Yet Another Catholic Priest in Knoxville Under Investigation for Sexual Abuse
Yet another case of clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Knoxville has been made public, the latest in a string of scandals to befall Tennessee’s youngest diocese. We hope that this news will cause parents and parishioners to demand more transparency and accountability from Church leaders in Knoxville.
According to news reports, Fr. Antony D. Punnackal has been both indicted criminally and sued civilly on allegations that he sexually harassed and abused an adult female parishioner in 2017 while working at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Gatlinburg. We applaud this brave victim for coming forward and believe that her actions will help protect other parishioners in Knoxville and beyond.
This news comes as Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville is already facing a Vos Estis investigation for his role in impeding investigations into sexual abuse in his Diocese. The fact that yet another priest from Knoxville has been indicted on charges related to sexual abuse clearly demonstrates that there is a problem that needs to be cleaned up. We hope this latest news will encourage Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slattery III to investigate the ongoing cases of abuse and cover-up happening throughout his state.
"Again, we are all victims of a cover-up by the Catholic Church in Tennessee," said Susan Vance of the Tennessee chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "When will the lies stop and the cover-up by the Diocese be exposed? Adult sexual exploitation and assault appears to be on the rise in the Church and needs to be addressed. Bishop Stika needs to resign."
CONTACT: Susan Vance, SNAP Tennessee ([email protected], 865-748-3518), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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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