Media Statements

For immediate release Tuesday, January 30, 2018 

Statement by Claudia Vercellotti, SNAP Toledo Leader, [email protected], 419-345-9291

Did it take 150 gymnasts at the university down the road to compel Adrian College to do the right thing and fire Thomas Hodgman? 

And why did Docking sneak Hodgman off campus quietly? Why not make a public announcement? Why spare the reputation of a man who admitted to raping teens and leave it to his victim to learn the truth through rumor? 

Why the cover-up of Hodgman’s firing? Are there other victims? Are there Tittle IX complaints? Has there been a years-long cover-up? Have students who complained of assault been silenced and harassed like Casteix and we were when we tried to shed light on the story?

Is this a cover-up of Penn State and MSU scope and scale?

For immediate release Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of California, Volunteer Member of SNAP’s Board of Directors (925-708-6175, [email protected])

The Vatican announced this morning that Archbishop Charles Scicluna would travel to Chile "to listen to those who have expressed the desire to provide elements" about the allegations against Bishop Juan Barros.

For immediate release Sunday, January 28, 2018

Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of California, Volunteer Member of the Board of Directors for SNAP, the Survivors Network (925-708-6175, [email protected])

In 2016 a California priest, Father Jacob Andrew Bertrand, was charged with having sex with a Minnesota woman while celebrating a private Mass.  According to Minnesota law, it is unlawful for clergy to have sex with people they are not married to while providing religious advice, even if the sex is consensual. On January 22^nd the priest pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. 

https://www.twincities.com/2018/01/23/priest-pleads-guilty-to-sexual-misconduct-during-private-mass-in-mendota-heights/

For immediate release, January 27, 2018

Another alleged sex offender has been “dispensed from the clerical state,” otherwise known as laicized or defrocked. This was an appropriate move by the Vatican. However, the duty of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in this case is far from complete.

http://www.telegram.com/news/20180125/church-defrocks-former-st-peter-marian-headmaster-named-in-sex-abuse-suit

Peter J Inzerillo was a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Wocester when he was named in a 1999 civil lawsuit filed by Edward Gagne. After the diocese settled with Gagne for $300,000 in damages for an alleged sexual assault, Inzerillo was reassigned to different parish and maintained his priestly faculties until 2002.

For immediate release Saturday, January 27, 2018

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Executive Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network (314-503-0003, [email protected])

Former US Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, a serial sex offender, is finally heading to prison after twenty years of complaints against him. We applaud the many young women who have bravely shared their accounts of criminal abuse by Nassar and we offer our support as they continue their respective journeys toward healing. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/us/larry-nassar-michigan-state-investigation.html

For immediate release Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of California, Volunteer East Bay Leader for SNAP, the Survivors Network (925-708-6175, [email protected])

Presentation High graduates Kathryn Leehane and Cheryl Hodgin Marshall started the website Make Pres Safe because they “school administrators failed to act when they came to them with separate stories of abuse.” Leehane explained:

"My hope is that my fellow alums, members of the various boards, and every single person invested in the well-being of the students at PHS read the victim’s stories – hear their voices – and ensure the PHS administration and board do the right thing: take responsibility for their mistakes, apologize to the survivors, and make permanent changes to protect all of the young women entrusted to their care."

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Presentation-High-Alums-Launch-Website-to-Tell-Stories-of-Sexual-Misconduct-in-Their-Own-Words-470609103.html

For immediate release Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of California, Volunteer Member of SNAP’s Board of Directors (925-708-6175, [email protected])

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina today sentenced Larry Nassar to 40-175 years in prison for his crimes. More than 150 women who were abused by the former US Gymnastics doctor as children offered victim impact statements before Aquilina announced her decision.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/ct-larry-nassar-gymnastics-sentencing-20180124-story.html

We applaud Aquilina for giving Nassar a lengthy prison term. When serial predators like the former doctor are given a long time behind bars, victims everywhere breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that a dangerous criminal will not be able to hurt another child while incarcerated.

For immediate release Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of California, Volunteer Member of SNAP’s Board of Directors (925-708-6175, [email protected])

During his recent trip to South America Pope Francis twice told reporters that there is no evidence that Bishop Juan Barros Madrid knew about Father Fernando Karadima’s sexual abuse of children. In doing so the prelate not only ignored the testimony of those men who were victimized by Karadima, he also slandered the victims by accusing them of calumny.

We say: if Pope Francis insists that Barros is innocent: let him put his money where his mouth is.

It seems to us that rather than continuing to make statements that are offensive to abuse survivors, Pope Francis should submit the case to public scrutiny.

For immediate release Monday, January 22, 2018

Statement by Joelle Casteix of California, Volunteer Western Regional Leader of SNAP, the Survivors Network (949-322-7434, [email protected])

Now it seems that the Pope is parsing words in an attempt to fix the damage of his earlier statement. 

Too late.

The Vatican runs its “trials” and keeps its “evidence” under shrouds of secrecy. We don’t know what kinds of evidence the Vatican has, what the Pope knows, what kinds of “proof” and testimony already exist, and how much of it is being kept hidden from victims and civil authorities. If France or the United Kingdom ran trials like that, there would be international outrage. Why do we allow the Vatican to engage in such subterfuge?

For immediate release Friday, January 19, 2018

Statement by Joelle Casteix of California, Volunteer Western Regional Leader of SNAP, the Survivors Network (949-322-7434, [email protected])

Pope Francis’ trip to Chile, which was supposed to be a healing moment, ended with him further alienating Catholic survivors. When a Chilean reporter asked the Pope about the controversial appointment of Bishop Juan Barros, his response was absolutely shocking to SNAP, the Survivors Network. Pope Francis replied to the reporter, "The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I'll speak. There is not one shred of proof against him. It's all calumny. Is that clear?"

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/19/579079786/pope-francis-riles-many-in-chile-by-accusing-bishops-critics-of-slander