SPAIN- Most Spanish abuse charges dropped, Victims respond
For immediate release Monday January 16, 2015
Statement by Miguel Hurtado Calvo of London (UK), Spokesperson of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (+44 (0)7 787 63 82 45 [email protected])
It’s heartbreaking that nearly all of the criminal charges against a dozen suspects in a Spanish clergy sex abuse and cover up case have been dropped.
The ten priests and two laymen who allegedly committed or concealed heinous child sex crimes must still be regarded as dangerous. We feel deeply sad for the courageous victims who reported these crimes to law enforcement. They will no doubt feel devastated by this tragic news.
We strongly suspect that these defendants successfully exploited legal technicalities like the statute of limitations to evade justice. If so, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Given how egregious these charges are, and given how often these priests allegedly assaulted children, we are confident they can still be prosecuted if others who saw, suspected or suffered this horror find the strength to speak up. We urge anyone with information or suspicions about these alleged wrongdoers to call police and prosecutors now.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We were founded in 1988 and have more than 20,000 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 +1 314-566-9790, [email protected], Barbara Dorris +1 314-503-0003, [email protected], Barbara Blaine +1 312-399-4747,[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
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