BATON ROUGE (LA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
October 8, 2024
October 08, 2024
Abuse victims blast Baton Rouge bishop
He’s hiding at least three ‘credibly accused’ abusive priests
Other church officials say allegations against the men are ‘credible’
SNAP: “If church officials are hiding them, what else might they be hiding?”
Support group also alerts child victims to unusual new legal opportunity
New law means that anyone molested at any time by anyone can now sue
‘By coming forward, the wounded can protect the vulnerable,’ victims say
WHAT
Using sidewalk chalk, while holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims will write on a sidewalk the names of three publicly accused child molesting clerics who are NOT on the Baton Rouge Catholic bishop’s ‘credibly accused’ list and thus remain largely ‘under the radar.’
They will also urge
—Catholics and others to “spread the word” about an unusual new Louisiana law that will make kids safer by enabling victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue those who committed or concealed the crimes – no matter how long ago they were violated, and
—those with information or suspicions about ANY other known or possible perpetrators to a) call police, not church staff, and b) contact SNAP.
WHEN
Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 2 PM
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside St. Joseph Cathedral, 401 Main Street (corner of 4th) in Baton Rouge
WHO
Two child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Missouri man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director
WHY
1) In June the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld a ground-breaking new state child safety law. It enables those who were sexually violated as kids to use the civil court system to expose and punish adults who committed and institutions that concealed the crimes-even if the offenses happened decades ago.
When similar laws were enacted elsewhere, hundreds of victims ‘outed’ hundreds of abusers, mostly in churches, schools, camps and summer camps.
SNAP wants Catholics to join with them in spreading awareness of the measure, ‘so that the truth will be known about every bishop, priest, nun, brother, seminarian, or layperson who hurt kids.’
2) In 2019, like many US Catholic officials, Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca posted on his website a list of 37 ‘credibly accused’ abusive clerics.
But he omitted from his list at least three publicly accused abusers even though a) they are/were in the Baton Rouge diocese, b) have either been deemed ‘credibly accused’ by church officials elsewhere &/or c) have been arrested &/or sued. They are:
Fr. Anthony A. Keil (sometimes spelled Kiel or Kyles), who is on church ‘credibly accused’ abusers’ lists in two Catholic jurisdictions (the Galveston-Houston archdiocese and the Mobile archdiocese, both in 2018).
He also worked at unspecified locations in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Tampa FL.
Fr. Kevin F. Tripp, who is on the list of ‘credibly accused’ abusers in the Fall River MA diocese. His name also appeared on a list released by the Fall River District Attorney in 2002 of 21 priests publicly accused of abuse and who the district attorney said he would charge if not for the statute of limitations.
Fr. Tripp worked at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. In 2020, he was defrocked.
Fr. Tripp was also in at least three California cities: San Francisco, San Rafael and Santa Rosa.
At least one other publicly accused abuser was in Baton Rouge. He is NOT, however, on any official church list as ‘credibly accused’ though SNAP believes he should be.
Fr. Henry B. Groover worked in two Baton Rouge area towns, Tickfaw and Hammond. He was arrested in 2003 for exposing himself to a police officer and accused in a 2017 lawsuit of drugging and raping a young boy in Georgia. Fr. Groover died by suicide in 2017, days after he was served the lawsuit. He was also included in a 2023 Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council Report on clergy sex crimes and cover ups.
Fr. Groover also worked in Florida.
“Locking up perpetrator priests keeps kids safest,” said David Clohessy of SNAP. “But when that can’t happen, the second safest step is for church officials to promptly, publicly and fully disclose the identities of known and likely abusers.”
“The obvious and troubling question is: If Baton Rouge church officials are hiding the names of these three accused men, how many others might they still be hiding?” he said.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri (davidgclohessy@gmail.com, 314-566-9790), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)