SNAP says that justice requires action, not delay
For immediate release, Sept. 10, 2018
Statement by Tim Lennon, President of SNAP, [email protected], 415-312-5820
Archbishop Kurtz expressed concern and interest in change in response to today's activism by two-dozen Catholic sex abuse victims and other advocates.
We question why he didn't act to address sexual abuse in his archdiocese prior to this? We wonder why he needs to wait until next month to respond to demands for justice? Couldn't he simply list publicly all those who have been accused of abuse in his archdiocese?
The Archbishop noted that a “third party audit” found the Archdiocese in compliance. However, we believe that the six Pennsylvania dioceses investigated in the grand jury report were also found to have been "in compliance."
Despite this finding, before the grand jury investigation the public knew of ten predators in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania diocese. After the report came out we discovered that there were actually seventy! This **independent** investigation also called out all six diocese for the widespread sexual abuse of children and minors, as well as the systemic coverup of sexual abuse of children and minors by the Church officials.
https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/report/
What would a Pennsylvania-like investigation of the Louisville Archdiocese find? Every parishioner, every community member, should contact the Kentucky attorney general and demand, beg, and implore a similar independent grand jury in this state. We cannot simply trust the church hierarchy to tell us the truth or protect our children.
We encourage victims who are still suffering in silence and shame to come forward. We urge them to share their truth with a family member, a friend, a counselor, or with a support group like ours. They are not alone.
Those who have suffered abuse or who witnessed or suspect abuse should also contact police, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred happened.
Those who were abused in Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey can also reach out to the hotlines set up by the attorneys general in those states:
Pennsylvania: 855-363-6548
New York: 800-771-7755
New Jersey: 855-363-6548
(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 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Melanie Sakoda, (925) 708-6175, [email protected], Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [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