Mental health and sexual trauma expert speaks out on Father Leo Riley’s allegations

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The brain can protect children from memories of sexual violence – a phenomenon that former Alter Boys in Dubuque say they too have experienced.

Police say Father Leo Riley abused these children while he was assistant pastor at Resurrection Parish in Dubuque in the 1980s.

Four men alleged that former Dubuque pastor Leo Riley abused them in a variety of ways, from sodomy to urination, according to Wednesday’s criminal complaint.

An expert explains how the brain tries to protect itself during extreme stress.

“Any type of abuse is not an isolated incident, but can arise later,” said Melody Kosobucki, program director at the Riverview Center in Iowa. The Riverview Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping victims of sexual assault.

She says memories of abuse can remain damaging to victims for a lifetime, just like the men who accused former Dubuque pastor Leo Riley of sexual abuse.

According to that complaint, some of the men said they suffered long-term physical and mental health damage, such as pelvic floor damage or repressed memories, as a result of Riley’s abuse.

And Kosobucki says that’s not uncommon for victims.

“Often this is a protective factor that our body triggers without our knowledge…the body remembers what’s happening,” she said.

She argues that while it is still difficult for victims to come forward, changes in culture have made it somewhat easier.

“We’ve come a long way, but we still have a really long way to go, and a lot of that just depends on us believing the survivors. If they share something… it will be true, you know? People don’t just make these things up for fun,” Kosobucki said.

For those who believe they or someone they love may have been a victim of sexual abuse, Kosobucki said there are resources available.

The Riverview Center website and crisis hotline can be found here.

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