Coakley is deceptive and hurtful:

--He writes of “Father Davila’s actions,” not crimes.

--He describes a 19 year old as “an adult parishioner.”

--He says “those actions were perceived as inappropriate,” rather than “were criminal and hurtful.”

--He describes Fr. Davila’s deliberate crimes as a “lapse in judgment.”

Finally, in a startling act of hypocrisy, Coakley writes “It is important that we operate in an open environment.” Yet he secretly imports a convicted criminal into his archdiocese and gives him access to unsuspecting families, then quietly promotes him, all with virtually no warning to parents, police, prosecutors, parishioners or the public.

But put aside Coakley’s words. Look at his actions. He’s putting innocent people at risk of sexual violence because he claims he wants to give a convicted sex offender a “second chance.”

We hope Oklahoma Catholics and citizens won’t stand for this. We hope they speak out and insist that this repeated recklessness stop. We hope demand an open public meeting with Coakley about Fr. Davila. And we hope they beat the bushes looking for current or former Lawton church staff and members who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or misdeeds by Fr. Davila and beg those individuals to call police, prosecutors and independent groups like ours.

Sadly, Coakley is no outlier. The overwhelming majority of bishops often publicly pledge to protect kids while privately continuing to protect predators. At least ten proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesting clerics are still on the job in the US:

http://www.snapnetwork.org/usa_accused_predator_priests_still_on_the_job

And consider this very recent example: A priest pled guilty last year to sexually assaulting a younger girl. Yet weeks ago, Catholic officials lifted his suspension and he’s expected to be reassigned next month.

In 2015, Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul admitted sexually abusing a Minnesota girl (after having fought extradition back to the US for years). Then, he was deported to his native India where his bishop said he’ll be put back on the job in May.

One news outlet in India recently reported that this bishop “shows no signs of ousting” Fr. Jeyapaul.

http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/victim-sues-bishop-ooty-diocese-shows-no-signs-ousting-sexual-offender-

http://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-bishop-lifts-convicted-priests-suspension/75204

http://www.snapnetwork.org/vatican--officials_ok_lifting_convicted_predator_priest_s_suspension_victims_respond

http://www.snapnetwork.org/rome_victim_of_just-restored_convicted_perp_priest_blasts_francise

http://theworthyadversary.com/4206-convicted-sex-offender-priest-resurfaces-in-oklahoma

No matter what lawmakers or church officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Catholic churches or institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.

(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]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747,[email protected])