Update! Shortly after sending this press release, we learned that the re-sentencing hearing for Fr. Michael Guidry has been postponed until September 19. We are appalled by this delay, which only prolongs the suffering of Guidry’s victims. We call for a speedy resolution of this issue: the maximum sentence allowable by law for Fr. Michael Guidry.
In April, Fr. Michael Guidry pleaded guilty in Opelousas, Louisiana, to sexually assaulting a 15-year -old boy. Guidry was sentenced to seven years in
prison, out of the ten-year maximum sentence.
Fr. Guidry has requested, and been granted, a hearing to reconsider his sentence. The hearing will take place July 18.
Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D., President of the Ruth Institute, will attend the hearing. Dr. Morse is an outspoken critic of clergy sexual abuse and
cover up. She is also a passionate advocate for the victims of the sexual revolution, including victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Morse believes the sentence should not be reconsidered. “The family and other victims had achieved some degree of closure and relief from the April 30th sentencing of Fr. Guidry. Going back into court undoes the sense of finality, and revictimizes those who have already been through so much,” Morse
said.
Morse explained: “When I say ‘victims’ — plural — I include Oliver Peyton, the immediate victim, who woke up to find Fr. Guidry performing a sex act
on him. I also include Oliver’s family and the members of the community, who were shocked and disheartened by the revelation that the abuser, a priest
in his 70s, had betrayed their trust.”
“Lastly, I’m talking about the victims of child sex abuse everywhere who have been watching this case. Every new case, such as Fr. Guidry’s, can be a traumatic
and ‘triggering’ event, especially for those who suffer PTSD symptoms. Every slap-on-the-wrist sentence revictimizes the victims. If the judge wishes
to reconsider this sentence, I sincerely hope he will resentence Fr. Guidry to the 10-year maximum permitted by law.”
Morse noted: “No new facts have emerged. Fr Guidry is still as guilty as he was in April when Judge Harris originally sentenced him. I will drive to Opelousas
to say so in the presence of Oliver Peyton’s family, and anyone else who cares to listen.”
The Ruth Institute works to empower victims and survivors of the sexual revolution – including victims of divorce, abuse and the LGBT culture. In April,
the Institute held the first-ever Summit for Survivors of the Sexual Revolution in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where the Ruth Institute has its international
headquarters.
Dr. Morse’s latest book is The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies are Destroying Lives (and how the Church was Right All Along).
For more information on the Ruth Institute: http://www.ruthinstitute.org/.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Morse: media@ruthinstitute.org.
