Advocacy Group for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse Urge Judge to Uphold Sentence
A Catholic priest, who pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse and received the maximum term, will have his petition for reconsideration of the sentence heard tomorrow.
Fr. Michael Guidry admitted his guilt in March and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with three years suspended, the following month. In May Fr. Guidry filed a motion for reconsideration of his sentence, which will be heard today.
Our hearts go out to Oliver Peyton and his family. The priest’s maximum prison sentence no doubt offered this survivor and those who love him some small degree of healing. Now, having believed the matter to be over and done with, they are once again subjected to a stressful wait while the sentence is reconsidered.
We were grateful that Judge Alonzo Harris gave Fr. Guidry the maximum prison term, since Oliver received a life sentence when the cleric betrayed his trust and assaulted him. The judge appeared to recognize the great harm inflicted on a victim when he said at sentencing that “there are certain things in life we just can’t tolerate.”
Our hope is that Judge Harris will uphold Fr. Guidry’s sentence and again show himself to be a champion for survivors.
CONTACT: Richard Windmann, SNAP Louisiana ([email protected], 682-710-1965), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator (925-708-6175, [email protected]), Tim Lennon, SNAP President (415-313-5820, [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 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