Updated 03/16/2011 11:56 AM
Mercure victim breaks silence
Twenty-seven years after the sexual abuse started, one of former priest Gary Mercure's victims breaks his public silence about the emotional and physical pain he's had to endure and a piece of legislation he says could help other victims find justice. Our Solomon Syed has more.
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ALBANY, N.Y. – Attorney Tina Weber said, "Do you want to say something?"
"Just that if it could have worked in a fashion where I didn't have to reveal my identity, I would've definitely chose to do that," said child abuse victim Heath Bromley.
Instead, 35-year-old Heath Bromley decided he finally needed to put a face on the repeated sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of former priest Gary Mercure, if for nothing else, to give others the courage to stand up.
"Many of the victims have children now. To imagine what was being done to me being done to my son? I'd rather die," Bromley said.
Bromley, himself, was just an eight-year-old altar boy when the abuse began. To prevent that from happening to others, he's pushing for the so-called "child victim's act," which would extend the statute of limitations by five years in sex abuse cases involving minors.
"They bury their memories so deep, it takes decades before they are able to speak," Weber said.
"I have lost my faith, my trust my childhood, the ability to lead a normal and happy life," said Bromley.
Bromley's attorney says Mercure's conviction isn't the end, but the beginning of her client dealing with the raw emotions uncovered by years of abuse. Bromley says the Albany Diocese should support the child victim's law to prevent other victim's from suffering in silence.
"And if we do not demand action. Our silence is basically to continue to enable predators," said Weber.
But Bromley says the Albany Diocese fears the bill because of what it could mean for its priests. But the diocese released a statement saying they've cooperated fully with every law enforcement investigation of clergy sexual abuse, including the allegations against Gary Mercure, saying, "The proposed legislation does not protect a single child from abuse. It's sole purpose is to encourage lawsuits."
But Bromley maintains the law will give the powerless a voice, something he admits he's still struggling to find.
"To imagine a child being a piece of meat to satisfy the cravings of a pedophile priest? That is what I was and that's how I'm still being treated," Bromley said.
The Albany Diocese has cooperated fully with every law enforcement investigation of clergy sexual abuse, including the allegations against Gary Mercure, and will cooperate fully with any future law enforcement investigation.
The Diocese’s record on Gary Mercure is clear and unambiguous. It was the Diocese — not victims’ advocates, not the victims’ families, and not the attorneys — who first contacted law enforcement authorities to report the allegations of sexual abuse that ultimately resulted in his conviction. It was the Diocese that permanently removed Mercure from ministry. It was the Diocese that recommended to the Vatican that Mercure be laicized, or dismissed formally from the clerical state.
The Diocese has reached out to the victims’ attorneys, and provided or offered assistance to each of the victims and or their representatives. The Diocese’s Assistance Coordinator, Terry Rodrigues, attended the Mercure trial, and reached out to the Berkshire County DA’s office to reiterate the offer of assistance to the victims.
We received a request from a victim’s attorney on March 1 for assistance, and a check for the victim’s full counseling fee was mailed to his therapist on March 9.
Bishop Hubbard has publicly apologized on numerous occasions to victims of clergy sexual abuse, and has extended that apology in person to any victim who has requested a meeting with him. The Bishop remains committed to meeting with victims privately if they so choose.
The criminal statute of limitations for sexual abuse of minors was eliminated in New York in 2006. The proposed legislation does not protect a single child from abuse. It’s sole purpose is to encourage lawsuits, and it excludes public schools and institutions, where the majority of non-familial abuse occurs.
The Albany Diocese is committed to ensuring that Catholic places are among the safest places for children and young people. The Albany Diocese has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse by priests or deacons. No priest or deacon whom the Diocese determines sexually abused a minor at any time is permitted to remain in ministry. Our commitment to preventing sexual abuse includes providing age-appropriate training to children — more than 34,000 last year; conducting background checks on adults working with children in the Diocese — totaling more than 24,000 since 2002; and providing safe environment training for 27,000 adults during that time.