DC--Victims call for removal of Hastert’s portrait in Congress
For immediate release: Thursday, June 4
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003, [email protected])
To help abuse victims and deter cover ups, we call on House speaker John Boehner to take down the portrait of Dennis Hastert in the Capitol.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/243816-hastert-questions-consume-capitol
Hastert’s name is being taken off of a campus building and a high school wrestling tournament.
Illinois lawmakers have reversed their plan to honor him with a statue.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/dennis-hasterts-abrupt-fall-from-college-prestige-118523.html
It’s time that Congress take a simple but similar step toward healing and prevention, by removing the painting of Hastert.
To deprive an accused child molester of his liberty, a criminal conviction is needed.
To deprive an accused child molester of his honors, however, the bar is understandably and appropriately much lower. And one quick, easy way to discourage adults from committing or concealing heinous crimes against kids is to withdraw honors they may have achieved.
There are hundreds of thousands of adults who were assaulted as kids by predators. Many of them feel utterly hopeless about ever being able to expose their perpetrators. Predator-friendly laws, overworked police departments and politically timid prosecutors mean that few of their tormentors will ever face justice.
It rubs salt into their wounds when other predators are publicly honored. The least that politicians can do for these still-suffering victims is to stop giving accused child molesters public honors.
“You’re rushing to judgment,” some will say. We disagree. If we’re “rushing,” it’s to ease the pain of those who are struggling and to create a more welcoming and less oppressive climate for those who might be willing to report more child sex crimes and cover ups. This not about hurting Hastert himself. It’s about helping victims.
If somehow, down the road, it become clear that Hastert did not molest a child, the portrait can quickly be put back up. But history, psychology and common sense – plus the actions of the FBI, a US prosecutor and Hastert himself - all strongly suggest that he exploited his power over a youngster to sexually gratify himself. He does not deserve a place of honor in our nation’s Capital, even a symbolic one.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 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]), 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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