Australian Cardinal charged with sexual assault, SNAP Australia responds
For immediate release, June 29, 2017
Statement by Steven Spaner, volunteer SNAP Australia coordinator, (+1 636-433-2511), snapspaner@gmail.com, www.snapaustralia.org
This is probably the most significant action to be taken on behalf of survivors of clergy sexual abuse EVER. The history of the Catholic Church has been to squelch accusations, hide and shield perpetrators, stonewall inquisitors, and re-abuse victims with ostracization, isolation and counter accusations.
The Victoria and Melbourne law enforcement and investigative officers have shown the care, compassion, and allegiance to truth and duty that NONE of the ranking members and leaders of the Catholic Church has ever done.
SNAP is so proud that they have shown the world that NO ONE is above nor beyond the law. They have shown the preservers of justice and protectors of the vulnerable and innocent around the world what they can and should be doing to protect children and obtain justice for survivors.
It is no small factor that the indictment of the reportedly third ranking Vatican official brings the issue of Church responsibility and Church inaction to the Pope’s doorstep, indeed, to his inner most sacred and canonical chambers. In short, the Pope’s hand has been called. No more feckless investigative, advisory, or action committees formed by this Pope and centuries of Popes. The righteous shall find love, life, prosperity and honor.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org )
Contact Steven Spaner, (+1 636-433-2511, snapspaner@gmail.com), Melanie Jula Sakkoda (+1 925-708-6175, melanie.sakoda@gmail.com), Barbara Dorris (+1 314-503-0003, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org)
Barbara Blaine, founder of SNAP, passed away on Sunday, September 24th, 2017. Her dying was sudden and completely unexpected. Words cannot express our sorrow nor are there words to express our gratitude for her relentless advocacy. She truly was a hero. There is an old saying, “well behaved women seldom make history”. Barbara made history and the world is a better place.
We have put together a tribute for Barbara Blaine to honor her memory. If you would like to contribute a memory, please send your favorite memory of Barbara to admin@snapnetwork.org
50 State AG Call for Grand Jury
Write a letter to the attorney general of your state. Demand, request, and beg them to impanel a grand jury.
Any investigation must be:
- independent of and separate from the church
- must have subpoena powers and ability to compel testimony under oath
Anything short of these criteria is a sham and whitewash.
In addition, write letters to the editor, make phone calls to politicians as they can apply pressure to keep them responsive to our demand. We need to make efforts to ensure that they follow up on what the state is doing to investigate these crimes.
The Attorneys General of forty states have inquired about the grand jury process in Pennsylvania. Let's get statewide investigations going in fifty states.
Current list of active investigations, associated hotlines, websites, and email addresses
Survivors can use to report their experiences.
Note to Letter Writers
Use your own words and style of writing. Cut and paste from the templates as you wish. Include your experiences, whether as a survivor or as a member of the community. And relate your letter to the state you were abused in or state now living in.
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I am anxious to see the team of lawyers that will be assembled to defend the cardinal.