HI- Former government chief and priest sued, victims respond
For immediate release: Thursday, April 24, 2014
Statement by Joelle Casteix, Southern California Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949-322-7434, [email protected])
A former government chief, who resigned from his position after sexual misconduct allegations, has been sued for child sex abuse from when he was a priest. We are glad that victims are being given a voice and grateful they are speaking up.
http://www.k5thehometeam.com/story/25326385/catholic-priest-sued-over-alleged-assault-of-kailua-teen
As this lawsuit moves forward, we hope more information will be revealed about how Marc Alexander was able to keep his position as Homeless Coordinator, despite an email warning of the sexual misconduct allegations against him and despite being removed as a priest in 2011.
Alexander was accused of sexual misconduct with a woman while he was a Catholic priest. We want to know why the Governor’s office did not act immediately after receiving warnings about Alexander. He was allowed to resign for “personal matters” a year later after the allegations were threatened to be made public.
According to the email that was sent the diocese was aware of the allegations and the staff at the governor’s office assumed someone else would handle the situation. It is wrong and dangerous to pass the buck on sexual abuse allegations.
We applaud the courageous survivor who filed this complaint for coming forward and taking this action in the interest of truth, justice, and the protection of children.
While we are grateful for the 2-year window during which Hawaii lifted the statute of limitations for such crimes - a window that has allowed this case to move forward - we believe sexual crimes against children should carry no statute of limitations whatsoever.
Regardless of such limitations, we urge anyone who has suffered, witnessed or suspects similar crimes to come forward and contact secular authorities.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected])
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
Showing 2 comments
I think it is possible that any government official might have leanings towards “cow-towing” to the catholic church, instead of strenuously upholding U.S. secular, civil and penal laws, in these matters. I think it is right for SNAP members to criticize both the catholic church and the Hawaiian governor and his office for mishandling this accused perpetrator.