Attorney ensures victims' stories are told
WILMINGTON — In the spring of 2011, when attorneys representing 152 victims of sexual abuse by priests were close to settling with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, attorney Thomas Neuberger made a promise to his clients.
No matter what happened with the settlement, he said, he would make sure their stories were told – free of the filter of media or church – by writing a book.
“They wanted to make sure their voices would be heard, and they wouldn’t be forgotten,” Neuberger said.
After more than a year away from his law firm, Neuberger has fulfilled his promise publishing, “When Priests Become Predators: Profiles of Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors.”
The 427-page book, with an additional 40 pages of footnotes, has been sent free of charge to a number of libraries across the country, where Neuberger hopes it will be a valuable reference for others dealing with or studying child sexual abuse.
Much of the book is drawn directly from court transcripts and depositions from legal actions against or involving the Diocese of Wilmington, its parishes and abuser priests.
Diocese officials declined to comment on Neuberger’s book.
John Vai, one of 12 sex abuse survivors whose stories are chronicled, praised the book and said his one-time attorney did “a wonderful job with summarizing the whole experience of the victim.”
The sexual abuse “burned us all, and it will never go away,” Vai said.
It was shortly after Vai’s civil case went to trial in December 2010, when a jury ordered St. Elizabeth Church to compensate Vai $3 million plus $1 for abuse he suffered as a child, that the Diocese of Wilmington reached a settlement with victims in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
To read the whole story, http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20121226/NEWS/312260039/Attorney-ensures-victims-stories-told
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