Child Abuse Advocates Take to Church Steps to Send a Message

By Andrew Davis
WSAV
April 23, 2015

http://www.wsav.com/story/28874088/child-abuse-advocates-take-to-church-steps-to-send-a-message

Barbara Dorris and Dr Rosemary McHugh are both child abuse victims now working for SNAP

SNAP handed out fliers to people coming out of St John the Baptist Church

SAVANNAH, GA -  Abuse allegations have become all too common in connection with the Catholic Church.

One of those priests already convicted once served in our area.

Now one advocate group wants Savannah's Bishop to step up and help his victims.

Wayland Brown was assigned to St James School back in 1987.
 
That's when he's accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 13 year old boy.

Brown has already served time in a Maryland prison, and settled two lawsuits for millions of dollars. Now a third, from Savannah, is pending.

One group took the fight for transparency, and for the victims, to the steps of the biggest church in Savannah.

On the posters Barbara Dorris and Dr Rosemary McHugh carry, the faces of abuse. Four children who were victims, two of whom are now adults and fighting for the next generation.

"While absolutely nothing can give me back my childhood I can do everything in my power to make sure some other little girl doesn't grow up that way," explained Barbara Dorris, SNAP Outreach Director.

Barbara Dorris and Dr Rosemary McHugh spent their afternoon handing out fliers on behalf of SNAP, the survivors network for those abused by priests.

The pamphlets offer information, the organization offers help for the victims.

"I was a very devoutly raised child.," explains Dorris. "He told me he was sent by God. I didn't tell, I didn't want my mother to know. Because I don't want her to know I was evil."

The man they say is evil is Wayland Brown, the former savannah priest, now a convicted sex offender.

The church has settled two lawsuits about Brown already, a third filed just last month in Savannah.

Mark Tate, the attorney for a 41 year old man who has now come forward, says in 1986 the diocese was made aware of questions being asked about brown in another city and was even contacted by a police officer.

"There were concerns about him, those concerns were known," said Mark Tate, the Plaintiff's Attorney. "They sent him to a rehab institution to try to fix these problems and they brought him back and him back at St. James Parrish where he abused my client and set about the things that put on course the ruination of this young man's life."

To keep anyone else's life from being ruined, the ladies took to the stairs of St John the Baptist Cathedral to ask Bishop Greg Hartmayer to post names of all known church molestors, to protect all children.

"We beg Bishop Hartmayer to list not only their names, but their photos," says Dorris. "Their work history and where are they now. Parents in this community need this information to protect their children."

"Instead of sitting behind your desk acting like a cold hearted CEO we beg you to act like the shepard, go looking for those who have been hurt, do everything in your power to reach out to anyone who's been hurt and protect the children now."

Bishop Hartmayer is traveling to parishes in the Diocese administering the sacrament of Confirmation this week, but in a response posted on the diocese of Savannah website last month, the diocese says It did "not" have prior knowledge about Brown and that  in 1987 when Brown was assigned to St. James School there were no allegations of sexual abuse against him.