DENVER (CO)
Rocky Mountain News
By Felix Doligosa Jr., Rocky Mountain News
September 29, 2005
Alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests went to the Denver District Attorney's office Wednesday and sought a grand jury investigation into the Archdiocese of Denver.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and Robert Kinney Jr., who sued the church Wednesday over sexual abuse charges, held a rally at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building.
"Everything is backwards," said Barbara Blaine, president of SNAP. "Everyone went to the bishop to report sexual abuse, and not the police. The crimes should be investigated by law enforcement."
Ten civil lawsuits claiming sexual abuse have been filed against the Archdiocese of Denver involving the Rev. Harold Robert White. Lawsuits also have been been filed over molestation allegations against the Rev. Leonard A. Abercrombie and Brother William Mueller.
In the district attorney's office, Blaine dropped off two heavy black notebooks containing the Philadelphia grand jury report on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The 423-page report of the Philadelphia church was released last week and listed 63 cases of child sexual abuse by priests. Blaine also provided a letter and the names of four more priests in Denver she said are suspected of sexual abuse.