Letter To VPC: Survivors Speak Out

Editor's note: This letter was written collectively by several young women . It has not been edited.

Dear Elders of Vienna Presbyterian Church,

This letter is intended to express the truth of the crimes against your children.  It is written with collective knowledge from many survivors of the abuse from Eric DeVries and from the community.  This letter is intended to bring forth discussion and hopefully a call for justice.

Much of Eric’s tricks were used immediately upon his employment and move to Virginia.  They were not unlike his techniques used with previous women in his other forms of employment.  This was later known by VPC, but missed during his background check for employment. It started right away for many students – 14, 15, 16 years old. The perfect ages. The ages where receiving special invitations from an older man was desirable, feeling his attention over other girls fed your needs, and sitting close with him felt protective. His grooming techniques turned from playful perversion to private encounters, promises of a future together, and consistent claims that this was God’s plan. For many, things escalated quickly from sexual contact to sexual activities. Hardly any were spared from Eric’s advances.

He used verbatim phrases with many girls: “you would tell me if this felt wrong;” “I could lose my job so this has to be our secret;” “If I had a ring, I would marry you today;” or “I was studying Genesis 29:18-28 today and couldn’t help but think of us.” Consult the Bible if you must, but it’s a passage expressing Jacob’s love for Rachel and he would wait seven years for her.  A passage meant for marriage preparation.

What did this perverse version of love give us?  Nothing but jealousy, secrecy, shame, false empowerment, and false hope. What did he get in return?  Our love, our devotion, our emotions, and our innocence. But this did not go unnoticed.  His behaviors, along with student’s behaviors, were noted by a few staff members.  Yet, it seemed the confrontations and accusations were always directed to the victims and rarely Eric.  Why not ask, what would provoke them to act this way?

By Eric’s fourth year of employment, so many girls had already been abused and discarded by this point. Yet, there was a light into this darkness brought forward to the church by a 15 year-old-girl and her friend. Heroines. She knew the truth - and had known it for months - but suffered in silence by physical assault and threats by Eric.  Prevailing past harassment and intimidation, she trusted her life and her secret with leadership in the summer of 2005. Little was done. Not only was she uninformed she would be confronting Eric himself with her claims; Eric had already convinced leadership his infractions were minor and minds were already made for his defense. Worse still, he was not immediately fired or investigated for these accusations; he was allowed to resign and gave an artificial, albeit tearful, address to the youth community in the fall of 2005.  

However, the truth could not sleep.  The night of Eric’s resignation speech, the very real, serial, evil nature of this man came to light. Two women realized for the first time they had both been promised marriage, both been promised a future, and both believed this man loved only them.  Eric still had made promises of relationships with women after he would leave VPC.

This discovery led to a very serious and necessary accusation of Eric of sexual abuse.  Leadership was immediately consulted and was told that charges were going to be pressed.  Of course, shock was abundant, but empathy was scarce.  That moment marked the beginning of a very painful divide.  Victims witnessed the support Eric received from the community; thus invalidating and marginalizing so many.

The letdown was palpable. A supported letter writing campaign, delays on calling Child Protective Services, comments that certain leaders were “too busy” to handle this, deflection of inquiries by staff members, numerous accounts of “poor Eric” and “those girls must have thrown themselves at him” … The facts are there. Eric received a slap on the wrist, reportedly swore he would take his secrets to the grave, and now resides with his wife and son in the suburbs of Chicago. It could be added that he lives across the street from the Elementary, Middle, and High School campuses, his wife is more than 13 years younger, and actively participates in his church and assists the youth choir.

Faith had been broken and by the turning point of a year later, many women had left for college. There may be some victims we will never know. Those holding the truth felt silence; numbness; disparage; and invalidation. Were people hoping nothing more would come from this situation?  What was the likelihood anyway, when so many women were still in love with their abuser, in denial, or in depression, and listening to a community rise up and protect him?

Pleas were made by many to acknowledge the evil that was in the darkness.  An email was sent asking for help, but it went unanswered.  Cries for leaders to emerge and correct the wrongs of the past were made by parents.  Testimonies made by victims were heard, but they lacked momentum or response.  By relentless request, in the spring of 2009, a call for justice and collaboration was made.  A few women and their parents met with a few key members of Session and Leadership to discuss the need for truth.  The meeting lacked some ownership of fault by this point, but the response was a start: New Spring Ministry was born. 

There has been very little trust in this community over the past five years – not hard to believe after so many victims (students, parents, staff) had their own minds manipulated and warped by Eric.  It is hard to express the growth required – and displayed by so many – to rebuild and restore oneself to wholeness.  By the Grace of God, in December, one woman announced her willingness to trust this community again.  She spoke for countless silenced voices and told you her soul-wrenching story to expose just a shred of how much truth is missing from your view.

We are survivors. We are heroines. We are children of God. We are your children.  We are grateful for the rejuvenation in our request for the truth and some of us have begun the process of trusting again.  Read this with hope and rejoicing; by the power of God who will not rest, there will be a restoration.