Clergy sex abuse events today, MONDAY, in CT, in Bridgeport & Hartford

1) ---------------- Hartford event

Clergy sex abuse victims “out” predator priest

They disclose secret settlement involving cleric

He’s never been publicly accused of molesting before

Victim is now in prison for murdering his grandfather

Self help group wants bishop to post names of all pedophile priests

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will disclose a confidential, substantial settlement involving an alleged child molesting priest who has never been publicly accused before. They will also urge Hartford’s Catholic archbishop to, for the safety of kids,
-- disclose whether he’s paid secret settlements involving other priests,
-- put this cleric in a treatment center, and
-- post on his website the names, photos, whereabouts and work histories of all predator priests.

The two groups will also prod parishioners to
-- ask their kids and loved ones if they were hurt by any of the 28 publicly accused Hartford predator priests, and
-- if so, contact independent sources of help like police, prosecutors, therapists and support groups, instead of contacting church officials

WHEN
Monday, March 28 at 12:45 p.m.

WHERE
In front of the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 140 Farmington Avenue (corner of Sigourney) in Hartford CT

WHO
Two-four child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP (including a Missouri man who is the organization’s long time director)

WHY
SNAP is disclosing a draft 2009 lawsuit and a previously secret, six page, Sept. 2009 settlement between the Hartford Catholic archdiocese and a man who reported being sexually abused 200 times by Fr. Richard McGann, whose whereabouts are unknown.

McGann’s victim, Jeff Libby, is in prison in Maine for murdering his grandfather in 1986. SNAP and experienced therapists who have evaluated Libby, strongly believe McGann’s abuse contributed significantly to Libby’s crime.

SNAP strongly suspects that Hartford’s Archbishop Henry Mansell is hiding the names of other proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics. It is urging Mansell to disclose the identities of all other child molesting church employees – whether lay or ordained, alive or dead, religious or diocesan, and current or former workers. SNAP also want the names, and info about each employee’s crimes, posted on church websites.

McGann violated Libby between 1975-77 at St. Gregory’s Catholic church (235 Maltby St., 860-589-2295) in Bristol CT. McGann molested Libby in the rectory and elsewhere, including out-of-town trips. The abuse, which included forced oral and anal sex, started when Libby was 12 years old.

SNAP believes McGann also worked at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Plainville, CT.

Libby is sentenced to serve 60 years. He’s now at Maine State Prison in Warren, Maine (his home state). Now in his late 40s, Libby is now represented by Maine attorney Richard Olson (207 871 7159) and Hartford attorney David Jaffe (860 522 3343).

Roughly 24 other US bishops have posted on their websites the names, and priestly status of child molesting clerics who are or have been in their dioceses.

According to a Boston-based independent research group called BishopAccountabilty.org, there are 28 publicly accused Hartford archdiocesan child molesting clerics.

SNAP notes that the actual number of Hartford area pedophile priests is likely much higher because BishopAccountability.org lists only those clerics against whom allegations have been lodged in the public domain – in civil lawsuits, criminal prosecution or news accounts.

In 2002, Baltimore became the first US diocese to disclose names. A more recent example is the Philadelphia archdiocese: http://archphila.org/protection/Updates/update_main.htm. Here is a list of all the dioceses that have disclosed names: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/lists.htm

SNAP is the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Its website is SNAPnetwork.org. BishopAccountability.org is an online library of documents and data pertaining to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. Its website is www.bishopaccountability.org.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/state-denies-convicted-killers-release-petition-_2010-06-28.html

CONTACT
David Clohessy 314-566-9790 [email protected], Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 home)

2) -------------------------- Bridgeport event

Two groups challenge bishop over three alleged predators

Accused Jesuit & ex-nun both ministered in local towns recently

A third church worker was involved in big settlement just last week

Groups prod bishop: “Alert parents to these allegations so kids will be safer”

Bishop also must also list credibly accused clerics on church web sites, they say

WHAT
Holding poster-sized childhood photos & church documents, leaders of two groups will urge Bridgeport’s Catholic bishop to aggressively seek out anyone who saw, suspected or suffered crimes by
-- an allegedly abusive ex-nun (who recently worked in New Canaan),
-- a recently accused Jesuit priest (who worked in Fairfield, Greenwich, and Darien), and
-- a former Trumbull church worker who was involved in a $200,000 settlement disclosed last week.

They will also prod the bishop to publicly list on his website the names and whereabouts of all proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics.

WHEN
Monday, March 28 at 2:15 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the Bridgeport Catholic diocesan headquarters, 238 Jewett Avenue, Bridgeport CT

WHO
At least three individuals, including leaders of a Boston-based research group called BishopAccountability.org and a Chicago-based support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
The groups want Bishop William Lori to publicize allegations against three former or current Catholic employees who worked in his diocese within the last few years. Allegations against one of them have never been publicized in Connecticut.
--Accusations first surfaced against Rev. Patricia Long in a 2009 New Hampshire attorney general’s report, citing her alleged molestation of a girl there in the 1970s, Long worked at the Congregational Church of New Caanan from 2005-09 (after having been a nun, marrying, and leaving Catholicism).
--Accusations against Fr. Paul Carrier first surfaced in news accounts last fall. He reportedly molested a Fairfield University student in the 1998. Carrier was a chaplain there until he was suspended, and also worked at the Sacred Heart School in Greenwich and at St. Thomas More Church in Darien.
--Accusations against Carlo Fabbozzi first surfaced in 2002 in a civil lawsuit that charging him with molesting a boy in the 1960s and 1970s. (That suit settled about a week ago.) Fabbozzi was a parish groundskeeper/janitor at (and was fired from) St. Teresa’s parish in Trumbull CT after admitting his crimes. He was also reportedly a Boy Scout leader. .

Long’s and courier’s whereabouts are unknown. Fabbozzi deceased.

Last year, Courier’s alleged victim, Doug Perlitz, pled guilty to molesting kids. In 2008, Fabbozzi’s alleged victim, Michael Powel, died.

The two groups say that Lori is also breaking his promises of “transparency.” His formal abuse policy pledges, "The Diocese will maintain a public record, including a website, that lists the names of priests and deacons who have been removed from ministry." But Lori hasn’t updated the public about the status of accused priests since 2003. His “continuing secrecy,” the groups say, is endangering children now.

http://www.bridgeportdiocese.com/index.php/safeenvironments/policy

In comparison, the groups point to the Manchester NH diocese (which is much smaller than Bridgeport.) According to public records, from December 2003 to 2007, the NH diocese received reports against 27 more clerics. In the same period, however, Lori revealed only two or three newly accused clerics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/us/27diocese.html?_r=1

CONTACT
Anne Barrett Doyle, BishopAccountability.org, 781-439-5208, [email protected]
David Clohessy, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, 314-566-9790, [email protected]
Attorney Helen McGonigle (who represented Fabbozzi’s victim Michael Powel) 203-300-2107