For immediate release: Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007

Sex abuse victims respond to ruling in Mahony-Rivera sex abuse case

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell)

We are very disappointed and feel heartsick for Joaquin and the dozens of other boys who have been sexually assaulted by this dangerous serial predator and been betrayed by the Cardinals and Bishops who are his supervisors.

It's very sad each time a Catholic official even tries to exploit legal technicalities to escape justice. It's even sadder when they succeed.

Aguilar became a fugitive from justice by running from the law. Rivera has become a fugitive from justice by hiding behind the law.

Now, the burden for protecting kids falls on law enforcement officials in US and in Mexico. It's crucial that they do all they can to catch Aguilar before he sodomizes one more child. It also falls on everyone - church member, worker, or volunteer - who saw, suspected or suffered sex crimes by Aguilar. It's crucial that they find the courage and strength to come forward as Joaquin has, and seek help and justice. Finally, the burden falls even more heavily on Cardinal Roger Mahony and Cardinal Norberto Rivera to use their considerable wealth and resources to alert Catholics about Aguilar, to reach to his victims, to warn his neighbors ,and to pressure governmental authorities into aggressively pursuing him.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 17 years and have more than 7,000 members across the country. 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, 314-645-5915 home), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688), Mary Grant (626-419-2930), Mark Serrano (703-727-4940)