Kansas Bureau of Investigation Announces Investigations into Clergy Abuse in 33 Kansas Counties
Law enforcement officials in Kanas have announced that they have opened investigations into clergy abuse in counties throughout their state. This is a great step forward for parishioners and the public in Kansas and we look forward to future updates on these investigations.
We are thrilled at today’s announcement from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. According to KBI officials, nearly 120 reports of clergy abuse have been filed, leading to at least 74 investigations in 33 counties. To us, this update shows that when people speak up, the authorities will listen, and we hope that this news encourages other survivors – both in Kansas and throughout the country – to come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors.
We understand that investigations like this take time, and we are grateful to officials at the KBI for keeping Kansans informed of their progress. This is the kind of transparency that helps people have faith in their institutions and systems. These same kinds of updates are exactly what church officials should do when announcing their own investigations to the public.
The KBI is continuing to field reports from survivors and we urge anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered abuse in Kansas to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or by email at [email protected].
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