Criminal charges against former Michigan Catholic priest are reinstated; SNAP welcomes this decision
(For Immediate Release June 27, 2022)
Late last week, a Michigan appeals court ruled that criminal charges against a defrocked Catholic priest, Timothy Michael Crowley, should be reinstated. We are thrilled by the court's decision, as it means that this dangerous man may ultimately face jail time for the crimes he is accused of committing. We hope that this decision will bring comfort to the brave survivor who has been waiting years for his day in court.
Earlier, in October of 2019, a judge had ruled that the reported assaults by the former priest that occurred in Michigan after the victim was 16 were "consensual" and dismissed those charges. Thankfully, the Michigan Attorney General's office decided to challenge this decision on appeal.
Crowley is on the list of "credibly accused" priests for both the Diocese of Lansing and the Archdiocese of Anchorage. The survivor in this case even received a settlement from the Diocese in 1993.
After the Boston Globe's SPOTLIGHT team exposed the fact that abusive Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Boston were moved to unsuspecting parishes and allowed to continue abusing, the US bishops developed the Dallas Charter in 2002. Crowley was finally removed from ministry that same year because of the Charter.
Crowley was laicized in 2015. He was arrested in Arizona in 2019 and returned to Michigan to face criminal charges. The credit for this prosecution goes to the investigation into clergy sex crimes that were instituted in Michigan after the devastating 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report.
SNAP's Communications Manager Mike McDonnell noted, "We see criminal cases against Catholic clergy filed because of secular investigations, and we applaud Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for her ongoing work."
AG Nessel has been a steadfast warrior on the side of survivors and children. Her ongoing probe of Catholic sexual abuse in Michigan has been one of the most effective investigations in the country. We hope her track record will inspire anyone who suffered child sexual abuse in the Church to come forward and make a written report or call the AG’s confidential hotline at (844) 324-3374.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 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