Victim of Priest's Abuse: Christie Should Speak out on Damage Done to Children
By Louis C. Hochman
On New Street in Mendham Borough, in front of a church where dozens of children were once molested, lies a statue of a little girl. She's fractured. Shattered. And maybe there's a message in that image worth noting, said Bill Crane, who as a child suffered abuse by then-Rev. James Hanley of St. Joseph Church. "In my opinion, the statue should remain exactly as it is now, crumbled and destroyed, because that would be a more accurate representation of what really happened to the lives of children who were sexually abused," NJ.com user freexpres wrote in the comments section of a story published earlier this month. Authorities are still working to determine who vandalized St. Joseph Church's memorial to child sex abuse victims in early March — the second time in two years it had been attacked. Morris County Crimestoppers is offering $2,000 to anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest or indictment of the responsible person or people; anyone with any information can call CrimeStoppers at 973-Cop-Call or 1-800-Sheriff. Crane led the drive to create the monument in honor of James Kelly, a 37-year-old victim of Hanley's who committed suicide. He then led the effort to replace it, after a borough man allegedly took a sledgehammer to the monument in 2011. And now he's working to see it repaired again, though it may take longer than he expected. Crane has been hopeful for support from Gov. Chris Christie, whose home is in Mendham and who attends St. Joseph Church. He invited Christie to the last dedication, but got no response, he said. He'd like to see the governor issue a proclamation in support of Child Sex Abuse Awareness Month, and support stricter laws to punish offenders and protect children. NJ.com is awaiting a response to a message it send Christie's office Thursday, asking whether it might address Crane's requests. "It seems so simple that he could sign a proclamation for Child Sex Abuse Awareness month right in his own hometown, at his own church. This is a subject that's not going to go away," Crane said. He said it might be fitting to invite Democratic Sen. Barbara Buono, who is challenging Christie for re-election, to a memorial rededication. It would help put the emphasis on women, he said. As for the memorial itself, the process ahead for its repair and protection, and for scheduling a rededication, continues to develop. Although Crane said he knows donors willing to help rebuild the memorial, he'd like to see the man accused of the 2011 destruction pay restitution. Gordon Ellis, the defendant in that vandalism case, is pursuing a mental health defense. He's next expected to appear in court April 3. Crane said St. Joseph Church officials have installed a security flood light in the area of the memorial, and are planning to install security cameras. The church's pastor, the Rev. Msgr. Joseph Anginoli, has not returned calls from NJ.com seeking comment. "(The memorial) sends a very powerful message. And there's a lot more to come, a lot more to unfold from this," Crane said.
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