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Victims of Abuse, Murder Remembered WBAY [Green Bay WI] January 7, 2007 http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=5903582 The turnout was small, but their purpose was anything but. Alice Hodek and three other parents stood outside Saint Francis Xavier Church Sunday morning to remember. They held posters with pictures of Daniel O'Connell and James Ellison. The Funeral Director and Intern were found dead at a Hudson funeral home in 2002. Officers called it murder, and Father Ryan Erickson of the Diocese of Superior committed suicide after being questioned about the crime. A judge later decided there was enough evidence to suggest Father Erickson murdered them both. In Green Bay, they also handed out flyers, hoping to raise awareness about priest sex abuse going on right now across the country. "As an adult and as a Catholic, I have a responsibility to watch this, monitor this, and try and avoid other children being in this position," Hodek said. Her own child was a victim of priest sex abuse. She's says her son waited until he was 28 before telling the truth. "When our son disclosed to us, I had never ever had a conscious thought about our son being a sexual abuse victim." Alice now volunteers with the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. She wants victims and their families to know it's okay to break the silence. "We are here to represent you," she said, "You are not alone." The state is alone, however, when it comes to priest sex abuse lawsuits. According to SNAP, Wisconsin is the only state where victims can not sue the priest who abused them. Alice says it not fair. "For victims who this really happened to there whole life to have to be an al ledged victim. That's a difficult process. So having civil court to find some kind of justice." |
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