MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release Thursday December 5, 2013
Statement by Megan Peterson, Twin Cities SNAP leader, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 218-689-9049 cell, survivor19@live.com )
Neinstedt must now force child molesting clerics into remote, secure treatment centers so they’ll be kept away from kids and give every shred of information about them and their crimes to police and prosecutors.
After 25 years of watching Catholic bishops act recklessly, deceitfully and callously in clergy sex cases – in the US and across the globe – we don’t stun easily.
But we are stunned that Archbishop Neinstedt claims “It is the practice of the archdiocese to report promptly to law enforcement all allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors. The recent cases of Fr. Jonathan Shelley and Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer- prove this is a lie.
It’s almost as stunning that he claims “Any clergy member facing a credible claim of sexual abuse of minors will be removed from ministry pending an investigation of the claim.” The recent case of Fr. Michael Keating proves this is a lie.
It’s shocking that Neinstedt makes these claims with a straight face.
It’s not shocking, however, that Neinstedt makes no mention of law enforcement or of cover up.
That’s because he wants victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to keep contacting church officials, not secular officials. And that’s because he wants the attention focused solely on the predator priests, not their corrupt church supervisors.
Neinstedt conveniently doesn’t mention that the abuse training he brags about doing is required by the church’s belated, grudging, weak and vague national abuse policy. Neinstedt implies this training is something he’s doing voluntarily. That’s just not true.
We should keep in mind that this disclosure of names is also not voluntary. It’s something forced on Neinstedt by legal and public pressure. If not for brave whistleblowers and journalistic investigations and determined victims, Neinstedt would still be hiding these predator priests’ names.
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