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	Abuse Survivors Fight Diocese By Terry Bibo Journal Star January 6, 2009 http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1299642257/Abuse-survivors-fight-Diocese Victims say Bishop Daniel Jenky hasn't held up to promise to provide therapy PEORIA — Sexual abuse survivors charge Bishop Daniel Jenky has reneged on a promise to provide counseling, leaving them with more than $500,000 in unpaid bills. "He is lying to the public and abusing these victims a second time," said Jeffery Jones, Peoria director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, at a Monday press conference in front of the Diocese of Peoria's new Chancery Office. The 55-year-old Rockford man and his brother, Joe Jones, 58, both say they were abused by the Rev. Walter A. Breuning during several years in the 1960s. "This isn't a little playing around here," Jeff Jones said. "This is terrible, terrible stuff." Jeff Jones offered his own detailed account, saying Breuning had assaulted him, and later tied and flogged him, taking pictures "that through me he could relate to what Jesus must have felt" while being scourged. "Needless to say, I was too scared to tell anyone for fear that I would either be laughed at or accused of lying," Jeff Jones wrote in the account, sent to the diocese in 2002. "I held this and many more secrets inside for the next 36 years." Both Jones brothers' counseling bills are being paid. (Jeff Jones also has asked the diocese to pay for some of his medications.) But they want the same treatment provided for other sexual abuse survivors. Jeff Jones said there are 16 victims to date, and the bishop repeatedly promised to pay for their counseling. "I remain faithful to my promise that all victims of abuse will be offered counseling for as long as it is needed," the bishop wrote in a Nov. 9, 2006, letter to the priests of the diocese, which SNAP provided. "As previously stated, I firmly believe that the only way for true healing to occur is for all victims to participate in professional counseling. The choice remains with the victims as to which counselor and/or support group they prefer to pursue." Jeff Jones said the abuse survivors repeatedly have tried to resolve the matter before going public with this complaint. Some victims have opted to hold off on treatment until they get assurances of payment. One woman has accrued $402,000 in bills by herself. "I'm here representing her as much as anything else," he said. "For some reason, God gave me the ability to stand up here and talk about this. The others cannot do this." John Ryan is local founder of Voice of the Faithful, a national lay group formed several years ago in response to the sexual abuse crisis. He offered a Dec. 8 letter in which the group urged Jenky to respond to the victims' request. He said the bishop has not responded to his group, to the victims' attorney or to the victims themselves. "I can only say that these are individuals whose lives have been shattered, their faith destroyed (with one or two exceptions), and their trust in church leadership betrayed," he said in the letter. The diocese issued this response: "The Catholic Diocese of Peoria and Bishop Daniel R. Jenky remain committed to paying counseling fees for credible allegations of a minor and still pay these fees. In other instances, upon the unanimous advice of the lay review commission, the Diocese has found that some allegations are utterly unsupported by the facts." Terry Bibo can be reached at 686-3189 or tbibo@pjstar.com.
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