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The
Survivors Network of
those Abused by Priests
SNAP Press
Statement
Statement
Regarding Privacy
of Shanley Victim
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis,
National Director of SNAP
314 566 9790
January 8, 2004
We ache for all of Shanley's victims, whether they were abused
as children, as teens or as adults.
We are grateful that at least four of them found the strength and
courage to do what every citizen who is sexually assaulted should
do: turn to the criminal justice system to try and protect others.
It's terribly sad that in 2005 protecting the privacy of men and
women who were raped and sodomized by Catholic clerics is still
somehow up for debate. The victims of sex crimes deserve better.
Should Shanley's hardball defense lawyer prevail, it will have a
chilling effect on rape and abuse victims even beyond Massachusetts.
It will hamstring efforts by police and prosecutors to safeguard
the vulnerable from serial predators, and will contradict and undermine
years of progress made by the victims' rights movement.
We remain hopeful and confident that justice will be done, others
who were wounded and are still suffering will come forward, Shanley
will be prosecuted, and families will be safer when he is behind
bars.
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Survivors Network
of those Abused by Priests
www.snapnetwork.org
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