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Sandusky victim's lawyer finds Altoona-Johnstown Diocese sex-abuse cases, 'horrific,' yet not surprising
By Steve Marroni
[with pdf] It's difficult for a victim to come forward. And while it might be the toughest thing in the world for someone to do, reporting the sexual abuse of clergy to the authorities can help prevent other young people from being victimized. That's part of the message state Attorney General Kathleen Kane relayed from a grand jury investigation into hundreds of cases of children being sexually abused and raped by more than 50 Roman Catholic priests and religious leaders in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown over 40 years. And that's also what an attorney who represented a Jerry Sandusky victim, as well as other children in other clergy sexual abuse cases, had to say following Kane's announcement on Tuesday in Blair County. "The advice I would have is to come forward to help prevent this despicable behavior from victimizing other people who are younger or more vulnerable," said attorney Michael Boni. And David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, is hoping this will encourage anyone who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes to come forward, as well. But from working with many victims over the years, both know this is no easy task. Boni is the attorney who represented Sandusky Victim 1, Aaron Fisher, and also represented the victims in several cases involving the Roman Catholic church, including the case of Monsignor William J. Lynn from the Archdioceses of Philadelphia. The grand jury's report makes a series of recommendations, such as abolishing the statute of limitations for sexual offenses against minors and urging the state General Assembly to suspend the civil statute of limitations on sexual-abuse claims. That is something Boni said he has been pushing for many years, because it can take quite some time for victims to cope with what happened to them. "They either put it out of their minds or they can't face it or they have post-traumatic stress disorder," he said. "A lot of them turn to drugs and alcohol. They repressed what happened to them, and it can take many, many years to cope." The Altoona-Johnstown case involves a search warrant that uncovered a "secret archive" of files related to numerous priests accused of sexual misconduct, according to the grand jury. It's an archive the report states most dioceses have. Boni said he has seen the abuses detailed in these archives. "I find it horrific, and yet I am not surprised," he said. Clohessy echoed those sentiments. "It proves what we've long maintained," Clohessy said. "That, even now, under the guise of reform, bishops continue to deceive parishioners and the public about their ongoing efforts to hide abuse." He said the most significant part of the grand-jury report is a recommendation to open a civil window and abolish the statute of limitations for criminal charges to be brought about. "This is a no-brainer," Clohessy said. "For the safety of children, legislators should pass these long-overdue, common-sense reforms now." Contact: smarroni@pennlive.com
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