Victims from 4 countries confront Catholic officials

SNAP tells them "Talk to police & victims, not one other"

They’ll walk around plaza handing out fliers about clergy crimes

Group wants no more abuse ”symbolism, apologies & healing masses”

Such public relations gestures "distract public & hurt victims," they say

Instead, church staff should "post names of predator priests," SNAP believes

Victims also challenge Cardinals to each spend two hours doing ‘outreach’ next week

WHAT
As Catholic cardinals from around the world talk about abuse today in Rome, clergy sex abuse victims from four countries will hold two events nearby.

1) Holding signs and childhood photos of victims at an indoor news conference, they will urge Cardinals to
---stop making symbolic gestures about abuse, and instead
---each spend two hours publicly reaching out to victims next week through “practical steps” (which victims will spell out and consider ‘proven ways’ to protect the innocent and to help victims heal).

2) Wearing cardboard signs and childhood photos at an outdoor plaza, they will walk for two hours while handing out fliers. The leaflets urge those who saw, suspected, or suffered child sex crimes to speak up, find help, protect others, call police, expose wrong-doers and start healing.

WHO
4-5 victims of sexual abuse and their supporters from 4 different countries who are members of an international support group for clergy abuse victims (including adults from Germany, Belgium, England and the United States)

WHERE/WHEN : Friday, November 19

DETAILS
1:00 p.m. at the Visconti Palace Hotel, Via Federico Cesi 37, 00193 Roma T 06.594848, in Rome
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in Piazza Novona, on the west side of the square, in Rome

WHY
Today, 200 Cardinals from across the globe will talk at the Vatican for two hours about sexual abuse.

But victims heal best, SNAP says, when they know that children are protected from predator. So SNAP leaders will lay out five specific steps they are urging every Catholic prelate across the globe to do safeguard vulnerable children right away. They will ask bishops and cardinals to act immediately regardless of what action or inaction the Vatican itself may or may not take.

Specifically and immediately, victims are urging prelates across the world to a) spend two hours next week publicly reaching out to others who may have been hurt in the church and “are still suffering in silence, shame and self-blame,” and b) turn over to police and prosecutors the personnel files of proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics.

SNAP members believe that genuine reformers solicit outside help, rather than merely meeting with one another. They want church officials to turn over files and cases to independent authorities in government and law enforcement.

In the past year tens of thousands of abuse victims – molested by priest, nuns, bishops, seminarians and other church employees - have begun speaking up across Europe. SNAP believes tens of thousands more need prodding by church officials, and others, before they will step forward and take action that will both help themselves and protect others.

CONTACT
Joelle Casteix (SNAP USA Leader), jcasteix@gmail.com, +1 949 322 7434
Lieve Halsberghe (SNAP Belgium Leader), SNAPbelgium@gmail.com, +32 475 910 918
Lucy Duckworth (SNAP England Leader), SNAPengland@gmail.com, +44 780 505 7270
Norbert Denef (networkB /www.netzwerkB.org) and SNAP Germany, norbert.denef@netzwerkb.org, +49 (0)4503 892782, +49 (0)163 1625091
Barbara Blaine, (SNAP President), snapblaine@gmail.com , +1 312 399 4747
David Clohessy (SNAP Executive Director), snapclohessy@aol.com, +1 314 566 9790