AG Report Should Lead to Legislative Reform
The report into clergy sex crimes that was released by AG Lisa Madigan yesterday has revealed a stunning level of secrecy in catholic dioceses throughout Illinois.
Illinois bishops have a key partner in their secrecy: state lawmakers who refuse to fix archaic, predator-friendly laws like the statute of limitations.
If this arbitrary, unfair time limit were temporarily suspended, as several states have done, bishops would be far less able to hide child molesters. Instead, children would be safer and survivors will be helped by being able to bring abusers to justice.
California, Delaware, Hawaii and Minnesota have taken this simple step toward children's safety. It works. It enables our time-tested justice system to determine who is "credibly accused," not church officials who are not trained to investigate or adjudicate crimes.
This report should be a clarion call for change in Illinois. Illinois legislators already reformed the statute of limitations for child sex crimes in 2017 which was a good first step. Now, we call on Illinois legislators to finish the job in the 2019 legislative session by creating a window that will enable children and vulnerable adults who experienced sexual violence to seek justice in the courts and prevent future cases from happening.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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