MO - Archbishop loses at appeal court
Archbishop loses at appeals court
Victim is “a step closer” to getting 115 accused predators’ names
For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014
For more information: David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Director (314) 566-9790 cell, [email protected]
St. Louis’ Catholic archbishop lost his bid today to overturn a judge’s ruling so he will soon have to turn over to a young woman and her lawyer the names of accused church employees who are credibly accused of molesting kids.
The decision means that St. Louis Judge Robert Dierker’s original order stands and Archbishop Robert Carlson must give the names to an alleged victim and her attorney, Ken Chackes of St. Louis.
Carlson has successfully delayed the disclosure for more than seven months. Carlson’s legal conduct, Dierker wrote, “borders on if not amounts to contempt.”
Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are applauding the ruling.
“We are grateful that this brave young woman is persisting and that the appeals court says Catholic officials must follow the same rules as other defendants in child sex abuse cases,” said David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP’s director.
The girl, who was sexually violated for years (until around 2000) by Fr. Joseph D. Ross at St. Cronan’s parish in the city, is represented by attorneys Ken Chackes and Nicole Gorovsky. She filed her civil suit in 2011.
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