Victims of Sexual Abuse by Priest Speak out, Cami Mountain, MyFox Wausau, September 1, 2009

Victims of Sexual Abuse by Priest Speak out

By Cami Mountain
MyFox Wausau
September 1, 2009

http://www.myfoxwausau.com/dpp/news/wausau/Victims_of_sexual_abuse_by_priests_speak_out2037

Stevens Point - MyFox Wausau - Bob Schwiderski is the Minnesota director of the group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

He says from 1966 to 1970 a sex offending church brother worked at a catholic school in Stevens Point and abused several students.

We did not find any information to confirm the allegations, so we are not identifying the man. This is an issued that's been out there for some time and victims are speaking out.

Daniel Kortenkamp was thirteen years old when he says he was sexually abused by a prient in Iowa. Now living in Stevens Point, it took him nearly a lifetime to finally tell someone what happened.

He says, "It was fifty years before I told anyone about my abuse. I'm still looking for justice."

Kortenkamp has filed a lawsuit against the ArchDiocese of Dubuque and is still waiting on an outcome. This is the first time he's spoken publicly about the abuse.

Same goes for Brenda Varga. She says she was abused by a priest when she nine. She finally told her family thirty years later. She says she's speaking out so others will too.

Varga says, "Once you break the silence of your abuse, you being that healing process. I believe because I've broken my silence it makes me a strong, better person. I don't have all that anger bottled up inside about what happened."

Both Varga and Kortenkamp are on the same mission as Bob Schwiderski of SNAP, a sexual abuse group aimed at stopping clergy members from abusing ever again. He says if one person steps forward others will follow.

He says, "We are trying to bring social awareness and knowledge of the crime of sexual abuse so that maybe the future, maybe we can do almost an irradication of sexual abuse of children."

If you were abused by a member of the clergy you're encouraged to call SNAP at 1(877)SNAP-heals.

The President of Stevens Point Catholic Schools says he's never heard of any claims against a former teacher, but if someone was abused, he asks them to step forward. Church leaders are also discounting these claims of abuse.