PA--Investigation into actor/ex-Penn State athletes re-opens; Victims respond
For immediate release: Friday, Oct. 28, 2016
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Orange County, volunteer western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949 322 7434, [email protected])
We are grateful that the case against actor, director and former Penn State athlete Nate Parker is being re-examined.
Our hearts ache for the family of the young woman who took her own life after reporting rape allegations against Parker. Our hearts also ache for the good staff and students at Penn State whose institution is again suffering because of charges that employees again showed difference and preference to an athlete over an alleged victim.
According to the New York Times, Parker was
--“cited for violating (a university) directive” that he and his accuser were to “stay away from each other” and
--suspended, then reinstated, while facing criminal charges, and
--kicked off the Penn State wrestling team in 2001 and transferred to the University of Oklahoma.
We suspect Oklahoma officials new about the allegations against him and also kept silent about them. We hope we're wrong. And we called on university officials at both schools to be more forthcoming about this case. We call on Oklahoma officials to disclose what they knew about Parker's past when they accepted him into their school.
We agree with Boulder Colorado attorney Baine Kerr who says Penn State “should have done more” in this case years ago.
We hope anybody who saw, suspected or suffered crimes by Parker or cover-ups by Penn State will come forward, get help, call police, expose wrongdoers, deter deception and start healing.
No matter what officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in universities or institutions – especially at Penn State – to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 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 (314-503-0003 cell, [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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