McCarrick Letters Underscore the Importance of Education about Grooming
For immediate release: August 6, 2019
Letters released by the Associated Press today show how one powerful church official was not only able to groom children and adults for abuse but was able to do so openly. We hope that the publication of these letters will lead to both healing for the survivors and new opportunities for parents and the public to become educated about grooming.
The letters sent by disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick are textbook examples of grooming behavior. With his intimate personal communication, he was able to build relationships with boys and men that would eventually turn abusive. The Cardinal also ingratiated himself into the families of his victims. Grooming can be a key part of abuse, as it allows the perpetrator to get close to the target, allowing him/her to gain trust and familiarity that can be used to victimize the young and vulnerable.
We hope that these letters will encourage parents as well as members of the public, particularly those who work with children, to learn more about this subtle process. An excellent resource can be found here. The more informed that people are about behaviors like this, the better able they are to intervene in relationships that are inappropriate and to prevent future cases of abuse from occurring.
Similarly, the release of these letters shows that it is time for every church official who knows former Cardinal McCarrick to call and write him, urging him to admit guilt and make reparations so his victims can feel some closure and healing. It is also time for the Vatican to finally release their report into who knew what and when regarding this situation and to discipline any and all church officials who knew of the Cardinal’s wrongdoing but stayed silent.
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