A $4.5 Million sex abuse settlement by the Diocese of Springfield should be just the first step in holding the Church accountable, a victims group says.Many of the 59 claimants say it is insufficient, and that the Diocese has not done enough to educate the public it serves, CBS3 Springfield reports.
Standing outside the Springfield Catholic Diocesan headquarters Monday afternoon, Springfield resident Don Henneberger says the $75,000 he received in this latest priest sex abuse settlement should only be the beginning, and not the end of assistance to victims.
Henneberger is one of 59 plaintiffs who received part of a $4.5 Million settlement last week. Henneberger received his claim after he says he was abused by Fr. Richard O'Hearn at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Pittsfield.
Henneberger and other members of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) want the Diocese to work proactively to promote healing and prevent future incidents of sexual abuse.
"The payments are an important first step in holding the Church and the priests accountable for the betrayal and the abusive actions committed against young children," said Peter Pollard, SNAP Coordinator for Western Massachusetts.
SNAP's 18 non-monetary demands include, in part: publicly releasing the names of clergy responsible for sexual abuse, posting known abusers on the diocesan web site for at least nine years, and for the bishop to visit parishes where known abusers have served, included deceased perpetrators.
The group delivered the list of requests to Bishop Timothy McDonnell's office Monday.
The Diocese said it has been, and will continue to do everything it legally can.
"Some of these requests seem to go beyond the scope that the bishop, or any bishop has," said Mark DuPont, spokesperson for the Diocese of Springfield.
And, as for the alleged victims' complaints that the $4.5 Million settlement is not enough, DuPont says, "Except for closing schools or very valuable other ministries - which I don't think anyone thinks is appropriate... We've done the best we can."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: CTHUS)