New Pedophile Priest Lawsuit Filed

SNAP
September 16, 2014

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTracker/CA--New%20pedophile%20priest%20lawsuit%20filed

New pedophile priest lawsuit filed

Serial predator's whereabouts are unknown

He fled to Mexico after multiple accusations here

Victims: “Pope must stop child molesting clerics from moving”

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will prod Sacramento's Catholic bishop to do more about a predator priest who fled to Mexico and is being sued again for child sex crimes.

Victims and their supporters will beg the bishop - and Pope Francis - to;

--warn Catholic officials in Mexico about the priest,

--do all they can to put him in a remote, secure, independent treatment center, and

--aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by the priest.

And the victims will urge Pope Francis take firm action to prevent predator priests from moving to other nations when abuse reports against them surface.

WHEN

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 11:30 a.m.

WHERE

Outside the Sacramento Catholic diocese headquarters (“chancery office”), 2110 Broadway in Sacramento

WHO

Three-four men and women who are abuse victims and members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), the nation's largest and oldest support group for men and women abused in religious and institutional settings.

WHY

Two Sacramento area men who are now in their 30s are filing a civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit against the local Catholic bishop and an accused fugitive pedophile priest who suddenly sold many of his belongings at a yard sale, then drove to Mexico, claiming that a relative had a serious illness.

Starting in 2002, As many as 14 youngsters have accused Fr. Francisco Javier Garcia of child sex crimes. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 1995, but Garcia fled to Mexico avoiding the charges. Prior to the warrant being issued, a victim came forward and reported their abuse to law enforcement.

According to the lawsuit filed by Garcia’s victims, Garcia was known to have abused other children prior to being moved to other churches.

Garcia was highlighted in an award-winning 2004 Dallas Morning News investigative series called “Hiding in plain sight.” It was about child molesting clerics who went or were sent abroad after accusations against them were made.

[BishopAccountability.org]

SNAP wants Pope Francis to take firm action to prevent child molesting clerics from moving.

“It is extremely irresponsible and dangerous for Catholic officials to let predators flee abroad and suffer no consequences and molest again,” said Tim Lennon of SNAP.

“Church officials hire, train, ordain, transfer, and pay these predator clergy. So the least they can do is ensure they don’t harm any more children,” said Barbara Dorris, outreach director of SNAP. “An easy way to do that is to put them in secure, remote treatment centers.”

According to a Boston-based research and archive group, BishopAccountability.org, there are 20 publicly accused child molesting clerics in the Sacramento diocese. SNAP suspects the real total of proven, admitted and credibly accused predator priests, nuns, brothers, seminarians and parochial teachers is much higher.