Accused Catholic Priest Back in Ministry; SNAP Worries about the Safety of Children
(For Immediate Release April 7, 2022)
Rev. Martin H. Demek was preaching again at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bolton Hill, one year after he was placed on leave following an accusation of child sexual abuse. SNAP is worried that the Archdiocese of Baltimore is putting children at risk by returning Fr. Demek to ministry.
SNAP believes the brave survivor who came forward because we know that false allegations of child sexual abuse are extremely rare. While we understand that law enforcement did not file any charges against Fr. Demek, we strongly suspect that this was because the accusations were beyond the statute of limitations, nothing more.
Countless times in the past, Catholic officials have "cleared' clerics and put them back into parishes, only later having to remove them again when additional accusations are reported. We are concerned that this history could repeat itself in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
We beg anyone who may have suffered, seen, or suspected child sex crimes in the Baltimore Archdiocese to summon the strength to speak up. Today's children are safer when adults are courageous enough to call police, prosecutors, therapists, or support groups like ours with information or suspicions about the sexual abuse of boys and girls.
CONTACTS: David Lorenz, SNAP Maryland ([email protected], 301-906-9161), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), 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 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