Amish Leader Charged with Failing to Report Child Sexual Abuse
An Amish bishop from Pennsylvania has been charged with failing to report child sexual abuse. We believe these charges are a move in the right direction, and we hope that this story will remind church leaders nationwide of their responsibility to protect the vulnerable by reporting all suspicions of sex crimes to police.
In this case, an Amish leader named Levi S. Esh, Sr. was alleged to have known that a church member had sexually assaulted at least three young girls. The bishop chose to handle the matter internally, excommunicating the abuser instead of turning him over to law enforcement. Yet this decision put other children at risk by keeping the allegations hidden and allowing the accused to remain free.
We hope that this story and example will lead church leaders to realize that handling serious crimes like sexual abuse internally is a dangerous and foolish move. For the sake of the vulnerable and the community, all cases of child sexual abuse should immediately be sent to secular law enforcement for investigation. This is the best way to keep children safe, and is something that needs to happen in every community, regardless of faith tradition or location.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP 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