Media Statements

For immediate release: Friday, Jan. 242014

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])

The Vatican has made another depressing appointment by promoting Lexington Bishop Ronald Gainer to head the Harrisburg diocese. In fact, this may be Pope Francis' most distressing promotion yet.

For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 23 2014

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])

We commend the courageous victim of an abusive priest and Scout leader who is seeking justice. Kids being abused by more than one predator is more common than many would ever expect.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-lawsuit-tag-team-of-former-priest-exscout-leader-molested-kids-20140123,0,2869239.story

For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 23 2014

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])

We are grateful that this criminal priest will be kept away from kids for a long time. But there's more work for church officials - Lutheran and Catholic - to do.

http://www.freep.com/article/20140123/NEWS03/301230090/timothy-murray-father-sentenced

For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 23

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])

A convicted sex offender, Dennis Sobin of Washington DC, is putting the names and photos of children's advocates and legislators on a website, attacking them for backing sex offender registries.

For immediate release Thursday January 23, 2014

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])

A Florida jury has awarded $12.5 million to a man who, as a child, was sexually abused by a Baptist minister. Earlier, another Florida jury found the Florida Baptist Convention liable for the crimes because it refused to take minimal prevention steps.

http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-78973906/

For immediate release: Wednesday, Jan. 22

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])

A Pennsylvania priest has pled guity to felony corruption of minors.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140122/NEWS/140129911/-1/NEWSMAP

http://citizensvoice.com/news/local-priest-pleads-guilty-to-corrupting-minors-1.1621143 

When it's time to sentence this predator priest, it's important that the judge have a full picture of his wrongdoing. So we strongly urge Scranton's bishop to use his vast resources to reach ot ot others who have seen suspected or suffered Fr. Paulish's crimes.

We also urge anyone with suspicions or knowledge about his misdeeds to step forward now, help protect kids, and start healing.

 (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 23 years and have more than 10,000 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 (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]) 

Victims want more prosecution efforts

For immediate release Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Statement by Kate Botche, SNAP leader (630-768-1860, [email protected])

We are here to call on every Chicagoland law enforcement agency within the boundaries of the Chicago archdiocese to simply try harder to pursue Catholic staff who commit and conceal child sex crimes.

Detroit priest to be sentenced for child porn; SNAP responds

For immediate release Wednesday, January 22

Statement by Barbara Dorris, SNAP Outreach Director, 314-503 0003, [email protected]

A Detroit priest will be sentenced tomorrow for child porn. We hope he gets the maximum sentence.

http://www.freep.com/article/20140121/NEWS05/301210132/Catholic-priest-abuse-child-pornography-Lutheran 

Father Timothy Murray escaped prosecution for sexually assaulting a child - even though he admitted the crimes - due to archaic statute of limitations on these crimes. He has now been convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography and is awaiting sentencing. 

For immediate release: Monday, Jan. 21 2014

For more information: David Clohessy, 314 566 9790, [email protected]. SNAP, P.O. Box 6416, Chicago, IL 60680-6416

Trial set for predator priest

He was convicted before in 1980s

Now, he's accused of molesting again

Cleric was in three mid-Missouri counties

After leaving his Catholic post, he was a counselor

For immediate release: Friday, Jan. 17, 2014

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])

This is a decades-late drop in bucket. Defrocking predator priests is less about safeguarding kids. It's more about church damage control.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/pope-benedict-def. rocked-400-priests-years-article-1.1583143

Yesterday in Geneva, Catholic officials claimed to be essentially powerless over pedophile priests. Today, Catholic officials are saying how many they've defrocked.