Harrisburg PA--Victims offer their support to the “thousands in pain”
Victims offer their support to the “thousands in pain”
They urge survivors, witnesses and whistle blowers to report to law enforcement
SNAP: Bishop must disclose &punish “enablers” who “ignored or hid” abuse
Group urges government officials across the US to launch investigations and change laws
WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy abuse survivors and their supporters will:
- Notify survivors in the area of a peer to peer support group being held later today;
- Encourage anyone who suffered, saw or suspected sexual abuse to go to secular authorities, not the Church.
While the group is grateful to the diocese for providing information on the whereabouts of all those on the diocesan list, they will also demand that top officials in the Harrisburg Diocese:
- Publicly “expose and demote, discipline or denounce” current or former church staffers who helped hide abuse.
They will also urge:
- Police, prosecutors and lawmakers to think outside the box to prosecute enablers;
- Attorney Generals across the country to launch investigations into their local dioceses; and
- Legislators across the US to change SOL and mandatory reporting laws to help deter future abuse.
WHEN:
Monday, August 20th at 12:30 PM
WHERE:
In front of the Diocese of Harrisburg Offices, 4800 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA
WHO:
Four-five survivors and supporters from SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), including a Burke, Virginia, woman who is on SNAP’s Board of Directors.
WHY:
Last week Pennsylvania’s Attorney General released an 887 page report that documents graphically that little has changed in how the Catholic Church handles sexual crimes since 2002. The report named 45 proven, admitted, and accused priests in the Diocese of Harrisburg. Previously only 24 individuals had been identified.
The grand jurors also concluded that “Over one thousand child victims were identifiable, from the church’s own records. We believe that the real number – of children whose records were lost, or who were afraid ever to come forward – is in the thousands.” (page 4)
https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/report/
SNAP is worried about those individuals who were abused in the diocese, particularly those who may still be suffering alone and in silence. The group urges victims to seek out medical help if necessary, and/or to reach out to peer to peer support through groups like ours. Becky Ianni of SNAP will be facilitating a support meeting in Harrisburg from 3-4:30 pm at the McCormick Riverfront Library (101 Walnut Street).
The survivors also urge anyone who suffered, saw or suspected child sexual abuse in the diocese to report the information to law enforcement, not to the Church. The investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General is ongoing. The number to call is 888-538-8541.
The group is very concerned for children that are at risk now, because of predators that may be living or working near them. They are grateful that Bishop Ronald Gainer has also released some information on the whereabouts of these dangerous men.
However, since very few church officials who enabled, hid or transferred predators have been exposed - and even fewer punished - SNAP worries that this "callous and reckless pattern" will continue or be repeated. The group wants Harrisburg Catholic officials to voluntarily disclose, to the public and to parishioners, who these "enablers" are and "discipline, demote or denounce" them. The survivors maintain that this will deter future cover ups, inside and outside the church, help restore parishioners' trust and help victims heal.
Over three decades, SNAP has seen prosecutors and civil attorneys find and use innovative ways to "overcome the statute of limitations" and "nail wrongdoers on related charges like committing perjury, intimidating witnesses, destroying evidence, committing fraud, and failing to report abuse," even sometimes using RICO statutes. The group wants local law enforcement to "do extensive legal research and boldly seek other, new ways to stop abuse and cover ups, despite Pennsylvania's weak child safety laws."
The victims’ group will announce that they are urging all the survivors and supporters in their database to write to the AG in their state and demand a grand jury investigation like the one Pennsylvania just completed. They are convinced that other jurisdictions will produce similar outcomes.
SNAP is also soliciting support for its renewed call for US Department of Justice action on this issue. Last week the survivors group and the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York wrote to Tod J. Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General. They asked for the DOJ to initiate “a full-scale, nationwide investigation into the systemic rape and sexual violence, and cover-ups in the Catholic Church, and, where appropriate, bring criminal and/or civil proceedings against the hierarchy that enabled the violations.
Finally, SNAP will also again urge lawmakers to remove the criminal and civil statute of limitations on child sex crimes and to pass a civil window that would deter future cover-ups and protect kids now by enabling abuse victims to expose those who commit or conceal child sex crimes in court. Four states (MN, HI, DE and CA) have taken this important safety step, SNAP says.
Covering six dioceses, the grand jury report included "stunning revelations: a priest molested a 7-year-old girl during a visit to a hospital where she had her tonsils removed; priests shared naked photos of abuse victims; a priest arranged an abortion after impregnating a girl he had raped; a priest got a reference letter for a Disney World job after years of complaints about his abusive acts."
In the Diocese of Harrisburg, “The Grand Jury report includes an extensive look at the ‘institutional failure that endangered the welfare of children’ as it pertains to three priests in particular, Fathers Augustine Giella, Arthur Long and Joseph Pease. The report alleged Giella abused five girls in a single family.”
Bishop Ronald William Gainer, has headed Diocese of Harrisburg since 2014, but he only released his list of names on the eve of the grand jury report’s release.
There are 89 parishes in the diocese covering 15 counties.
Founded 30 years ago, SNAP is a St. Louis-based support group of 25,000 survivors and supporters. (SNAPnetwork.org)
CONTACT
Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected]), Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Judy Jones, (636-433-2511, [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