PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, Sept. 8, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
An Altoona area Catholic priest is accused of sexual misdeeds. His bishop should take his passport so he can’t flee overseas. And he should aggressively seek out anyone else who may have seen, suspected or suffered harm because of the priest’s misconduct.
We hope anyone with knowledge or suspicions about Fr. Chinemere Onyeocha’s wrongdoing will come forward promptly and contact independent sources of help: law enforcement, therapists or support groups like ours.
Fr. Onyeocha is the latest in a long and growing list of foreign-born Catholic priests who have been sent to the US and engaged in sexual crimes or misdeeds.
Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported that a court in India has ordered Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul back to the US to face child sex charges. Just last month, Fr. Carlos Urrutigoity was on the job in Paraguay despite allegations that he abused in the Scranton area.
And several years ago, the Dallas Morning News did a lengthy investigative report called “Hiding in Plain Sight” about proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics who had been sent abroad to evade prosecution.
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