WV -- Mormon hearing televised today
For immediate release: Wednesday, April 22, 2014
For more information: David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Director (314) 566-9790 cell, [email protected]
Court hearing today to be streamed live
It can be watched on-line, starting at 10 a.m.
Case is “virtually unprecedented,” group says
Mormons persuaded judge to give predator a lawyer
And half of his attorney fees are to be paid by abuse victims
National support group blasts that arrangement as “an outrage”
It’s begging those who “saw, suspected or suffered Mormon crimes” to “speak up”
An appeals court hearing today in Charleston involving a controversial child sex abuse and cover up case will be live-streamed on line at http://www.courtswv.gov/supreme-court/webcast.html.
It involves a twice-convicted, now-imprisoned Mormon child molester, Christopher Michael Jensen, who was convicted of assaulting youngsters in both Utah and West Virginia. A dozen children and their parents are suing Mormon officials for allegedly enabling and concealing Jensen’s abuses.
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is criticizing Mormon church officials, accusing them of “callous, self-serving hardball legal tactics.”
“Mormon officials are trying to scare other victims into staying silent,” said David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “And they’re rubbing even more salt into the already deep and still fresh wounds of these brave but suffering families who have been so severely hurt and betrayed.”
“It’s an outrage that the Mormon church hierarchy has persuaded a judge to make these courageous families pay half the fees for two private lawyers in this case, including one who is defending a proven criminal,” said Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP’s outreach director. “We in SNAP have never seen anything like this.”
The group hopes others who may have been assaulted by Jensen will speak up.
“We also beg anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by Jensen or other Mormons to step forward and get help,” said Dorris. “That’s the best way to expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.”
The case was brought in Berkeley County Circuit Court.
The court-appointed “guardian ad litem” for the predator is Martinsburg attorney Kirk Bottner (304 728 0158, [email protected])
The court-appointed “discovery commissioner” is Martinsburg attorney Patrick Henry (304 260 9592, 304 263 8800, [email protected])
The Martinsburg judge in the case is Gray Silver.
Representing the victim are Seattle WA attorney Tim Kosnoff (425 837 9690), Baltimore attorney William Meyer (410 539 5526), Carl Kravitz and Caroline Mehta of Washington DC (202 778 1800) and Robert Fitzsimmons, Brent Wear and Justin Wiater of Wheeling (304 277 1700).
Kravitz will be arguing for the victims in court today.
Martinsburg lawyer William J. Powell represents the church.
A copy of the victims’ most recent court filing is here:
http://www.snapnetwork.org/wv_mormon_officials_shirk_wrongdoings_snap_responds
More information about the case is here:
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/600380/Lawsuit-filed-
SNAP, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for victims of clergy sexual abuse with support groups in over 60 cities nation wide.
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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