Ten years after the Boston Globe revealed the Catholic abuse scandal, the cover up continues
Ten years ago, a Boston Globe series put the Catholic abuse and cover up crisis on the front pages of newspapers across the globe.
Now, a decade later, is a good time to re-examine the question that so many people have asked: "how did Catholic officials successfully conceal so many child sex crimes by so many priests, nuns, brothers, and seminarians for so long?
Here's the simplest answer: "because they could."
And why could they? Because of the archaic, arbitrary, predator-friendly statute of limitations that actually and perversely gives criminals and their supporters the incentive to destroy evidence, intimidate victims, discredit whistleblowers, threaten witnesses, fabricate alibis and run from law enforcement.
The sad thing is, church authorities were often told of these crimes because victims and their families expected better. They had gone first to police and lawyers, but were told “the statute of limitations has run out, there’s nothing we can do.” In a last ditch attempt for healing and justice they turn to the church, but again find only empty promises and more betrayal.
So is there is a better way - other than to repeal and reform these dangerous deadlines - to "celebrate" the ten year anniversary of the ground-breaking work by victims, advocates, police, prosecutors and journalists, and to bring this on-going crisis to widespread public attention?
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