Media Statements

Another Detroit priest is accused of child sexual abuse. We call on officials at the Archdiocese of Detroit to do more than the bare minimum in their outreach.

The Aotearoa-New Zealand chapter is founded by Dr Christopher Longhurst, a survivor of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers at two Catholic schools in New Zealand in the 1980s. Chris recently discovered that others abused by priests and religious started support groups within the SNAP network, and this grew worldwide. Chris is now the peer-support facilitator for the Aotearoa-New Zealand SNAP chapter.

Two priests in the Diocese of Buffalo who had previously been removed from ministry for “unwanted sexual advances” towards adult parishioners have been reassigned, leading to outrage from area parishioners.

Church members are prohibited from suing church officials, according to contracts that some large Protestant churches are asking congregants to sign. These contracts – often called ‘covenants’ – are dangerous documents that will make it even harder to expose church staff who commit or conceal crimes like sexual abuse.

A Pennsylvania bishop has reportedly kept hidden a second abuse report against one of his priests. We call on the prelate to learn from this serious mistake, and to aggressively seek out other victims who may still be suffering in shame and self-blame.

To the Attorneys General currently investigating cases of clergy sex abuse,

We are leaders of two of the United States’ foremost groups dealing with the issue of clergy sex abuse. While our organizations personnel and makeup may differ, we stand together in order to support survivors of clerical abuse and to advocate for change that prevents future cases of abuse from ever occurring in the first place.

A Catholic religious order has released names of 50 credibly accused child molesting clerics and 21 of them worked or lived in Oregon. Now that same order must update their list to include full work histories and whereabouts of the accused.

In letter to top law enforcement officials across the US, survivors concerned that bishops "self-policing" policy will continue abuse and cover ups.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has now formally agreed to the “Metropolitan Plan,” a proposed measure for accountability for bishops.

A former Michigan State University official has been convicted of misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty in his connection to the Larry Nassar scandal. We are grateful to the jurors for this conviction and we believe that it will give survivors in Michigan hope.