MN- Civil lawyers can question McDonough but police can't? SNAP comments
For immediate release: Wednesday, Feb. 12
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
We're glad two top Catholic officials will be deposed about clergy sex crimes and cover ups. But there's something wrong when police cannot question them but civil lawyers can.
We have the deepest respect for law enforcement personnel. But as of just a couple of weeks ago, St. Paul's police chief said his staff have been unable to talk with Fr. Kevin McDonough, who is perhaps the most clearly implicated wrongdoer over his decades of deceit in the archdiocese.
Why not?
We again call on Twin Cities police and prosecutors to step up their efforts to go after Catholic officials who conceal sex crimes against kids.
And less than a week ago, a Ramsey County grand jury indicted a murder suspect. But when we pushed for a grand jury to investigate cover ups of child sex cases by Catholic officials, we were told that in Minnesota, grand juries are “not typically used” in situations like this. (It's not “typical” to have such obviously long standing, widespread and continuing complicity by top officials in covering up child sex crimes as is happening in the archdiocese.)
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/244011331.html
We beg Ramsey County's prosecutor to re-consider his position and set up a grand jury.
We first asked for one almost six months ago. We renew this plea now.
http://www.snapnetwork.org/mn_snap_calls_for_grand_jury_probe_of_archdiocese
We hope we'll soon be proven wrong, but we remain skeptical of claims that law enforcement is doing “everything possible” to investigate and pursue Catholic officials who clearly have – and still are – endangering kids, concealing crimes, stonewalling police, protecting wrongdoers and deceiving parishioners and the public.
(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 25 years and have more than 15,000 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]), Bob Schwiderski of Wayzata (952-471-3422, [email protected]), Frank Meuers of Plymouth (952-334-5180, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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