Lake Charles, LA news conference Tues 10/8
Abuse victims blast Lake Charles bishop
He’s hiding at least four ‘credibly accused’ abusive priests
Other church officials say allegations against the men are ‘credible’
SNAP: “If church officials are hiding them, what else might they be hiding?”
Support group also alerts child victims to unusual new legal opportunity
New law means that anyone molested at any time by anyone can now sue
‘By coming forward, the wounded can protect the vulnerable,’ victims say
WHAT
Using sidewalk chalk, and holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims will write on the sidewalk the names of four child-molesting clerics, at least four of whom have been left off the Lake Charles Catholic bishop’s ‘credibly accused’ abusers ist.
Holding signs and childhood photos, they will also
---urge Catholics to join with them in spreading awareness of an “unusual and groundbreaking child safety law” that “enables virtually any child sex abuse victim to sue, no matter how long ago the crime happened,” and
---urge those with information or suspicions about ANY other known or possible perpetrator to a) call police, not church staff, and b) contact their support group SNAP.
WHEN
Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 11 AM
(NOTE: The group will hold a similar event in Alexandria later the same day, Tuesday 10/8 at 2 p.m.)
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 935 Bilbo St. in Lake Charles (337-436-7251)
WHO
Two child sexual abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director
WHY
1) SNAP will explain an “unusual and groundbreaking” new state law that “enables virtually anyone who was abused as a kid by anyone at any time” to “expose wrongdoers by filing a civil lawsuit.” In June, that law was upheld as constitutional by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
In other states that have adopted similar measures, hundreds of victims have ‘outed’ scores of ‘long hidden abusive coaches, teachers, pastors and preachers.’ SNAP predicts the same will happen in Louisiana.
2) In 2019, Lake Charles Bishop Glenn Provost posted on his website a list of ‘credibly accused’ abusive clerics. But he omitted at least four men from his list – all ‘outed’ by Catholic officials elsewhere as ‘credibly accused.’
None of the four appear on Bishop Provost’s publicly posted list of ‘credibly accused’ abusive clerics, even though all four clerics a) are or were in the Lake Charles diocese and b) have been deemed ‘credibly accused’ by church officials elsewhere.
They are:
Fr. Alfred Dean, who twice (1989 and 1997) worked at St. Joseph parish in Welsh in the Lake Charles Diocese. In 2002, the Baltimore Archdiocese posted his name on its ‘credibly accused’ abusers list and in 2003, he was indicted for child sex crimes.
Fr. Dean was also included in a 2023 Maryland Attorney General's Report on clergy sex crimes. Originally from the Bahamas, he also worked in Mobile AL, Baltimore MD, Washington DC, New Orleans LA, Houston TX, Los Angeles CA and in two Mississippi towns (Natchez and Fayette).
Fr. L. Michael Herpin, who worked at three parishes in the Lake Charles Diocese: St. Paul parish and St. Joseph parish in Elton and Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles. But he is NOT on the ‘credibly accused’ list in Lake Charles.
In 2002, Fr. Herpin was removed from Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Broussard in the Lafayette Diocese after admitting that “he had engaged in sexual impropriety with a minor.” In 2019, he was included on the Lafayette Diocese’s ‘credibly accused’ abusers list.
He also worked at least six other Lafayette area parishes: St. Raphael in Iowa, St. Landry in Opelousas, Our Lady Help of Christians in Jennings, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Iberia, Our Lady of Mercy in Henderson and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milton. More information on Fr. Herpin is available here.
Fr. Peter Covas, who worked at Sacred Heart parish in Lake Charles. He is on the ‘credibly accused’ abusers list of the San Diego diocese. Fr. Covas left his parish in 2002 amid accusations of sexual misconduct with minors. He was sued in 2003 and his personnel file was released 2010.
He worked in Pittsburgh PA, Tucson AZ and Detroit MI and in at least four other California towns (Riverside, San Bernardino, Hesperia and Alta Loma).
Fr. Keith Anthony ‘Kappy’ Potier, who worked Our Lady Queen of Heaven parish in Lake Charles. He’s on the Lafayette Diocese’s ‘credibly accused’ abusers list, but NOT on the Lake Charles diocesan ‘accused’ list. Additional information can be found here.
In the Lafayette Diocese, he worked in four towns: Loreauville (Our Lady of Victory parish), Abbeville (St. Therese of the Child Jesus parish), Kaplan (Our Lady of Holy Rosary) and Opelousas (in a secular job).
As best SNAP can tell, Fr. Herpin and Fr. Dean are alive. Fr. Covas and Fr. Potier are deceased.
(Over the past six years, SNAP has discovered proven, admitted and ‘credibly accused’ child molesting clerics in scores of dioceses across the US. The group has publicly prodded – sometimes successfully - more than 20 bishops to expand and improve their lists, most notably in Illinois and Missouri.)
--3) SNAP is sharply criticizing Bishop Provost for a) waiting years to ‘out’ potentially dangerous perpetrator priests, and b) refusing to disclose their photos, whereabouts and work histories. The group is prodding him to provide a more thorough, detailed and helpful ‘credibly accused’ list.
“Kids are safest when child molesters are locked up,” said David Clohessy of SNAP. “When that can’t happen, their identities should at least be exposed so that families are warned about dangerous abusers.”
“If the Lake Charles bishop is hiding these four, who knows how many other proven, admitted and ‘credibly accused’ molesters are or were in his diocese who are still under the radar?”
BACKGROUND
Here’s the official Lake Charles diocese’s ‘credibly accused’ abusers list.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri (davidgclohessy@gmail.com, 314-566-9790), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386)