Media Statements
We are SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We are the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns and others).
A former Michigan Catholic priest is arrested for solicitation of minors; SNAP reacts
Aaron Nowicki, a former priest from the Catholic Diocese of Marquette who was removed from ministry in 2019, has been arrested in a sting operation for allegedly attempting to meet children for sex. We are grateful for this arrest, and we hope this will encourage others who may have been harmed by Nowicki or anyone else in the Diocese to come forward and make a report to law enforcement.
More than 900 child sex abuse claims were filed against the Diocese of Buffalo; SNAP does the math.
Over 900 claims of child sexual abuse have been filed against the Diocese of Buffalo, a number that is reported to be the largest number of claims ever filed against a single Catholic diocese in bankruptcy. These staggering numbers will surely rock the public.
The sheer number of claims reported is mind-boggling. However, we believe this will become a common theme across the country as ‘windows to justice’ continue to be passed by state legislatures. Sadly, given what we have seen over the course of our history, we are not surprised at the numbers, nor are we surprised at the content and description of these claims.
SNAP commends the parishioner who exposed an abusive Catholic priest 25 ago for sharing his story publicly, calls on the Diocese of Springfield to be fully transparent
Earlier today a former parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, came forward publicly to reveal that in 1977 he confronted the Rev. Daniel L. Gill, the assistant pastor at the parish, about a 14-year-old girl's report of sexual molestation by the priest. Russell G. Powell also said that he informed Fr. Gill's superior of the accusation and of the priest's admission of guilt. Fr. Gill subsequently disappeared from the parish, Russell said, and later was transferred to another Catholic church in Brimfield.
Another Clergy Abuse Lawsuit Filed in Florida
A priest who was in charge of four Catholic schools on Florida's gulf coast is being sued for the first time for alleged child sexual abuse.
Catholic Diocese of Fresno acknowledges abuse can happen at the hands of a layperson of trust; SNAP wants more information
The text accompanying the "Safe and Sacred Safe Environment Training" video put out by the Catholic Diocese of Fresno reads, “Report sexual abuse of a minor by a priest, deacon, church/school volunteer or church/school employee by calling the Victim Assistance Hotline Number – 559-488-7400. Reports are held in strictest confidence.”
Since the Fresno Diocese explicitly acknowledges that Church volunteers and lay employees can abuse, we wonder why its list of the "credibly accused" only includes religious brothers? Were there no reports of abuse by nuns, teachers, and other lay employees or volunteers? We would find that hard to believe since every Catholic diocese that has been investigated by secular authorities has uncovered abusers in those categories. We hope that Bishop Joseph Brennan will clarify this. The list should either be expanded or the Bishop should state unequivocally to the public he has no reports that a nun, Catholic school teacher, lay employee, or volunteer has ever been accused of abusing a child in Fresno.
Three years since the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report on Six Catholic Dioceses, SNAP Board President pens his thoughts.
We are approaching the three-year anniversary of the Pennsylvania Attorney General Grand Jury report, a scathing document that demonstrated systemic issues with childhood sexual abuse and a decades-long campaign to cover up child sex crimes in every Roman Catholic Diocese within the Commonwealth. Let us take a moment to examine the best of what has come from the release of this report and then focus on where we have fallen short of protecting future generations of Pennsylvania children from sexual assault.
Cleric who Taught in New Jersey and Ireland is Sued for Abuse in New York
A cleric who helped run a New Jersey Catholic school is being sued for the first time for alleged child sexual abuse.
Missing in Action: Where are the Nuns?
Guest blog by Mary Dispenza
Recent news articles about the burial of hundreds of indigenous children neglect to mention a major player in this story: nuns. Why are they missing from this unsettling story? Nuns were also abusers, or accomplices as puppets at the hands of Bishops and priests in carrying out devastating acts.
Former Catholic priest Craig Harrison appears on Fresno's list of "credibly accused" clergy, SNAP calls for release of records
The former Monsignor Craig Harrison's name appears on the list of "credibly accused" clerics recently released by the Diocese of Fresno. Harrison has vigorously denied the allegations against him, even filing lawsuits for defamation against some of his accusers. We call on Catholic officials in Fresno to release the findings that landed the former Monsignor on their list. We believe this information is critical to help survivors and the communities where Harrison worked to heal.
Despite Harrison’s name appearing on the Diocesan list, criminal charges were never filed against him because of the statute of limitations. However, we find it notable that the Fresno County District Attorney's Office also deemed the accusations against the former Monsignor "credible." We know from studies that false allegations of child sexual abuse are rare, and multiple false allegations are even rarer.
SNAP Applauds Release of Diocese of Fresno CA List of Accused Clerics, But Believes Important Information Is Missing
After years of refusal, Catholic officials in Fresno have finally followed the lead of nearly 160 other dioceses around the country and released a list of clerics known to have abused children. While we applaud this effort, we believe that the list needs improvement.