This shouldn't be big news, but it is. In Wisconsin, Eau de Claire Police Chief Jerry Matysik contacted his state legislators to inform them Archbishop Jerome Listecki was not truthful with them when he testified about church procedure for dealing with sexual abuse. Listecki, now in Milwaukee but formerly in the La Crosse diocese, has had a policy in place stating sexual assault victims should contact the church instead of directing them to inform law enforcement.
How's that policy been working so far? Well, not too bad if the goal is to keep sexual assault hush-hush and protect perpetrators, but if you want to assist victims, bring perpetrators to justice, and prevent more young people from being victimized, it's not doing all that well.
It took a lot of courage for Chief Matysik to bring this out in the open the way he did. Far too many law enforcement agencies are still dragging their feet when it comes to dealing with clergy sexual abuse, and it really did my heart good to read about this man's actions. In any civil rights movement, nothing really changes until those not directly affected by injustice are willing to stand with those who are. Women did not get the vote until men voted to allow it. African-Americans' rights were denied until whites joined the cause. And victims alone will not be able to end the scourge of sexual abuse.
We need others who are willing to stand in solidarity with us, people who are in a position to effect real change. We need people like Chief Matsysik. Follow the first link to read the story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Then follow the second to find the chief's contact information, and call him up to say thank you, and let him know what this means to survivors.
http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/83585862.html/
http://www.eauclairewi.gov/police-home/
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