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	Victims Want Church to Stop Hiding Sex Crimes By Marianne Lyles WFIE September 3, 2007 http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=7017742&nav=3w6o Sex abuse victims call on the Evansville Archdiocese to stop hiding church sex crimes. Sunday, victims stood outside St. Benedict Cathedral handing out leaflets urging Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger to be more forthcoming about abusive priests. This comes just weeks after the diocese announced Monsignor Othmar Schroeder abused several boys during his nearly 30 years at a Jasper church. David Clohessy was abused for four years by a Missouri priest. He recovered from the abuse by directing the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, otherwise known as SNAP. Clohessy helps other victims heal by encouraging them to come forward about the abuse. Handing out leaflets at St. Benedict Cathedral, Clohessy is focusing on the Evansville Archdiocese, and the recent announcement of abuse by the deceased Monsignor Othmar Schroeder, who spent nearly 30 years at Holy Family Church in Jasper. Clohessy says, "Bishop Gettelfinger has told the media beginning in 2002 that other priests have been accused of abuse who's names he's not disclosing. And we think the Catholics in Evansville and the public at large deserve to know who these dangerous men are." Father Gary Hayes from St. Alphonsus in St. Joseph, Kentucky,says he has one question, "The question for me is why did it take eleven years for all of this to come out?" Father Gary says being open is the only way to heal. He knows first hand, he was also abused by priests. But the abuse goes beyond the Catholic Church, as a Jehovah's Witness sexual abuse group, Silent Lambs, joins the gathering. William Bowen from the Silent Lambs, says the problem is huge in his community also, "We have seen cases as many as 60 Jehovah's Witness children have been molested because none of the them were considered credible witnesses to the person that was actually molesting them." Most parishioners had nothing to say, but what they did say is that they hope outsiders don't let Monsignor Schroeder's abuse taint their church. Parishioner, Mark Browning, has been patient, he says he understands Bishop Gettelfinger has a lot on his plate, "If all of us were wearing his moccasins that's not an easy position to be in. He wants to be fair to everybody and to be fair you need a lot of information." 14 News left a message for Bishop Gettelfinger at the archdiocese for a comment, but those calls were not returned.
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