Clergy abuse victims call on Ohio attorney general for action

By Sheila Vilvens
Cincinnati Enquirer
October 8, 2018

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2018/10/08/snap-cincinnati-clergy-abuse-victims-call-action/1563938002/

Expect to see protests across Ohio Monday as abuse victims push for a probe into the Catholic Church.

A group called SNAP, short for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. Monday in front of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office, 411 Vine St., and 1600 Carew Tower, in Cincinnati.

SNAP is calling on DeWine to follow the lead of other states that have recently investigated clergy sex crimes and cover-ups.

Last week, Michigan's attorney general seized abuse records in each of that state's seven dioceses.

Four of Ohio's six dioceses (Cleveland, Columbus, Youngstown and Steubenville) say they will release names of proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics, according to SNAP. The other two dioceses say they already publish this information.

SNAP, in a release, said it feels this should have been done years ago and that bishops should also disclose where these "potentially dangerous men" are now.

About 50 of nearly 200 US bishops have posted names of alleged predator priests, some starting as long as 16 years ago, according to SNAP. 

The group says it wants Ohio bishops to update the lists immediately when new abuse reports are made and include names of deceased accused predators, all types of accused church employees and religious order clerics.

At least 143 Ohio Catholic priests have been accused of molesting children, but much remains hidden about these crimes and cover-ups, according to the SNAP release. The group places the blame for lack of transparency with the attorney general and local prosecutors.