AL--Accused abusive priest is found not guilty; Victims respond
For immediate release: Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790,314 645 5915 home, [email protected])
We are sad that jurors found an ex-priest not guilty of child sex crimes. We believe this verdict will endanger kids. We’ve spoken to this mom, Christina Presnell, and believe her, her son and her step-son. We’re convinced that Fr. David Stone, also known as Fr. Francis Mary Stone, who worked for the Eternal Word Television Network, is a dangerous cleric.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/05/jury_decides_on_child_abuse_ch_1.html
We applaud this wounded boy and his family. We are deeply grateful that they had the wisdom, courage and strength to expose a dangerous cleric in court and warn others about him. They no doubt feel betrayed again at this point. But we believe that over time, they will be proud of what they’ve achieved.
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2016/05/dad_hurts_me_priests_son_told.html
Fr. Stone has reportedly been suspended. But he is still a priest and should be referred to as a priest.
He purportedly cannot present himself publicly as a priest. But unless he’s been formally defrocked by the Vatican – and we see no evidence that this has happened – he is still a priest. (Most predator priests, including some who are in prison, are not ever defrocked.)
No matter what lawmakers or church officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Catholic churches or institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Dad hurts me': therapist says priest's son said they played 'The Butt Game'
Print Email Greg Garrison | [email protected] By Greg Garrison | [email protected]
on May 25, 2016 at 1:12 PM, updated May 25, 2016 at 2:04 PM
David Stone, 54, formerly known as Father Frances Mary Stone, was host of the TV program "Life on the Rock" on Eternal Word Television Network. He fathered a child born in 2008. The mother was fired from EWTN and Stone was put on long-term leave of absence, according to Jefferson County court documents. (Screenshot from the EWTN program 'Life on the Rock)
The child therapist who initiated an investigation of child abuse against a Birmingham Catholic priest testified today in Jefferson County Court that the priest's son told her that his father made him play what he called "The Butt Game."
A trial began Monday for David Lawrence Stone, a Catholic priest and former EWTN TV host who . . .
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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