The Worthy Adversary

Author: Joelle Casteix

LAPD launches probe into clergy files, victims respond

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Volunteer Western Regional Director

To put it simply: this is what victims have fought for all along.

The only way to stop the cycle of child sex abuse and cover-up is to punish child predators and anyone who covers up for them. Empty apologies by bishops and promises of prayers do nothing to keep children safe or help victims heal. Vigorous police investigations and criminal prosecutions do.

LA’s victims of child sexual abuse by clergy have fought for more than eight years to get these files publicly released. They did that for two reasons: to alert the public about past crimes and help law enforcement prosecute criminals who are within the statute of limitations. It is our hope that this investigation by the LAPD puts wrongdoers behind bars. It is also our hope that any police investigation exposes other predators still under the protection of the Archdiocese and secret files that have yet to be turned over.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

February 5, 2013
Ever wanted to call a perpetrator priest?

It looks as if the LA Archdiocese (in their rush to dump more than 12,000 pages of files after 5 years of legal haggling) has published the contact info for many of their accused clerics.

Did they mean to do this?

Redactions have been an issue for the Archdiocese, who is now getting pounded for redacting the names of low-level priests who covered up abuse. They also “FORGOT” to redact the names of a number of victims. I won’t tell you where those are, out of respect for those victims.

But the one thing they didn’t redact? The contact addresses and phone numbers of many of the perpetrator priests as of 2012. Here is Michael Nocita’s FORMER home address, with work and home phone (now disconnected)**UPDATE He apparently does not live here anymore, and the Archdiocese is responsible for publicizing the address***. Want to call Kevin Barmasse? This number is still active.

The problem? How many innocent people are going to be barraged with calls and “drive-bys” because had the unfortunate luck of moving into the former home of an accused cleric or getting a perp priest’s old phone number?

February 2, 2013
**UPDATED**Gomez was “just kidding” … No more heated towels for Mahony …

Think of it this way:

Mahony’s punishment is tantamount to Archbishop Gomez taking away Mahony’s key to the Executive Washroom. Now this “prince of the church” has to use the public restroom like the rest of us mere (moral and ethical) peasants.

But hopefully, the damage to Mahony’s credibility will be permanent. In fact, I think he would look quite dashing in jailhouse orange.

**Updated at 3:44 pm** Awesome blogger Rocco Palma posted the latest statement from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:

Cardinal Mahony, as Archbishop Emeritus, and Bishop Curry, as Auxiliary Bishop, remain bishops in good standing in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, with full rights to celebrate the Holy Sacraments of the Church and to minister to the faithful without restriction.

So, in other words … nevermind. Mahony can get his key back and do whatever the hell he wants. Pah.

February 2, 2013
How about a little spin to go with your files?

Moments after a judge ordered a final halt to decades of secrecy by top LA archdiocesan officials, Archbishop Jose Gomez’ lawyer made this outlandish claim:

Michael Hennigan said that after what he called an inevitable “media blitz” over the file release, he hoped the focus would shift to the church’s current well-regarded program for preventing abuse.

“You’ve written almost nothing about what has happened in the last 10 years,” he told reporters outside court. “The church is at the front edge of how to deal with these issues.”

Like keeping files secret for 5 years and allowing predator protectors to keep their jobs? Like fighting victims in civil court? Like accepting priests with criminal convictions? Is that the front edge he’s talking about?

January 31, 2013
Los Angeles scandal over? Hardly. Fmr LA priest sentenced for sexual assault

Less than 48 hours after the historic first “document dump” in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a former Long Beach priest has been sentenced to probation and must register as a sex offender.

Fr. Cuevas, Do you have a secret file in Archbishop Gomez’ office?

And people say that the “scandal” is over …

According to the Long Beach Press Telegram:

Luis Jose Cuevas, who was once a parish priest at St. Athanasius Catholic Church, 5390 Linden Ave., was given five years of probation and must register as a sex offender as part of a plea agreement.

Cuevas, who was initially charged with nine counts, agreed to one count of sexual battery against of each of three victims, including one felony because the victim was a minor.

In April of 2012, two adult women came forward to say that Cuevas had sexually assaulted them. During the police investigation, Cuevas was allowed to remain at St. Athanasius Catholic Church. When the third victim came forward—a minor who says she was molested by Cuevas during over the course of two years—Archdiocese officials removed the priest. Cuevas was arrested in July 2012.

Here is the kicker. According to the Long Beach Post:

Court documents also show that there are 16 other sexual battery charges that can’t be filed against the suspect because the statute of limitations has run out.

Gee, I wonder how many of those victims’ reports (if the charges belong to other victims, which we can assume since the statute had run) are sitting in the offices of the Archbishop? He spent seven years in Long Beach, and I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of those victims called the Archdiocese and asked for help.

January 23, 2013