Abuse survivors are sharing their stories of sexual abuse by clergy members of the Diocese of Buffalo.
The statements are part of an ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy court case. Tuesday was the first of four scheduled sessions where survivors could share nontestimonial statements, meaning they weren’t be questioned by any attorneys.
It was an important opportunity being able to recount the abuse by clergy members over the years, and making those offenses publicly known, abuse survivor Michael Whalen said.
“That's what we needed to let the world know, is that these were crimes against children, and they went unpunished. You know, my abuser admitted to (abusing) a couple of dozen boys, and he openly admitted and he was able to walk free.”
This was the first time abuse survivors in Buffalo were given the time to make their own stories known in front of a judge and in a courtroom.
Whalen was the first survivor to speak publicly about being sexually abused by a member of the diocese in Western New York.
Similar to Whalen's story of abuse, several survivors talked during their statements about being betrayed, feeling like they had to hide the abuse, and even now struggling with personal relationships.
Hearing the other accounts continues to have a heavy emotional effect on Whalen.
"You have anger because it went unchecked and they kept moving around," he said. "I sat there all morning crying because of these stories and hearing them again. It's just unbelievable that they (the abusers) were allowed to get away with this."
More survivors will have the opportunity to present nontestimonial statements Wednesday at the U.S. District Court for Western New York, as well as Feb. 25 and 26.
Bishop Michael Fisher hopes the opportunity provides a sense of justice for survivors, and the diocese is committed to supporting the healing process, he said in a press release.
