MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
The 50th local St. Louis area abusive priest is sued
Cleric has never been accused or sued before
The victim, Tom Viviano, speaks publicly for 1st time
Two other priests, man says, saw but didn’t stop the crimes
SNAP to others: “Even if perpetrator is dead, it’s important to speak up”
WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, a clergy sex abuse victim will speak for the first time publicly and disclose that
–his new child sex abuse and cover up case is being filed,
–it “outs” a never-before-accused local Catholic priest, and
–at least two other priests saw the abuse happened but did not stop it.
Leaders of SNAP will also
–note that this alleged priest is the 50th local predator priest to be publicly accused of child sex crimes,
— beg victims of predators – living or deceased – to NOT contact church or school officials, but instead to contact independent sources of help, like therapists, law enforcement and support groups, and
–urge St. Louis’ archbishop to post predator priests’ names on church websites, “for the safety of kids and the healing of victims.”
WHEN:
TODAY, Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Outside the Catholic Cathedral, 4431 Lindell (near Taylor) in the city’s CWE
WHO:
A Missouri man and St. Louis native, Tom Viviano, who is filing a lawsuit and speaking publicly for the first time about the abuse he suffered, along with three-four members of an international support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY:
1) With the filing of this new case, 50 priests who work/worked or live/lived in the St. Louis archdiocese are now proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesters, according to an independent website called BishopAccountability.org.
Tom Viviano’s new civil child sex abuse and cover up suit accuses a now-deceased priest, Fr. Charles M. DeGuire, with repeatedly molesting a boy in the in the 1960s at St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a now-closed parish on the Hill in south St. Louis City. The crimes started in 1967 when he was roughly ten and in the fifth grade. The crimes happened on church grounds, in church buildings and a boat with other boys and two other clerics – a Fr. Kearnan and Fr. Morris or Morrisey – present.
The suit says at one point “an individual walked in on Fr. DeGuire’s abuse, finding (the boy) on his knees in front of (the priest) at the parish.”
Fr. DeGuire also worked at our Lady of Lourdes parish in University City. He has passed away and is believed to have retired in the 1970s after living at Regina Cleri in Shrewsbury.
St. Louis lawyers Tom Buckley and Gerald Noce (480 4160) represents accused Catholic officials.
Kansas City attorney Rebecca Randles (816 510 2704, Rebecca @randlesmatal.com) represents Viviano and has represented dozens of abuse victims across Missouri and Kansas. Several months ago, she represented a young woman settled her abuse case for $181,000 and her unusual “breach of contract” case for $82,000. It involved sexual exploitation by former president of St. Louis University president Fr. Daniel O’Connell, who SNAP believes lives in the Central West End now.
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