120 Investigations into Clergy Abuse in Kansas thanks to KBI
Last year the Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced that they had opened an investigation into clergy abuse in 33 counties throughout their state. Today, the KBI updated Kansans with the news that they have opened 120 individual cases after receiving more than 200 reports from survivors, witnesses, and whistleblowers.
We applaud the KBI not only for launching this investigation but also for taking steps to keep the public informed about their progress. When people see that the reports lead to action, it encourages others who may have information to come forward and share what they have as well. An investigation like this takes time and keeping the public updated along the way is a great decision by the KBI.
We hope that other states around the country will look to the situation in Kansas and see the power that hotlines and confidential reporting can have. Sexually violent crimes already create feelings of fear and shame in victims, so giving survivors multiple pathways to report their abuse in a safe and private manner can help ensure that necessary information about abusers and enablers is passed on to the professionals in law enforcement.
In the past several years, more and more attention has been paid to the issue of clergy abuse which has naturally led to more and more victims coming forward. We call on every single state Bureau of Investigation to create, staff, and fund a hotline to receive these confidential reports and to take steps to investigate and punish those who would abuse children and vulnerable adults as well as anyone who covers-up those crimes.
The KBI is continuing to field reports from survivors and we urge anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered abuse in Kansas to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or by email at [email protected].
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 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