NEW JERSEY
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Aug 12
Statement by Mark Crawford New Jersey Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 732-632-7687, mecrawf@comcast.net )
There are two parts of this settlement. One is the money. The other is the papers.
It’s easy and tempting to focus on the money. But that’s missing the point. The real significance here is in the deposition and the documents.
When New Jersey citizens and Catholics read Myers’ 200 page newly-disclosed deposition – and this predator’s newly-disclosed personnel file – they may know more about Myers’ misdeeds in one Illinois case almost 20 years ago in Illinois than they do about any of Myers’ misdeeds in numerous New Jersey cases over the past 12 years.
Why? Because of New Jersey’s archaic, predator friendly laws which prevent most New Jersey child sex abuse victims from being able to use the civil courts to expose and deter crimes and cover ups.
New Jersey’s outdated statutes have done an enormous service to corrupt men like Myers and an enormous disservice to wounded victims like me.
In Illinois, brave Andrew Ward could file an abuse case and take that case to court. And that possibility – top members of the Catholic hierarchy on trial, day after day, being grilled about their evil deeds – that possibility is what scared Peoria’s bishop into resolving this case and turning over these records.
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