Advocacy Group Blasts Catholic Board for Keeping Quiet about Sexual Assault Allegations

By Roger Belgrave
Mississauga News
April 17, 2015

http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/5563286-advocacy-group-blasts-catholic-board-for-keeping-quiet-about-sexual-assault-allegations/

Father James Roth

A U.S.-based advocacy group for survivors of abuse has blasted Peel’s Catholic school board for its limited disclosure or outright silence when staff members are facing allegations of criminal wrongdoing, such as child sexual abuse.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is calling on Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins to discipline top administrators at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board for the ongoing practice.

This condemnation and demand for public admonishment from south of the border comes after it was learned local school board officials kept quiet about the sexual abuse allegations recently lodged against a priest who had worked in administrative offices and schools since 2008.

Accusations against Father James Roth surfaced last January when the victim reported the allegations.

Roth, who worked as a priest-in-residence with the board, was a member of the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales order based in Ohio. He was on assignment with the Archdiocese of Toronto and worked with the local school board as well as parishes in Mississauga.

The 61-year-old was removed from ministry after the allegations were reported to the Oblates and he was recalled to the U.S.

He died Feb. 11 at an Ohio hospice. The cause of death was an insulin overdose.

He reportedly committed suicide after confessing to the allegations, the religious order believes.

The school board made no public mention of the allegations until posting a statement on its website April 10, a day after a similar message was released by the Archdiocese of Toronto.

“We would not normally communicate to our staff or to our community when an individual or a staff member is charged (or under investigation),” said Board Spokesperson Bruce Campbell, who explained the board made an exception in this case after public statements by the religious order and archdiocese.

That institutional silence on a matters that would raise serious child safety concerns in the community has drawn the ire of SNAP, which wants Cardinal Collins to issue a statement that supports immediate communication to parents, parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public when there are suspected or known sex crimes against children in Catholic facilities.

“Every hour serious accusations of clergy sexual misconduct are kept quiet, other innocent children and vulnerable adults are left in harm’s way,” SNAP Director David Clohessy said in written statement issued via email.

He characterized the board’s reasoning for withholding details from the public as excuses and called board officials irresponsible.

“We’re satisfied that the communication that we took is sufficient and there’s nothing to indicate that Father Roth was a threat to students during his time here,” said Campbell, who noted Roth rarely had contact with students and when he did it was under staff supervision.