Abuse victims beg LA Attorney General Landry to initiate statewide investigation
Abuse victims beg LA Attorney General Landry to initiate statewide investigation
They want professionally staffed hotline for victims to report sexual abuse
They also urge local police & prosecutors to "be more aggressive"
“Law enforcement must do more,” group says, “if children are to be better protected”
WHAT
Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference clergy sex abuse victims will, in the wake of a scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report about Catholic clergy sex crimes and cover ups:
--beg Louisiana's attorney general to probe clergy sex crimes & cover ups,
--urge him to join a dozen other states and launch a statewide grand jury-style investigation,
--prod local prosecutors across the state to take similar steps, and
--ask all law enforcement personnel in the state to use their resources to ask, beg, and encourage victims, witnesses and whistle blowers to report known or suspected crimes and cover ups to secular authorities.
WHEN
Friday, October 5, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
Outside the office of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, 1885 North Third Street, Baton Rouge
WHO
Two-three clergy sex abuse victims, including the President of the Board of Directors of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY
About 78 Catholic priests across Louisiana have been publicly accused of molesting children. However, the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report has shown that it is highly likely that much remains hidden about these crimes and cover ups in this state as well. SNAP believes that Louisiana's attorney general and local prosecutors are not being assertive or creative enough in exposing and pursuing these wrongdoers.
Only a handful of the predators - and no complicit Church supervisor - have ever been convicted.
No governmental body in the state has done a single investigation of this scandal.
Here's a list of Catholic jurisdictions in the state and the number of proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesting Catholic clerics in each, according to the public database maintained by Boston-based archive group BishopAccountability.org:
Diocese of Alexandria (5),
Diocese of Baton Rouge (7),
Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux (6),
Diocese of Lafayette (25)
Archdiocese of New Orleans Archdiocese (35)
No priests who have been publicly accused of abuse in the Lake Charles or Shreveport Dioceses.
http://bishop-accountability.org/priestdb/PriestDBbydiocese.html#LA
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigation concluded that bishops “followed a playbook for concealing the truth” and while “priests were raping little boys and girls, [bishops] hid it all. For decades.” Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Josh Shapiro also noted “there is evidence that takes this cover-up and what occurred in Pennsylvania directly to the Vatican.”
http://media-downloads.pacourts.us/InterimRedactedReportandResponses.pdf?cb=42148
Pages 1-12
The group maintains that Louisiana bishops have no doubt acted and are acting with similar recklessness, callousness and deceit, which is why it is disappointed in Louisiana Attorney General Lanrdy's opposition to a statewide investigation of the Church.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2018/09_10/2018_09_16_John_Advocate_What_statewide.htm
SNAP hopes that Mr. Landry will reconsider and do more to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, expose the truth and deter future cover ups of child sex crimes.
For examples of more aggressive and creative legal moves by prosecutors against clergy wrongdoers:
http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_fact_sheet_on_innovative_legal_moves_against_catholic_wrongdoers
CONTACT
Tim Lennon, SNAP President (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director, (517-974-9009, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [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