Pennsylvania bishops' reparation fund not the answer survivors say

September 22, 2018

For immediate release, September 22, 2018

Statement by Mike McDonnell, 267-261-4045, [email protected]

Yesterday the Pennsylvania bishops announced that they are considering setting up a reparation fund to compensate victims of abusive clergy. However SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, believes that victims want and deserve justice, not just money. Survivor needs are better addressed by changes to the state's statute of limitations and a civil window.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/09/pas_catholic_bishops_vow_to_cr.html

SNAP believes that the real reason for this suggestion is to deflect attention away from the public outrage over the systemic cover up of sexual abuse in the Pennsylvania dioceses. The anger directed at the bishops' callous disregard for children' safety may be all that is necessary to prod the legislature to enact statute of limitation reform and to open a civil window.

Even if established, this fund will not protect a single child or expose a single wrongdoer or end a single cover up. Similar proposals in New York have given victims who were beyond the statute of limitations money, but little else. The names of abusers were not made public, nor were any Church records released, exposing what was known, when and by whom.

It is also important to recognize that the Church's steadfast opposition to legislative reform does not just deny Catholic survivors justice, it prevents all victims from having their day in court.

We hope that people are not fooled by this latest public relations ploy. A civil window and permanent changes to the statute of limitations are the best deterrents to future cover ups in the Catholic Church, and in other institutions.

The Pennsylvania grand jury is still investigating and taking calls. HOTLINE: 888-538-8541

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]); Judy Jones (636-433-2511, [email protected]), Michael McDonnell, (267-261-4045 [email protected] )

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Showing 1 comment

Richard Kensinger, MSW commented 2018-09-24 17:10:52 -0500
I reside in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese in PA. I’ve divorced the Church, and I provide free consultations for 4 men in my area who were repeatedly sexually attacked by clergy. In our diocese 46 of the 50 predators identified are clergy. None to date have been arrested nor convicted. Two committed suicide to avoid apprehension. Not just for the victims, we as a culture demand conviction and long-term incarceration. To the best of my clinical knowledge, there is no intervention that significantly reduces pedophilia. In fact, researchers @ Harvard suggest that pedophilia is a sexual orientation.
Rich, MSW

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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.

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Warmly,

Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.

Interim Executive Director

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