Former Priest Admits He “Isn’t Remorseful” for Abusing Children, SNAP Responds
A former priest from Fargo admitted in recently unsealed documents that he isn’t remorseful for sexually abusing children. This admission is a stunningly honest look into the mind of a serial abuser of children and we hope that this news will encourage survivors, witnesses, and whistleblowers to come forward and report their abusers, no matter when the abuse occurred.
The lack of remorse from Martin Cullen shows exactly why it is critical that all dioceses and religious orders post lists of abusers and why every attorney general in the US should be investigating clergy abuse cover-ups: abusers are too often unrepentant and remain dangerous for as long as they have access to children. Especially given that there are thousands of unmonitored abusers around the country, the need for intervention from government officials is critical.
Fortunately, survivors and others with information about abusers can turn to A.G. Wayne Stenehjem, whose office recently opened a hotline and email address for survivors to use when reporting abuse. We encourage anyone with information about abusers in North Dakota to make a call today to the A.G.’s confidential hotline at 1-800-472-2185 or by sending an email to [email protected].
Children are safest when abusers are reported and when those reports are investigated by law enforcement. We hope that this news will encourage anyone with information in North Dakota to come forward, make a report, and help protect North Dakota’s communities.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, 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