PENNSYLVANIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of SNAP ( 314-566-9790 cell, davidgclohessy@gmail.com ), Barbara Dorris ( 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )
Church officials in four states concealed allegations
SNAP: “How many other child molesting clerics are still hidden?”
Roughly $8 million will be paid to 88 victims of Br. Stephen P. Baker, a notorious child molesting Catholic cleric. We suspect these 88 are just a fraction of the total number of boys that Baker assaulted while his church supervisors quietly moved him from state to state (PA, MI, OH and MN) .
We applaud these brave and persistent men who were strong enough to step forward, get help, expose wrongdoers, endure delays and win some measure of justice. We hope this settlement will help in their healing and we hope they stay involved in therapy, 12-step programs, self help groups and other efforts to rebuild their lives.
We urge victims, and whistleblowers to contact secular authorities, not church officials. And we beg anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered clergy crimes – by this cleric or others – to come forward, call police, expose wrongdoing, protect kids and start healing.
Catholic figures claim the first accusations against Baker surfaced in 2009 in the Youngstown area. We believe, however, that other victims likely came forward long years earlier. No church officials however, made the allegations public.
Months ago, 11 men settled with the Youngstown diocese and Baker’s direct supervisors, the Franciscans. Again, no church officials made this public.
Then, on Jan. 16, an attorney for victims disclosed the settlements.
So it’s clear that Catholic officials continue to try to keep even credible child sex abuse reports against clerics secret. Shame on them.
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