Media Statements

A Victoria-area woman has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and one of its priests, as well as the Diocese of Victoria and a Victoria school. The complaint accuses the clergyman of sexually abusing the woman’s daughter. We stand in support of this mother and her brave child and we hope that this lawsuit will force Catholic officials in Texas to reckon with the ongoing scourge of child sexual abuse and take steps to protect other young lives.

Following a week filled with scandal and the exposed secrets within the Archdiocese of New Orleans, SNAP leadership is calling for the Vatican to intervene in New Orleans similarly to how the Vatican intervened in Buffalo.

Catholic officials in Buffalo are once again trying to deny victims of clergy sexual abuse their day in court, this time by pleading with a federal judge to change the rules that have been established and to reduce the amount of time survivors have to file a claim. We hope that this attempt is rejected by the court and that Diocesan leaders are not able to weasel out of responsibility for the abuse and cover-ups perpetrated within their see.

A longtime friend to SNAP and a brave whistleblower who worked for the protection of children and the vulnerable has passed away. We mourn the loss of our friend and a warrior in the fight for prevention and justice. We hope that the Cleveland community will accord his passing with the honor he deserves.

Keeping child sexual abuse a secret is something that most survivors can empathize with, but this story is a bit different. Three men shared their secret with a friend and mentor while in high school at St. John Prep over forty years ago.  Who was that mentor? Then, Fr. Gregory Aymond, today the Archbishop of New Orleans

A report on abuse and cover-up within the Anglican Church has revealed something that our organization has known for a long time – that institutions will put the desire to avoid scandal above the protection of the people in the community. We hope that this report will cause parishioners and the public to think differently about how they view churches and other organizations. We also hope that the report will lead to increased awareness and vigilance in every community so that children and the vulnerable can be protected from the scourge of sexual abuse.

Another victim has been vindicated by the Kansas City, Missouri, diocese. But a hard look at the list released by Catholic officials in Kansas City shows that they continue to split hairs and obscure the truth.

Last week, a priest was removed from his position after admitting to his superiors that he had sexually abused at least one child. This week, Catholic officials in Louisiana are responding with care and compassion – for the priest, not his victim.

A Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Newark has been arrested on multiple counts of using a juvenile to commit a crime and multiple counts of child endangerment stemming from the cleric’s time as a chaplain at a private Catholic school. While the charges are not child sexual abuse per se, we see in them concerning signs of grooming behavior and call on Archdiocesan officials to do outreach and ensure there are no hidden victims.

A new lawsuit contains disturbing allegations that sadly fit with the pattern of how Catholic officials have handled the problem of clergy sex abusers in their ranks: quietly remove them from their parish, transfer them to a far-away community, and move on. We applaud the brave victim who has brought this lawsuit forward and hope it encourages other indigenous survivors of childhood sexual abuse to speak up and make a report to law enforcement.