Survey: Abusers deserve no mercy

As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops readies to meet Thursday to consider a policy on the scandal, respondents to a Vindicator survey say: zero tolerance.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Priests who sexually abuse children -- and those who cover it up -- should be removed from the ministry and prosecuted, according to people responding to a Vindicator e-mail survey.
And 59 percent of people responding to poll on The Vindicator's Web site say Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown hasn't told the whole story about abuse locally.
The e-mail survey of Vindicator News Contacts and the Web site poll were conducted Friday through Tuesday.
More than 80 people responded to three survey questions:
* What should happen to priests who have sexually abused children in the past and those who abuse children in the future?
* What policy should the church adopt on reporting future cases of sexual abuse?
* How have the reports of sexual abuse by priests affected your faith? See related story.
Survey results
Survey respondents were almost unanimous in saying that past and future abusers should be removed from the priesthood and reported to authorities.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meets Thursday through Saturday in Dallas to consider a zero tolerance policy for new offenders with a provision that could allow some past abusers to remain priests.
The proposal comes after disclosures nationally of abusive priests and bishops who kept reassigning them.
Locally, Catholics and Protestants agreed that any abusive priests or clergy of any faith should be removed permanently from ministry.
Many of those surveyed also added that those who covered up the abuse are just as guilty as the abusers and should also be removed.
"Anyone who sexually abuses a child deserves no second chance," said Gail Ridge of Poland, a Presbyterian. "After 11 years of fostering children, I have seen the horrible after-effects of sexual abuse. The fact that clergy would do this and then the church protect them, makes me sick!"
Earl Baker of Canfield said, "Priests, bishops, archbishops, ministers, or any one who condones or who takes advantage of children should be dealt with in the most severe way. Anyone who hides this from others such as been done in the Catholic church should get the same punishment as the ones who actually did the crime."
Other reactions
Patricia Toth Grimm of Lowellville, a non-Catholic, said, "Anyone in a position of absolute power over a child who abuses that power to his own twisted needs, is not to be tolerated. Zero tolerance must be the rule. The first time must also be the last time."
Deborah Curl of Columbiana wrote, "I am not a Catholic now, but I used to be Catholic. I can tell you right now if anyone in the church I am in now is found abusing anyone, they are to be reported to the police, and that is exactly what should be done."
Anna Maldonado of West Middlesex, Pa., who is Lutheran, said, "These priests should be treated like any other child molester, prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I don't know of any other profession who would be protected from the law as these so-called 'holy men.'"
Carole Zoll of Struthers, a Catholic, said, "It is hard to expect children to come to us and confide in us if nothing is going to happen to the perpetrator."
Alene Wilkins of Boardman wrote, "As a non-Catholic, I think the Catholic church has handled the sex scandals very poorly. It shows deceit and cover up, plus a lack of morals all the way down the line. There is no question in my mind that those involved either in the act itself or the cover-up should face immediate dismissal; and those guilty, should be prosecuted without delay."
Youngstown Diocese
Some 328 responded to the unscientific poll on the Web site.
While 10.9 percent, or 36 voters, said Bishop Tobin has been open and forthcoming, 59 percent, or 194 voters, said he hasn't.
Some 16 percent, or 55 voters, said the bishop has done a good job of handling the sex abuse cases, while 13 percent, or 43 voters, said he has done a bad job.
The diocese has said five priests were submitting resignations over allegations of past abuse that recently came to light. No names were released.
Bishop Tobin has not responded to a letter from The Vindicator asking for the total number of abuse complaints in the history of the diocese.
Two Youngstown men filed a lawsuit May 29 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, saying they told the diocese in January that they had been abused as children. The offender, according to the lawsuit, was Monsignor Robert E. Reidy, who was serving as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Niles. The monsignor admitted the abuse and retired April 2, according to the diocese.
Responses to poll
Several people responded to the poll on the Web site. All were anonymous.
One poll respondent wrote, "[Tobin] has done an admirable job, and obviously has the intention of dealing forthrightly with any reported crime."
But another wrote, "If [Tobin] knew about Reidy in January, why did he leave him at his Niles church until April?"
Roger A. Beltz from Niles, a Catholic, said in the survey, "As a lifelong member of Mount Carmel, I feel, as well as many other parishioners, that Monsignor Reidy has ruined the faith we had in our priests.
"It was told to the parishioners that he had diabetes and was to retire. We were lied to. We as parishioners have lost our faith in our Catholic leaders after the sexual allegations of abuse came to light. The priesthood has suffered collectively as a profession at a time when very few men are choosing this profession. Any and all sexual allegations must be swiftly investigated and dealt with throughout the Catholic Church."
wilkinson@vindy.com