Clergy sex victims blast archdiocese

They agree with new report: “very little has changed”

SNAP to Cardinal: “Immediately suspend accused clerics”

And group tells DA “Keep fighting for the rest of the records”

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will blast Philadelphia Catholic officials over a new grand jury report that documents on-going recklessness and corruption by high ranking church staff. They will also prod
--Philadelphia’s Cardinal to immediately suspend dozens of accused clerics, and
--Philadelphia’s DA to insist that church officials comply with a subpoena for more records.

The victims will also urge current and former church-goers to
--ask their loved ones if they were hurt by child molesting clerics, and, if so, to
--contact independent sources of support (therapists, police, prosecutors, self help groups) instead of Catholic officials.

WHEN
TODAY, Friday, Feb. 11, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the Philadelphia archdiocese headquarters (chancery), 222 North 17th Street (between Vine and Race Street) in Philadelphia

WHO
2-4 members of a support group for clergy molestation victims called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) including a Missouri man who is the organization’s long-time executive director (and who comes from Archbishop Rigali’s former archdiocese)

WHY
After more than four months, Archbishop Justin Rigali has still not fully complied with a prosecutor’s subpoena about “dozens of apparent abusers” who “remain on duty in the archdiocese today with access to new young prey.” A new grand jury report says that at least “41 priests who have remained in active ministry in the past five years after the Archdiocese learned of accusations or reports of their inappropriate behavior or sexual abuse of minors.” Furthermore, the investigation found that only two of these 41 have been listed on the Archdiocese’s website as credibly accused, which means the identity of most of these priests remains unknown even to their parishioners.”

SNAP wants Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams to push Rigali hard to get more records and honor the subpoena. The group also wants Rigali to immediately suspend and identify the 30+ accused clerics.

SNAP agrees with grand jurors, who conclude that “not much has changed” since a scathing 2005 report by another grand jury about the Philadelphia archdiocese. The new grand jury report says the archdiocese “has betrayed once again” the victims who report to its staffers.

It also says that the archdiocesan abuse system is “designed to help the abusers and the archdiocese itself,” “is devoid of common sense,” and “reaches the wrong result in the vast majority of (child sex abuse) cases.”

CONTACT
David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected]) Barbara Blaine (312 399 4747