French Cardinal Acquitted of Abuse Cover-up on Appeal, SNAP Reacts
A French cardinal saw his conviction for failing to report abuse overturned on appeal yesterday. We are concerned about the message sent by this news and hope that it does not embolden other Catholic officials, who continue to be opaque about cases of clergy sexual abuse.
We agree with the opinion shared by Jean Boudot, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, that the acquittal of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin does not make sense and suggests that the responsibility to report a crime ends when the victim reaches an arbitrary age. The decision also ignored the fact that a still living perpetrator remains a threat to the innocent, even if the reporting victims are now adults.
The fact is that Cardinal Barbarin knew about abuses committed by Fr. Bernard Preynat and that he failed to report those crimes to police. Regardless of whether his inaction and silence was deemed legal by French authorities, it certainly does not pass the morality test. We are glad that attorneys for the plaintiffs will appeal the verdict before the highest court in France.
Cardinal Barbarin may have prevailed in court, but his inaction and lack of care for victims is now a part of the permanent public record. His victory is a hollow, and hopefully temporary, one. As a “Prince of the Church,” the cardinal should be holding himself to a higher standard. He should be so disturbed by cases of abuse that he would want to inform the police about them. Cardinal Barbarin has hidden behind technical distinctions, and we believe this should erode his moral authority among French parishioners.
We hope that this story will remind survivors, witnesses and whistle-blowers of the importance of reporting crimes to law enforcement, not Catholic officials.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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