Survivor Urges Orange County (CA) Church to Reach Out to Victims and Expose Molesters

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Today this leaflet/letter was hand delivered to both Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel and the Chief of Police in Costa Mesa.

The Safety of Kids is in Your Hands Pastor Chuck Smith!

Are You a Good Shepherd or Complicit CEO?

We’ll Know by Your Actions, Not Your Words!

Did You Know Admitted Child Rapist, Fr. John Lenihan, Was Here?

Story Continues below



The now former Fr. John Lenihan of the Orange/LA Catholic dioceses raped, molested and stalked me for years when I was a child. He raped another girl, impregnated her and paid for her abortion. He victimized at least one adult. Bishops knew Lenihan was a child molester yet allowed him to remain in ministry.

Lenihan brought me and other kids to your church many times. I worry that he could attend your church today. I also strongly suspect that for decades now abusive Catholic clerics as well as molesters from other denominations have/had access to the vulnerable in your church. “Forgiving” sexual predators and “restoring” or allowing abusers in ministry or any churches does NOT protect kids anymore than allowing a fox into a flock of sheep or to guard a hen house.

You can help abuse victims and send a clear message that you will not tolerate secrecy when a convicted, known, admitted or credibly accused molester has worked/attends or volunteers in your church. You will be putting anyone who harms a child or vulnerable adult on notice that you will take decisive action and, thereby, help protect the vulnerable.

In light of this, I respectfully ask that you take four simple steps to reach out to victims and prevent future abuse:

-immediately remove from ministry and access to your church any convicted, credibly accused, admitted or known molesters,

- permanently post their names including Lenihan’s history of abuse on your website making strong “public” appeals in your church bulletins, newspapers, radio and television stations that encourage victims and witnesses with information about sex crimes by Lenihan or others to call police (NOT church officials) and to seek therapy,

-turn over all church personnel files to the district attorney’s office and demand an independent criminal investigation, and

-post in your church bulletins, website and newspapers independent resources for clergy abuse victims like “SNAP”, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests www.snapnetwork.org (1-877-762-7432); and Bishop Accountability http://www.bishop-accountability.org/, a website that posts countless documents on clergy abusers and church officials who cover up sex crimes.

The goal is simple: to help ensure that those already wounded can heal and that those still at risk can be protected. You, Pastor Smith, in particular, are key. You and your fellow pastors can become part of the solution to ending the cycle of sexual abuse and cover-ups in churches.

Mary Grant (Mary_Grant9@yahoo.com)

Survivor of Fr. John Lenihan and Sex Abuse Cover-ups

http://reform-network.net/?p=6370