Colorado Attorney General Announces Investigation into Clergy Sex Abuse
Colorado’s top law enforcement official has announced that he is opening an investigation into clergy sex abuse and cover-ups in his state.
We applaud Attorney General Phil Weiser for announcing that his office is partnering with a former U.S. attorney to launch a statewide criminal investigation regarding sexual abuse by priests. Institutions cannot police themselves, so independent investigations like these are the best way to get to the truth when it comes to clergy sex abuse and cover-ups.
It is notable to us that this announcement comes on the eve of the papal abuse summit taking place in Rome. Many observers have looked to this summit as a chance for action to be taken to protect children and prevent future cases of abuse, but investigations like the one that A.G. Wesier is undertaking are, to us, the best kind of action that can be taken. For years, church officials have ignored, minimized, and covered-up allegations of abuse. We are excited that secular authorities are taking those allegations seriously today.
This announcement marks Colorado as the 17th state to start their own investigation into clergy sex abuse. Given how important holding perpetrators accountable can be – both for survivors’ healing and the prevention of future cases – we hope that these investigations will not only lead to more survivors coming forward, but will also provide the possibility of legislative mechanisms, such as statutes of limitation reform, that will allow survivors to seek justice.
We also hope that, in the coming days, A.G. Weiser will establish a hotline or reporting website that will give survivors an witnesses a safe and secure way to report their allegations directly to law enforcement authorities. We urge anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered sexual abuse at the hands of clergy in Colorado to come forward and make a report today.
CONTACT: Jeb Barrett, SNAP Colorado Leader ([email protected], 720-608-8532) 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