WHAT:
At a sidewalk news conference, two clergy molestation victims will announce a new civil child sex abuse lawsuit against a retired Wyoming bishop. They will also try to hand-deliver letters to bishops in both Wyoming and Missouri urging them to
- work harder to reach and help anyone else who was assaulted by this cleric, and
- remove the accused prelate's name from a Wyoming orphanage.
WHEN:
TODAY, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Outside the Kansas Citiy MO Catholic Diocese headquarters (aka chancery office), in KC MO
WHO:
Three clergy abuse victims including a St. Louis man who heads the nation's largest support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) and the organization's Kansas City leader
WHY:
Church officials admit they received at least "two complaints of sexual misconduct against Hart in the 1990s for alleged incidents in the early 1970s," according to the Kansas City Star. Oddly, Catholic leaders claim both are false Hart now faces five civil molestation lawsuits, the first of which was filed in 2002. They involve kids in both Wyoming and Missouri. SNAP believes, however, that it's likely he also molested more youngsters in both states.
Over a roughly 20 year span (the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s), Hart worked at six Missouri parishes before becoming auxiliary bishop of Wyoming diocese in 1976. He retired in September 2001.
In 2002, St. Joseph's Children's Home of Torrington, a treatment center for severely emotionally disturbed youth, named a wing of their facility after Hart. SNAP believes that this insensitive action deters already despondent victims from reporting abuse and further hurts those who've already been wounded. They are asking both bishops to remove Hart's name from the facility.
In a lawsuit filed last October, Tony Padilla of Gladstone MO reports he was first molested by a Kansas City priest in 1973-74. Later, Padilla approached then-Father Joseph Hart who also attempted to sexually assault him. His suit says "that other priests and church employees saw Padilla with Hart and Reardon in situations that were inappropriate but made no attempt to intervene," according to the Kansas City Star.
Hart is represented by Kansas City attorneys Larry Ward. Hart's victims are represented by Kansas City attorney Rebecca Randles.
SNAP is the nation’s largest support group for clergy molestation victims.
CONTACT:
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director 314 566 9790 cell
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP President, 312 399 4747 cell
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP Outreach Coordinator 314 862 7688 |
