Rome- Francis' top financial aide admits intimidating victims; SNAP responds

For immediate release: Wednesday, March 26, 2014 

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])

Francis' new pick to head his financial team admits he tried to discourage victims from suing church officials.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/26/pell-vigorous-defence-against-ellis-was-to-deter-other-claimants 

Here's how a Guardian article begins today: 

The “vigorous” defense against abuse victim John Ellis was seen as an opportunity to show future claimants they should think twice before litigating against the Catholic Church, Cardinal George Pell has admitted. 

The full article is worth reading.

To many clergy sex abuse victims, Pell's promotion feels like a kick in the gut and another case in which an obvious and egregious church wrongdoer gets rewarded instead of getting punished.

(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]), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, [email protected])


Showing 2 comments

SNAP Network is a GuideStar Gold Participant