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Cardinal McCarrick Sexual Abuse Survivor Sues the Vatican, Demands Sweeping Child Protection Changes

Abuse Survivor Sues Pope: First Cardinal McCarrick Abuse Survivor to Sue Vatican Demands Sweeping Child Protection Changes

Courageous Survivor to Speak Publicly Monday

(New York, NY) – At a press conference today in Manhattan, courageous survivor John Bellocchio, prominent Catholic whistleblower Siobahn O’Connor and the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates will:

  • Announce a lawsuit against the Vatican filed in the Federal Court of the Southern District of New York for sexual abuse by infamous clergy predator Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. McCarrick was formerly Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and, most recently, the Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, D.C. The survivor took the action under the New York Child Victims Act and the New Jersey Victim’s Rights Bill;
  • The survivor, John Bellocchio, will speak publicly and use his name in the lawsuit. McCarrick sexually abused Bellocchio in 1995 or 1996 when he was approximately 13-14 and McCarrick was Archbishop of Newark;
  • Siobahn O’Connor, who was the executive assistant to former Diocese of Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone, will speak in support of Bellocchio today. O’Connor was a whistleblower regarding the cover-up of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo and was featured on “60 Minutes” and other national media outlets to provide details on what she witnessed regarding the clergy abuse crisis. Bishop Malone resigned in scandal last week;
  • Reveal and discuss that McCarrick sexually abused Bellocchio approximately 7 years after another individual reported his own abuse as a minor by McCarrick to Pope John Paul II and the Holy See in approximately 1988. Despite this report, McCarrick continued to be promoted within the ranks of Catholic hierarchy and the Holy See took no action to remove him from working with minors. As a result, Bellocchio was sexually abused;
  • Request the Federal Court of the Southern District of New York to order the Vatican to:
    • Release all the identities of thousands of offenders known exclusively by the Vatican and held in strict secrecy;
    • Release the files and pertinent histories of the thousands of offenders;
    • Release the identities of the top officials accused of sexual abuse worldwide, including the histories of each known only by the Vatican;
    • Report all evidence held secretly in its possession in the papal office of clerical crimes to law enforcement worldwide;
    • Bellocchio’s complaint against the Vatican will be posted at https://www.andersonadvocates.com/.
When
Today, Monday, December 9, 2019 at 11:00 AM (ET) 
 

Where
Millennium Hilton, New York Downtown
Sotri Room, Floor 4
55 Church Street
New York, NY 10007

The news conference will be live-streamed on YouTube and on Facebook
Also follow us at Twitter @AndersonAdvocates

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