Group Slams Rockville Centre Diocese for Not Removing Priest Who Was Sued for Alleged Abuse

CBS New York
May 6, 2016

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/06/l-i-priest-abuse-allegations/

[with video]

Lawyers John Michael Reck (left) and Jeff Anderson (right) holds photo of Father Gregory Yachyshyn, accused of sexual abuse, with accuser at news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015. (Credit: Mona Rivera/1010 WINS)

The Diocese of Rockville Centre was under fire Friday for not removing a priest who is the subject of sexual abuse lawsuits.

As WCBS 880’s Sophia Hall reported, there are two lawsuits accusing the Rev. Gregory Yacyshyn of sexually abusing a girl and a boy decades ago.

Both accusers are now adults. The woman who filed suit claimed that Yacyshyn molested her as a young parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Greenlawn.

“As a child, I was sexually abused by Father Greg. With counseling and support of my family, I now know I did nothing wrong,” the woman’s attorney John Michael Reck said when the suit was filed in January 2015, reading from his client’s statement.

The lawsuit claimed the diocese “failed to protect children, ignored credible complaints of sexual abuse and failed to act on obvious warning signs of sexual abuse.”

Yacyshyn is currently assigned to a church in Mastic Beach. But David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Yacyshyn should be removed from a treatment center and should not be near any more children.

“Regardless of what Bishop Murphy does or doesn’t do, we in fact are begging anyone with any information or suspicion of this twice accused predator to come forward to law enforcement,” Clohessy said.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre said it has yet to receive a credible allegation in either matter against Yachysyn, and whenever there is a credible investigation, the diocese removes the priest pending an investigation.

Contact: mtroutman@record-eagle.com