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	Suit Claims Clergy Victims Ignored Attorney Sues Spitzer and Program That Counsels Victims of Sex Abuse by Priests By Brian Nearing Albany Times Union [Albany NY] April 13, 2005 ALBANY -- Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and a counseling program for victims of clergy sexual abuse were named in a lawsuit that accused Spitzer of ignoring victims' calls to investigate alleged misconduct and conspiracy by Catholic leaders. Attorney John Aretakis filed the suit April 7 in U.S. District Court on behalf of three victims: Randall Sweringen, a 39-year-old former monk who was sexually abused by a priest while a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; David Wilson; and a man identified as John Doe. The lawsuit also names the New York State Dispute Resolution Association, which set up a mediation service for people who were abused by current or former priests of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. The diocese asked the association to create the program. On Tuesday, Aretakis criticized Spitzer, saying, "The requests of clergy abuse victims have fallen on deaf ears." Mark Lyman, co-director of the Capital Region chapter of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said 80 percent of NYSDRA's work is for the attorney general's office and faulted the association for working with the mediation program. "What this lawsuit will do is make Mr. Spitzer take a step forward and take a close look at the mediation program," Lyman said. "It's not what it's built up to be." Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Pritchard said, "While we have sympathy for the victims of clergy sexual abuse, this office doesn't believe this case has merit, and we will respond accordingly in court." Lisa Hicks, executive director of the association, called the lawsuit without merit and said, "It is unfortunate that Mr. Aretakis is seeking to dismantle the only independent program that provides assistance to victims of abuse."
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