Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
SNAP Survivors Network is the world’s oldest and largest community of survivors of clergy and institutional sexual abuse.
PROTECT THE VULNERABLE
We work to identify perpetrators and remove them from positions of authority and trust in institutions. By exposing those who cause harm, we ensure they can no longer endanger children and vulnerable people.
HEAL THE WOUNDED
We equip facilitators to lead peer-run support groups where survivors can find community and understanding. Through public witness and truth-telling, we empower survivors to break the silence and end cycles of abuse.
PREVENT THE ABUSE
We push to reform archaic, predator-friendly laws that allow abuse and cover-ups to continue. By changing these laws, SNAP breaks cycles of trauma to ensure the next generation is protected.
FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
We hold institutions accountable for enabling abuse and shielding those responsible for it. We dismantle structures that harbor predators and conceal the truth from the public.
Top News
Our stories, whether covered by major international outlets or local newspapers, have the power to inspire survivors to come forward, seek support, and demand justice. We recognize the profound impact the media has in seeking the truth and shining a light on abuse. When the truth is told, society is changed.
Peter Isely, a longtime spokesperson and activist for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Coakley’s election as president of the bishops’ group “only reinforces what we already know: survivors waiting for justice should not look to the USCCB.”
Sarah Pearson, with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said O’Connor, lay Catholics, and the rest of the public deserve more than the Vos Estis investigation. “We don’t put a lot of stock in the accuracy of those investigations that are conducted by the Vatican,” Pearson said.
![“The conflation of homosexuality and pedophilia has been repeatedly refuted by medical and scientific experts,” [SNAP] said in a statement. “Mayor Koch’s comments serve to scapegoat gay men, imply that middle-school and high-school boys are not actually victims of abuse, and completely dismiss every girl or woman who has been assaulted in the Catholic Church.”](https://snapnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Boston-Globe-9.25.25-1024x796.jpg)
“The conflation of homosexuality and pedophilia has been repeatedly refuted by medical and scientific experts,” [SNAP] said in a statement. “Mayor Koch’s comments serve to scapegoat gay men, imply that middle-school and high-school boys are not actually victims of abuse, and completely dismiss every girl or woman who has been assaulted in the Catholic Church.”
Thank you to our major supporters:
We provide a confidential and safe space where survivors can be heard, supported, and healed.
Since 1988, SNAP has empowered tens of thousands of survivors around the world to connect with one another, speak the truth, and mobilize society to confront abuse in religious institutions. Coming forward takes tremendous courage, but no survivor has to stand alone – our strength has always been in our community.
