California to review sex-abuse responses of all 12 dioceses
SAN FRANCISCO (AP/KRON) - The California attorney general’s office will review how all 12 Roman Catholic dioceses in the state handled allegations of child sexual abuse that have resulted in payouts of hundreds of millions of dollars to victims.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent out letters to the dioceses on Thursday, requesting that officials preserve documents relating to abuse allegations involving clergy, staffers and volunteers that were received from 1996 to the present.
The attorney general’s office will look into whether the archdiocese properly reported the allegations under California law.
The request could be the first step toward a full investigation of California dioceses, which serve an estimated 10 million worshippers.
Melanie Sakoda with Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) says she along with other advocates, feel the Catholic church isn't transparent enough to do an investigation.
"In general they have underreported. I think they have minimized," she said. "Until you get all of that information out there, you don't have a good idea of what happened and you don't know who knew what, who knew when, and what did they do about it. I think that's what the attorney general is focusing on."
Half of the state's diocese, including San Francisco and San Jose, were asked to voluntarily submit their documents in the ne...
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