Media Statements

As this lawsuit against a Catholic nun illustrates, the problem of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church goes beyond just clerics. We believe that by excluding women religious, brothers, lay employees and volunteers from among the named perpetrators, the Diocese of Brooklyn is attempting to minimize  the scope of abuse in its see. The diocese also limits the number of perpetrators by excluding order and extern clergy. While Brooklyn is not the only see to adopt this tactic, we believe that to help survivors and the families of victims heal and to protect today's children these lists should be as comprehensive as possible.

A $20 million dollar lawsuit has been filed in Texas against the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and the Vatican on behalf of two people who say they were victimized by Fr. Manueal La Rosa Lopez. The complaint alleges that it was the policies and protocols issued by Rome which caused the local defendants to conceal the crimes of the priest and to allow him access to vulnerable children.

Following in the footsteps of other organizations with similar legacies of sexual abuse and secrecy, including Roman Catholic dioceses and U.S.A. Gymnastics, the Boy Scouts of America today filed for bankruptcy protection. Our biggest concern is that this bankruptcy will prevent survivors from having the opportunity to hold the scouts accountable in court, as well as to learn what was known about their abuser, when it was known, and who knew it.

We applaud law enforcement in Cleveland for their thorough investigation of Fr. Robert McWilliams. The Catholic clergyman was originally arrested for possessing child pornography. Now, according to media reports, there is also evidence of “child prostitution” and "“hands on physical abuse.”

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.

A federal judge recently acknowledged playing a role in the public relations campaign launched by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in November of 2018 as it rolled out its list of clergy abusers .

U.S. District Court Judge Jay Zainey said he told Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond that Greg Bensel, the Saint’s vice president of communications, could help manage the release. What exactly the NFL team did for the Archdiocese is now being scrutinized in a state court.

Despite finding the allegations of abuse credible, prosecutors cannot move forward with charges against a prominent priest from Bakersfield. Our hearts ache for the four victims who came forward with allegations and we hope that this story encourages others who experienced abuse to come forward and make a report today.

A bill in the South Dakota House of Representatives could help prevent future cases of sexual abuse and support survivors of sexual abuse today. SNAP stands in support of HB 1196 and we urge legislators in South Dakota to take up and pass this meaningful reform in this session.

A state hearing before a court-appointed special master that will discuss emails exchanged by the New Orleans Saints and Catholic officials from the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be open to the public. We applaud this decision and are grateful that the public will have the opportunity to be involved in the next step of this critical battle for transparency.

News of a member of the media being stalked for reporting the truth is disturbing and highlights an ongoing concern of advocates, not just in Buffalo, but nationwide.