CAN - Accused predator priest has court hearing today; SNAP responds
For immediate release: Friday, September 6, 2013
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])
Father Damian Cooper, an accused predator Catholic priest, is expected to be in the Vancouver, BC courthouse (800 Smith Street) today.
http://www.theinquiry.ca/wordpress/charged/cooper-father-lawrence-cooper/
An abuse and cover up lawsuit involving him was filed in December 2012 alleging that he sexually abused a teenage girl in the late 1980s to early 1990s. And an application was filed August 8th requesting the BC Supreme Court to order Vancouver Catholic officials to produce documents pertaining to Cooper’s crimes.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2012/11_12/2012_12_13_Hoekstra_WomanSeeks.htm
No matter how today’s hearing turns out, we hope every single person who saw, suspected or suffered crimes by Cooper or cover ups by Catholic officials will step forward. Staying silent only helps those who commit and conceal child sex crimes.
We also hope they’ll contact the independent professionals in law enforcement, not the biased bureaucrats in church offices.
Cooper is a priest of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, but also worked in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, a pattern we’ve seen time and time and time again – proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesting Catholic clerics being sent to other nations.
His trial date is set for September 29, 2014 and is estimated to take roughly 20 days.
Cooper was ordained in 1986.
http://www.theinquiry.ca/wordpress/charged/cooper-father-lawrence-cooper/
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [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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-Kristy