BSA Files for Bankruptcy, SNAP Reacts
Following in the footsteps of other organizations with similar legacies of sexual abuse and secrecy, including Roman Catholic dioceses and U.S.A. Gymnastics, the Boy Scouts of America today filed for bankruptcy protection. Our biggest concern is that this bankruptcy will prevent survivors from having the opportunity to hold the scouts accountable in court, as well as to learn what was known about their abuser, when it was known, and who knew it.
In recent years, an expert hired by the Boy Scouts reported that there were nearly 8,000 “perpetrators” in the group's so-called "perversion files." Last year, a group of attorneys began seeking out people who were abused as scouts and fielded nearly 2,000 complaints, including one in every state. This is surely only the tip of the iceberg given the sheer number of acknowledged abusers. One lawyer believes that there may be as many as 100,000 victims.
Reportedly, the national organization has approximately $1.4 billion in assets. We hope the court will carefully examine the financial assets presented as available to make restitution to survivors, as we know that Catholic dioceses that sought Chapter 11 protection reportedly shielded at least $2 billion in assets to limit abuse payouts.
We also hope that the bankruptcy court will elect to reveal information on the perpetrators and the cover up of abuse in addition to allocating money for settlements . Without this information becoming public, children will remain at risk from these "hidden predators."
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Board Member ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (zhiner@[email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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