LAKE CHARLES (LA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
March 15, 2025
A man who was sexually abused as a child by the first Catholic priest to attract national media attention was beaten to death earlier this month. Our hearts ache for his family and loved ones in the wake of this tragic loss. We have only heard Scott Anthony Gastal’s public story, but those who knew Scott personally realize that he was more than the worst thing that happened to him, and we hope that they will share that side of Scott in the coming days.
SNAP Louisiana leader, Letitia Peyton, called Scott’s murder was “a sad end to a life that was riddled with early childhood trauma.” But Letitia also credited Scott with “preventing so many other children from suffering the horrific abuse that he suffered,” and hailed him as “a truly brave little boy.”
Scott was repeatedly violated by Fr. Gilbert Gauthe. The priest was convicted in 1985 of abusing as many as 39 young children between 1972 and 1983. He spent 10 years in prison for those crimes. In 1997 he was convicted of abusing a 3 year old boy in Texas, where he now lives, and was sentenced to 7 months probation.
In 1986, at age 11, Scott courageously testified in open court that the priest had abused him so badly that he had to be hospitalized. Scott’s family ultimately won $1 million from the Diocese of Lafayette.
Sadly, the award did not end Scott’s suffering, which can be directly blamed on the Catholic officials who ignored, concealed, and enabled Fr. Gauthe’s horrific crimes.
In 2002, when the same pattern was exposed by the Globe’s Spotlight team of investigators in the Archdiocese of Boston, Scott told a journalist that his experience still haunted him. Asked if he thought he would ever get out from under this cloud, he answered, “Probably not.”
According to a public radio report from 2014, Scott said that he was unable to work because he suffered from extreme PTSD and insomnia. Scott also said that he never met with Bishop Harry Flynn or anyone else from the Church, and no one apologized to him or his family. He was surprised to learn that the Bishop claimed he met with all the victims and healed the Diocese.
If the public learns nothing else from the tragedy of Scott’s untimely death, we hope it is that the wounds of clergy abuse survivors are deep and long-standing, even in those rare instances where the perpetrator is criminally convicted. At the same time, there should be a recognition that victims are more than just their scars.
Abuse happens in isolation, healing occurs in community. We hope that those still suffering alone and in silence know that there people, and groups like SNAP, that can help them feel better than they do now.
Scott’s courage undoubtedly helped prevent other boys from being similarly devastated. He and his family deserve gratitude from all of us for this.
We call on Catholic officials – both in Louisiana and in Texas – to beg victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers to contact law enforcement first about criminal behavior. In doing so, they may ensure that dangerous men, like Fr. Gauthe and others, are charged, convicted, and kept away from today’s children.
We do not need any more victims, even those who might become heroes like Scott.
CONTACT: Letitia Peyton, Louisiana SNAP (letitiapeyton@gmail.com, 337-308-9120), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386)