ALASKA
News-Miner
By MARY BETH SMETZER
Staff Writer
Casting off another layer of secrecy was a freeing moment for Elsie Boudreau, a 37-year-old Yupik woman who claims she was sexually abused as a child by the Rev. Jim Poole, founder of radio station KNOM in Nome.
"Not using my name just continued the secrecy of abuse," said Boudreau, who was known as Jane Doe 1.
"I can free myself from the guilt and shame, and for me that is the main purpose and greatest reason I decided to use my name at this point."
Discarding the alias, Boudreau said, makes her a real person and she said she hopes that will encourage other sexual abuse victims to speak out. But while the settlement with the diocese over Boudreau's claims and the name change have had a positive effect on her life, she said she still feels the aftereffects of the abuse she suffered from Poole, now 82, retired and living at Jesuit retirement community in Spokane, Wash.
"I am getting to the point where I can say I have nothing to hide," she said, adding, "But even today I have to fight feelings of guilt. They just creep up."
Posted by kshaw at March 14, 2005 06:46 AM