Advocate for Priest Abuse Victims Says Diocese Should Make Public Names of Workers Who Harmed Children, by Sam Hemingway, Burlington Free Press, August 9, 2007

Advocate for Priest Abuse Victims Says Diocese Should Make Public Names of Workers Who Harmed Children

By Sam Hemingway
Burlington Free Press
August 9, 2007

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/NEWS02/708090328/1007

The national director for a self-help group that monitors clergy sex abuse called on the state's Roman Catholic diocese and Bishop Salvatore Matano on Wednesday to make public the names of all church workers who have molested children.

"This is the cheapest and quickest way for the bishop to protect kids from threats from predators in the here and now," David Clohessy said. "Suspending a proven, admitted or credibly accused priest is obviously not enough. That alone does not magically cure predators."

David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, sheds a tear as he listens to abuse victims speak out Wednesday at a news conference outside the statewide Roman Catholic diocese in Burlington.
Photo by Alison Redlich

Clohessy heads SNAP, or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. He spoke at a news conference on the sidewalk in front of the diocesan headquarters on North Avenue in Burlington, accompanied by three alleged victims of priest abuse and a former Jesuit priest, Bill Cleary of Burlington.

Matano, in Nashville, Tenn., to attend the national Knights of Columbus convention, was unavailable for comment. But, in a news statement passed out to reporters by the diocese's spokeswoman, he took issue with Clohessy's criticisms.

"It is not a simple task to list persons as guilty of the alleged misconduct whose cases are still under review by the Office of the Attorney General, or before the court ... or where there has been no admission of guilt or corroborated and substantiated evidence," Matano's statement said in part.

Since 2002, the diocese has been the target of 29 lawsuits filed by alleged victims of priest sexual abuse in Vermont. Four have been settled and the remaining 25 are pending in Chittenden Superior Court.

Matano, who was appointed bishop in 2005, also said in his statement he deeply regretted instances of clergy sexual abuse and that the church is making "every effort" to protect children from any recurrence of such misconduct.

Clohessy said 15 other dioceses have publicly disclosed the names of known or credibly accused priests, including dioceses in Portland, Maine, and Baltimore, Md. A check of the Web sites for the two dioceses showed no such list; Clohessy said it was possible the list of predator priests was not made a permanent part of such Web sites.

Clohessy also used the news conference to urge victims of past priest sexual abuse who have not spoken about what happened to them to contact his group or the police. He said Tuesday night he hosted a group of 11 alleged victims of priest abuse, some of whom had never talked openly about their abuse before.

"We've learned over the years that people respond to and cope with abuse in a variety of ways," Clohessy said. "But the one way that never works is sitting on the pain, hoping and wishing it will magically go away."

Michael Gay of South Burlington, who settled his case with the diocese in 2006 for $965,000, attended the Tuesday meeting and said coming forward had been "the best medicine for me."

"My words to all the other victims are 'Stand proud and talk loud,'" Gay said.

Contact Sam Hemingway at 660-1850 or shemingway@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com