7 additional victims come forward in Houston after diocese releases list of abusive priests
HOUSTON (FOX 26) — Seven additional victims of alleged child sexual abuse by priests have come forward in the Houston area in the day since the archdiocese released a list of “credibly accused” priests, according to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
Of the seven new victims of seven different priests in the Houston area, only two of those priests were on the church’s list which was released Thursday of clergy accused of abusing children.
Michael Norris, the leader of SNAP in Houston, says he received calls from each of those victims in the last 24 hours.
"I had a man call me yesterday evening," says Norris. "He was in his 60s and he was crying about what happened to him."
Norris says that man was abused by a priest in the 1960s at the age of 14. His perpetrator has since died. The victim called Norris after he did not see the priest on the list of 42 “credibly accused” clergy.
"Having the name on the list, their being heard, their being believed, that’s what they want,” adds Norris.
Of the seven victims Norris heard from, only two said their perpetrators were on the list. Those priests are Alan Doga in Houston and Alfred Prado in Victoria. Norris says Doga’s alleged victim said the priest abused him in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Doga has since died.
Norris has received calls from other victims whose alleged abusers are alive and well.
"A couple of the priests are still in active ministry, which is disturbing," says Norris. "The archdiocese knows about it and has not acted on these cases. They’ve determined that they weren’t ‘credible.’"
Norris says the seven new victims want to stay anonymous and he’s not releasing the names of the newly-accused priest.
"I can compile a list, but I can’t publish it, because we’re a nonprofit organization,” says Norris. “I don’t want to be sued.”
Norris is advising the victims to contact law enforcement, not the archdiocese, to report sexual abuse by priests.
"Do not call the diocese," says Norris. "The diocese isn’t gonna help you. That gives them the opportunity to try to twist it and protect the priest. Ultimately, if you’ve been sexually abused by a priest, go to the police, period!”
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo acknowledged on Thursday that by releasing the list, the problem of priest sexual abuse is not over.
"This is going to take some time,” said DiNardo in an interview on Thursday with FOX 26 News anchor Tom Zizka. “Somebody had asked me, ‘Would you say that it’s finally over?’ I said, ‘We’ll find the end, but I don’t think in my time.’ This is going to take time. When you have a problem that’s this rooted and deep. You have to keep working on it.”
Norris says in 2018, SNAP members sent around 100 letters to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, asking his office to get involved in the investigation of sexually abusive priests.
On Friday, Attorney General Paxton announced his office is offering assistance to all district and county attorneys in Texas as they prepare to investigate any of the newly-revealed cases.