Ok- Top Jehovah’s Witness officials may face criminal charges, SNAP responds
For immediate release: Monday, February 10, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected])
An Oklahoma prosecutor is charging that top Jehovah’s Witness officials knew about but concealed allegations of child rape. We are glad that the DA’s office is working to expose these heinous crimes.
When officials conceal sex crimes, they are not only breaking the law, they are doing a huge disservice to the people and families that trust them. Victims who have suffered immeasurable pain and hardship are hurt anew when trusted officials hide crimes.
Now, every Jehovah’s Witness official who knew of or suspected or concealed these heinous crimes should be ousted and prosecuted for failure to report possible child sex crimes to law enforcement. If convicted, they should experience the most severe penalties possible. That's how we as a society deter such callous recklessness in the future.
We hope this case gives courage to anyone who saw, suspects or experienced abuse. We hope it prods them to call law enforcement. We also hope prosecutors across the US will use this case as an example to pursue charges against officials who conceal sex crimes.
(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]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747,[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
Showing 11 comments
How can say what you said when I pointed out the people that commit such acts no matter what religion they belong to are simply vile criminals. Thank you for your time and message.
Think it’s only correct if whoever commits for that criminal to be prosecuted according to the Law no matter what denomination that criminal belongs to even more when it has to with violence which an action of perverseness and Permeation is among other crimes, firstly against Jehovah God and his holy Son Jesus Christ.
Because any action of Perverseness and Permeation means turning away from that which is right, and turning the other eye and let it pass “I’ am Command” if these criminals were Jehovah witness before committing this shameful crimes most certainly after committing such abhorrent crimes by their repulsive actions they have renegade Jehovah the Grand Creator as their God and therefore these are not Jehovah Witnesses, Jehovah witnesses can be any one but he as a witness of Jehovah has to adhere by Sovereign Lord Jehovah’s Commandments and principals (Isa 28:7-8, 29:13; Mal 2:1-2, 7-9, 10, 17; Joh 14:21; 2 Ti 3:1-4,5; Jas 1:26-27, 2:8-9, 24; 1Jo 5:2-3, 9-12). And those abhorrent actions pain the Most High God, Sovereign Lord Jehovah “Ge 6:5-8; Ps 83:17-18”
Secondly its a great crime against humanity because Jesus said you must Love your neighbor as yourself which means among other things, whatever that is good. that I want for myself, I should want for my neighbor and whatever I do not want to happen to me, I should want to happen my neighbor. Therefore if these shams, knowing what was happening and they cover it up, instead of condemned it and repudiated such ones from their midst they have constituted themselves as witnesses of Satan but not Jehovah (Eze 18:24; Mar 12:31; Jo 3:23-24, 4:7-10, 11-12, 20-21).