Victims blast Peoria bishop on abuse
Victims blast Peoria bishop on abuse
In new video, man who sued speaks up for first time
His predator priest still lives in IL but diocese won’t say where
Advocate challenges Tylka to “help put abusive cleric behind bars”
SNAP: “Offering prayers won’t cut it. Bishop must act to safeguard kids”
Roughly 50 Peoria area priests are now publicly accused child molesters
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will try to hand deliver a letter to Peoria’s Catholic bishop
--blasting him for ‘reckless inaction’ in response to a lawsuit last week against a still-living but defrocked predator priest,
--urging him to protect kids by ‘personally visiting each place the abuser worked and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call the police,’ and
--challenging local church employees - ‘no matter what the bishop does or doesn’t do’ - to ‘aggressively warn parents and the public about this predator.’
Also, in an impassioned new video, the victim who sued the cleric last week will discuss his shame, suicidal feelings, hopefulness and explain why he’s coming forward and taking action now.
WHEN
Monday, March 17 at 1:30 p.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Peoria Catholic Diocese headquarters (a.k.a chancery office or Spalding Center), 492 NE. Madison Ave. in Peoria
WHO
Two-four clergy sex abuse victims including a Missouri man (also abused as a child by a priest) who is the former national director of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY
Last week, a still-living Peoria priest – Fr. Thomas Miller - was sued for reportedly sexually abusing a then-eight year old boy at least once a month for six years
In a candid new video that will be posted on his attorney’s website, that victim, Mike Eckert, is speaking publicly now for the first time about his experiences.
Fr. Miller reportedly lives in southern Illinois and SNAP feels he may be around vulnerable children and unsuspecting families. The group wants Bishop Louis Tylka to disclose the priest’s last known whereabouts and use pulpit announcements, parish bulletins, diocesan websites and the news media to warn parents and the public about him so that he might be prosecuted, convicted and kept away from children.
SNAP believes Tylka has ‘a civic and moral duty to help police and prosecutors pursue criminal charges against Fr. Miller by ‘doing broad and aggressive outreach to anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered’ his crimes.
BACKGROUND
The alleged crimes happened in the church, rectory and school at St. Vincent de Paul parish (6001 N. University in Peoria) where Fr. Thomas Miller was then presiding priest.
At least three other individuals have also reporting having been sexually violated by Fr. Miller. But Eckert’s lawsuit, filed last Monday, is believed to be the first and only one against him.
From 1979 to 1994, two Peoria bishops transferred Fr. Miller to five assignments across the Peoria Diocese including Schlarman High School in Danville, St. Bernard’s parish in Peoria and Holy Trinity parish in Bloomington (where he also reportedly molested at least one other child).
After a lengthy investigation, in 2018, the Illinois attorney general’s office released a 696 page report on clergy sex crimes and cover ups across the state. It found fault with the Peoria Diocese in several ways, including its refusal “to acknowledge credible allegations against” abusive clerics, even one who pleaded guilty to abusing a child and served three years in prison, but the diocese described the allegations against him as “unsubstantiated.”
An independent group, BishopAccountability, lists 35 publicly accused abusive Peoria clerics. On its website, the Peoria Diocese names 48 “clergy who have been removed from ministry.”
Eckert, the victim, is now married, in his 30s and no longer lives in Illinois. He is represented by attorneys Jeff Anderson (651) 227-9990, Melissa Anderson (312) 261-4550 and Marc Pearlman (312) 261-4550.
The case was filed in Peoria County Circuit Court and seeks unspecified damages.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri ([email protected], 314-566-9790), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 814-341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
