An advocacy assembly, Road To Recovery, appointed to represent victims of professed sexual abuse by clergy members of religious institutions is once again calling upon their state lawmakers to pass the Child Victims Act. Late last week, the group congregated outside an Amherst Catholic school where one members claims she was the victim of not only sexual abuse but also verbal and emotional back when she was a student there in 1955.
Victim, J. Carroll Becker, 68, walked alongside other members of Road To Recovery on the perimeter of the Christ The King School in Amherst last Thursday morning. Becker alleges that she endured verbal ad emotional abuse while enrolled as a student there in 1955 by Sister Pauline Terese. The abuse was so horrific that she had wet herself out of fear on more than one occasion. After these incidents, the nun would refer to her as “Betty Wetty” and encouraged other students to refer to her as that name.
In graphic detail, Becker describes how the nun raped her and humiliated her. “She made me take off my underpants and she raped me with a crucifix, saying this will cure me from defiling God’s property,” she said. “And then she put a pair of her underwear on me and made me sit the rest of the day in class.”
Becker has made several attempts to seek justice for her abuse. Earlier this year she had met with Diocesan clergymen and Sister Margaret Mary Kimmins, OSF. However, after only over an hour she felt that the meeting was more or less discouraging after being informed by the Diocese that she would not receive financial restitution for her abuse, only counseling, which Becker declares she is already undergoing therapy for her past.
In response to Becker’s accusation, the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany have released a written statement as follows:
“The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany are aware of the allegations of abuse brought forth against a former member of the congregation. The Sister in question left the congregation in 1982 and has since died. The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany are committed to respecting the dignity and well-being of each person. We acknowledge the sacred trust we hold because of our vowed life, and the power, influence, and authority that we hold in our ministerial relationships. We declare unequivocally that abuse of any person is unacceptable behavior and violates the rights of others. We are currently following our Congregational protocol to investigate the matter. In order to respect dignity and privacy, we will not comment further at this time.”
Robert Hoatson, founder of Road To Recovery has since began making calls to the Diocese of Buffalo to further unveil their history of sexual abuse. Hoatson also is reaching out to legislators to act and aggressively pass the Child Victims Act once and for all.
If you have been sexually abused please call our sexual abuse attorneys at Alonso Krangle LLP at 800-403-6191 or through our website at www.fightforvictims.com. Our clergy sexual abuse attorneys are sensitive to your story and will assist you in recourse and the compensation and justice you deserve. We will fight together against your abuser or any institution that has failed to protect you. Please call us today to review your legal rights.