Aus- Abuse inquiry Terms of Reference announced, SNAP responds
We applaud the prime minister for establishing this inquiry and setting the terms of reference.
It’s crucial that current and former employees be questioned under oath as to how much church officials have known and how little they have done to protect the children. The commission must be aggressive in finding and questioning these officials, even if they have retired or moved elsewhere or claim special privileges or protections of some sort.
It’s also crucial that no one get complacent now. It will be tempting for many concerned individuals to sit back and convince themselves that they’re “off the hook” and that the commission will “fix” everything. Nothing could be further from the truth.
One reason tens of thousands of Australian kids have been sexually assaulted is because of naïve beliefs like this. No adult can ever be passive about children’s safety. No adult can ever assume “Someone else will expose this predator,” “report these troubling behaviors,” or “call police.”
Commission or no commission, every one of us must share what we know or suspect about pedophiles and their allies
We can’t make this any more clear or say it any more emphatically: Every single person who knows or suspects anything about child sex crimes and cover ups in any institution – be they ordained or lay, employee or volunteer, member or ex-member – has a civic and moral duty to pick up the phone or the pen and contact law enforcement officials or commission members right away.
That’s the only way kids will really be safer.
We hope the commission’s work will enable the light of truth to be shed on the darkness of evil that has shattered the innocence of so many children and robbed them of the chance to reach their full potential in life. And we hope it will deter other officials from ignoring, concealing and enabling child sex crimes in the present and the future.
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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