Defense Team for Priest Accused of Abuse Smear Mother of Victim, SNAP Reacts
In a Wisconsin courtroom this week, defense attorneys for a priest accused of sexually abusing a child attempted to smear the child’s mother by arguing that the allegation “is a path for citizenship.” This is a disturbing attempt to shift the focus from the accused to the parent of the victim, and we hope the jury sees through this sad attempt by the defense.
What matters in this case is that a 13-year-old girl has accused Fr. Charles Hanel of assaulting her when she went to see him for confession. What does not matter is the immigration status of the victim’s mother. Whether or not the woman entered the country legally is not germane to whether or not Fr. Hanel sexually abused this child. To attempt to deflect the focus of the trial from the abhorrent actions of the priest by bringing up the mother’s immigration status is an incredibly low tactic from the defense team.
We hope that the jury in this case will see through these smear tactics and will focus on the facts of the case rather than this desperate attempt to cast aspersions on a mother who is trying to secure justice for her daughter.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Board Member ([email protected], 415.341.6417), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 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