CA- Davis priest arrested for sexually molesting girl - Victims respond
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director, 949.322.7434, [email protected]
The sexual molestation of a child by a person in a position of power—especially religious power—is a crime.
The term "statutory rape" is troublesome. It implies that the victim—a child—has the power to consent to a sexual relationship with a much older adult in a position of power. Not only was Fr. Hector Coria an adult who should have known better, but he is also a priest with a moral and religious authority. And now, he has allegedly sexually molested a child. That is a crime with devastating effects on the victim, the community and the public.
We encourage Davis and Yolo County law enforcement to vigorously investigate this case, seek out other victims, and encourage witnesses to come forward. Coria has only been a priest for a short time, and we fear that there may be other victims from his time in the seminary and after his 2011 ordination.
We also urge Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto to reach out to the Spanish speaking communities where Coria worked, as well as the student community at UC Davis, where Coria conducted seminars and retreats. We beg Soto to act quickly and reach out to parishioners to ensure that they understand the gravity of Coria's alleged crimes and do not act in ways that alienate and re-victimize girls who may have been abused, as we saw in the case of Redding priest Fr. Uriel Ojeda.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 15,000 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])
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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