NEW YORK
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, October 02, 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 )
A New York monsignor was removed from ministry by the Diocese Syracuse in April after allegations of decades old child sexual abuse surfaced. The Vatican has now upheld his removal. We are disappointed by the Vatican and the diocese for moving slowly with this allegation.
Allegations of child sexual abuse were reported to the diocese in February of 2013. But Monsignor Charles Eckermann was not removed until April of 2014, which the Vatican confirmed today.
Why on earth do Catholic officials take more than a year to suspend an accused child molesting cleric? And why on earth does it take a more than a year – and consultation with church bureaucrats in Rome – to determine whether a child sex abuse report against a New York priest is ‘credible’?
We challenge Catholic officials to explain their delay. When officials more slowly and quietly in abuse cases, they break their promises to be ‘open and transparent’. And they endanger other children. Child abusers rarely abuse once. There is no telling how many more children might have needlessly been victimized.
The brave survivor Kevin Braney suffered abuse by two priests, Monsignor Eckermann and Fr. James Quinn.
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