Second Catholic Priest at Staten Island Parish Accused of Abuse
A lawsuit filed on March 12, 2021, accuses a Catholic priest at Our Lady of the Sea in Staten Island of sexual abuse. In 2019, the pastor of the same parish was sued for sexual abuse. As far as SNAP can tell, the Archdiocese of New York has not informed parishioners about these allegations and both clergymen remain in active ministry.
On Friday, Fr. Basil Akut was accused in court papers of grooming and sexually abusing a recently-divorced and depressed woman who sought counseling from him. The lawsuit accuses Fr. Akut of using his position as a priest at Our Lady Star of the Sea to “isolate, manipulate, and groom her for sexual abuse.”
SNAP has been told that Fr. Akut was recruited to Our Lady Star of the Sea by Father Thomas Devery, who himself has been accused sexually abusing a minor. This apparently-concealed record of abuse allegations is of particular concern owing to the fact that Fr. Devery is the pastor of one of the largest Catholic elementary schools in Staten Island.
It seems to us that in the interest of openness and transparency Archdiocesan officials, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan, owe it to the faithful at Our Lady Star of Sea to inform them of such allegations and urge anyone with information to come forward and report to law enforcement. We know that false allegations of sexual abuse are extremely rare and that perpetrators seldom have just one victim.
It also seems to us to be irresponsible for the Archdiocese of New York to allow both clerics to remain in ministry despite the allegations. We urge Cardinal Dolan to remedy this disturbing situation immediately.
CONTACT: Brian Toale, SNAP New York ([email protected], 646-549-0372), 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)
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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