PITTSBURGH (PA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by David Clohessy on April 17, 2013
A support group is blasting Pittsburgh’s Catholic bishop over a short announcement to one parish about a credibly accused child-molesting cleric.
In a letter to Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPNetwork.org), charge that Zubik minimizes the impact of abuse by Fr. John Wellinger and that he may even be hindering police investigations into sex abuse and cover-up in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The letter raises four major concerns:
— Zubik does not urge victims to call police,
— Many parishes where Wellinger worked have NOT been warned,
— Parishes where 33 other accused clerics have worked have not been told about potential child sex crimes, and
— Zubik does not encourage witnesses and whistleblowers to report what they know to law enforcement.
“You [Bishop Zubik] may believe that since Wellinger is deceased, there is no need to contact the police,” the letter says. “But the cover-up of his crimes may still be a criminal offense. Victims, witnesses and whistleblowers may have important and valuable information that can still protect kids and put wrongdoers behind bars.”
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