Victims react to new IL AG abuse report
At least 9 Spgfld predators’ names missing, they say
Local bishop is blasted for ‘his continued recklessness’
SNAP pushes for disclosures of parish assignments too
Group wants new laws to pursue supervisors who 'enable'
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will prod Springfield’s bishop, for the safety of kids and the healing of victims, to
provide full assignment records for all predator priests who are or were in the diocese, and
post the names of at least nine alleged child molesting clerics who are missing from the Springfield diocese’s predator list and thus remain largely 'under the radar,' even though (they’ve been deemed ‘credibly accused’ of abuse by other Catholic officials and are mentioned by name in the new statewide abuse report released yesterday).
The group will also urge Illinois legislators to pass laws to help prosecutors pursue those who ignore and conceal abuse, not just those who perpetrate it.
WHEN
Wednesday, May 24 at 1:15 p.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 524 E. Lawrence in Springfield IL
WHO
Two abuse survivors who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a St. Louis man who for 30+ years was the group’s national director
WHY
Yesterday, after a five-year statewide investigation, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a 700 page report into clergy sex crimes and cover ups in all six of Illinois’ Catholic dioceses (Belleville, Springfield, Peoria, Joliet, Rockford and Chicago).
Raoul disclosed the names of more than 250 religious order clerics and brothers as substantiated child sex abusers who are, right now, still being hidden by Illinois Catholic officials, including nine who are or were in the Springfield diocese. The AG urged Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki to add these men to the diocesan website: John Beatty, John J. “Jack” Campbell, Victor Lucien Chateauvert, Kevin J. Downey, Joseph C. Gill, Thomas McShane, Thomas Gregory Meyer, Orville Lawrence Munie and Francis X. Nawn (p. 680).
The nine have been deemed ‘credibly accused’ abusers - and are listed as such - on at least 25 church church websites across the US and elsewhere in Illinois.
Paprocki is the only one of Illinois bishops who refuses to reveal the parishes and other sites where child molesting clerics have worked. SNAP is again urging him, as Raoul does in his report, to honor his repeated pledges of ‘openness’ and disclose this information.
Over the past five years, SNAP publicly has repeatedly prodded Paprocki to add names he omits from his ‘credibly accused’ list, including Fr. Noel Shaughnessy, Fr. Thomas Gardner, Fr. Thomas S. McShane, Fr. Thomas G. Meyer, Fr. Scott Kallal, Fr. Francis Benham and Fr. Henry Willenborg. (The latter three do NOT appear in Raoul’s report.)
Paprocki has consistently ignored SNAP’s requests. In 2010, he “blamed the devil for (abuse) lawsuits facing the church.”
CONTACT
David Clohessy of SNAP
Mike McDonnell of SNAP