Conviction of Bill Cosby Overturned, SNAP reacts
The conviction of Bill Cosby, a monumental moment in the fight for visibility and justice for sexual assault survivors and an event that helped rejuvenate the #MeToo movement, was overturned today. We disagree with this ruling and the message it sends and hope that survivors of sexual violence everywhere are able to get the help and support they need.
The conviction was overturned on a technicality, and a dubious one at that. We find it hard to believe that justice for the multiple women who have accused Cosby of assault should be undone because of an informal handshake agreement between two attorneys in Pennsylvania. While the Pennsylvania Supreme Court deemed Cosby's conviction "an assault to fundamental fairness," we believe the same can be said to all of those who were hurt by Cosby or men like him now that the conviction has been overturned and their testimony and witness rendered moot.
We hope that there will be some way to enforce justice for Cosby's victims in the future, but right now we stand in solidarity with these brave survivors and hope they are getting the help and support they need. It is likely that other survivors will be triggered by this news and we encourage anyone who is hurting and needs to talk to call the SNAP hotline at 1-877-SNAP-HEALS or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for support.
CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267.261.0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517.974.9009)
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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