Diocese Of Richmond Virginia announces “Reconciliation” Program, SNAP Responds
The Diocese of Richmond in Virginia has announced their plans to create a compensation fund for survivors of clergy abuse. While we appreciate the gesture, we hope that survivors in Virginia will carefully consider their options before signing on.
We believe that the best way to expose wrongdoing and enforce accountability is for crimes to be made public and for punishment and compensation to be meted out by courts, not the institutions that allowed the wrongdoing to happen in the first place. Survivors deserve a chance to have their day in court and shed light on their abuse, a critical step towards getting information into the hands of parents and the public.
The best course to obtaining justice would be for the state of Virginia to completely eliminate the civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse going forward, allowing civil liability for perpetrators and those who protect them. A three year civil window would also permit survivors who were unable to come forward before the SOL in their case expired to have their day in court.
Removing a survivor’s right to sue – as is common in compensation programs – prevents them from using legal tools in the future that can compel dioceses to release information or correct misinformation.
We hope that survivors in Virginia will take steps to learn about their legal rights and the potential pitfalls of compensation programs before signing on. While we believe that eliminating the SOLs going forward, and opening up a civil window, is the optimum way for survivors to obtain the justice and compensation they want and need, we fully support any survivor who decides that it is best for him or her to participate in a reparation program.
Regardless of what steps they take towards compensation, we hope that all victims will first make a report to the police and the Virginia Attorney General’s office.
CONTACT: Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Treasurer and SNAP Virginia Leader ([email protected], 703-801-6044), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (zhiner@[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
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