Diocese asked to provide therapy as part of sex abuse settlement

By Maria Miller
WJAC
October 22, 2014

http://www.wjactv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/diocese-asked-provide-therapy-part-sex-abuse-settlement-4048.shtml

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. -- It's only been a day since the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown announced an $8 million settlement with 88 alleged victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Brother Stephen Baker and already 6 News has learned at least one more alleged victim has come forward.

It was announced Wednesday by Road to Recovery, an organization that helps victims of sexual abuse. The group was in Hollidaysburg with a parent of an alleged victim asking the diocese to do more.

"Your mind is spinning, you can't believe it happened. You don't want to tell anyone about this, you don't even want it to be a reality for yourself," said Barbara Aponte. "I know this because as a child I was a victim of sexual abuse, not by a clergyman but by a family member."

Aponte not only knows what it's like to be a victim, she knows what it's like to lose a child because of the stigmas attached to sexual abuse. Her son, Luke Bradesku, took his own life at 29, but it took nearly 11 years until his family found out why. They say he was a victim of Baker.

"Had my son gotten help, he might still be here," Aponte said.

Allegations against Baker first surfaced from nearly a dozen young boys taught or trained by Baker in the '80s at a school in Ohio; the same school Bradesku attended.

Then, just last year, students from Bishop McCort in the early '90s came forward with the same stories. And within a month, as investigations got underway, Baker took his own life.

Fast forward more than a year: at least 88 alleged victims have come forward leading the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown to reach an $8 million settlement.

"We're here to say to them, 'Thank you for your courage, we continue to support you and that we implore you not to make sure that you don't stop with this monetary settlement,'" said Dr. Robert Hoatson, co-founder of Road to Recovery.

"The victims that are still alive, they can't turn back time, but they have a future and they can have a future with joy in it again," Aponte said.

Road to Recovery is asking the diocese to incorporate therapy and treatment for the alleged victims named in Tuesday's settlement.

"Steve is buried not far from here. Last week, I forgave Brother Steve," Aponte said.

Aponte said she personally knew Baker not only through her son, but because she worked with him at the same Ohio school her son attended and the allegations against Baker first surfaced.

I'm having a harder time with the people that allowed him to continue on that path," Aponte said. "Brother Baker plunged a knife into his heart. He was a tortured man."

While she's pleased the Catholic Diocese has reached a monetary settlement with 88 of Baker's alleged victims, she said it should have never happened.

"If someone would have treated the victims as victims and would've treated Brother Steve the first time they found and forced him to get help, it might have stopped," she said.

Aponte has been working with Road to Recovery since the allegations surfaced to hold the church, schools and supervisors accountable for Baker's alleged actions.

On Wednesday the group stood outside the diocese praising the 88 alleged victims who came forward and thanking the diocese for reaching a settlement, but also asking for more.

"I'm asking Bishop Bartchak to make the resources of the diocese available to those victims to help them get into therapy, to remain in therapy and get all the counseling they need to recover from this horrific event," Hoatson said.