NJ- Catholic bishop loses abuse ruling; SNAP responds

By Barbara Dorris
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Preists
March 26, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/nj_catholic_bishop_loses_abuse_ruling_snap_responds

A judge has ruled that a lawsuit against a predator priest and his church supervisors may move ahead.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20140326/NEWS01/303260023/Ruling-against-Camden-diocese-child-sex-abuse-suit-will-stand?nclick_check=

We applaud Lisa Syvertson Shanahan, a courageous child sex abuse victims, for continuing to seek justice and winning this important ruling that will help child sex abuse victims across all of New Jersey. 

Shame on Camden Bishop Dennis Sullivan for trying to hide behind a legal technicality and deny dozens or even hundreds of child sex abuse victims a chance to expose their predators by attacking the constitutionality of New Jersey's statute of limitations law. 

If the bishop thinks that he and his predecessors are innocent – and did not hide or enable the child sex crimes of Fr. Thomas M. Harkins, then let the bishop fight on the merits, not on the technicalities. 

Just once it would be so refreshing to see a Catholic official directly address allegations of hiding child sex crimes, and not duck and dodge, using every self-serving legal maneuver imaginable.

Harkins has recently worked at the Philadelphia airport and may still be there. So it's crucial that anyone else who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes step forward, get help, call police, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.