SHREWSBURY (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Victims to hold vigil outside archbishop’s deposition today
Carlson faces rare questioning this morning in child sex case
He’s accused of evidence tampering with Fr. Jiang’s $20,000 check
SNAP urges him to hold public meeting about “troubling situation”
What:
Holding signs and childhood photos on a sidewalk, a clergy sex abuse victim and two supporters will hold a 30 minute vigil outside the deposition of two top local Catholic officials in an unusual criminal clergy sex abuse case.
They will also
–blast the archbishop’s silence about the serious allegations that he tried to tamper with evidence,
–prod the archbishop to hold an open public meeting about the case, and
–urge him to aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes or cover ups by clergy.
When:
TODAY, Thursday, Sep. 19 at 9:45 a.m.
Where:
Outside the St. Louis archdiocesan compound on Laclede Station Road (near corner of Elizabeth) in Shewsbury
Who:
Three members of a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), including a St. Louis man who is the group’s long time director
Why:
Today, two top archdiocesan officials – Archbishop Robert Carlson and Deacon Phil Hengen, will be deposed by Lincoln County prosecutors about their possible role in covering up child sex crimes by Fr. Joseph Jiang.
SNAP is urging the two to tell the truth, not invoke the Fifth Amendment, and discuss their involvement in the case later in a public meeting at which parishioners can question them.
A civil lawsuit has also been filed against Carlson regarding Jiang. In response to that suit, Carlson has an eight-page legal reply in which he calls “baseless” the charge that he tried to tamper with evidence. (On five other charges, however, Carlson basically argues that he can’t be held responsible even if the allegations in the case are true. Carlson’s lawyers want the entire case against him tossed out.)
The suit charges that Carlson “knew (Fr. Xiu Hui “Joseph” Jiang) was dangerous to children before (a girl) was abused,” last summer, asked the alleged victim’s parents for a $20,000 check the priest had given them, committing “the criminal offense of attempted tampering with evidence,” because he reportedly suggested that the girl’s parents “return to him the check.” (The parents, however, had given it to police.)
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