SNAP Media Events

Media Advisory

(For Immediate Release June 16, 2022) 

Clergy Abuse Survivors Gather as Powerful New Documentary on Abuse within the Catholic Church Premieres

THE NEW RATLINE Exposes Ongoing Abuse and Cover-up in the United States and Abroad

“Immigrant women and children are being abused and silenced by the Catholic Church,” says SNAP

WHAT: Holding signs, childhood photos, and posters at a sidewalk press conference, survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their advocates will:

• Share information regarding the case of Fr. Jesus Suarez and other cases of clergy abuse and cover-up that are contemporary with the cases explored in THE NEW RATLINE,
• Draw attention to today’s premiere, and
• Recognize the brave survivors and advocates who helped make this important documentary possible.

WHO: Several members of survivor support and advocacy group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a Houston-area man who helped with the research for the film and other local California survivors of clergy abuse.

WHEN: Survivors and advocates will gather at 2 PM and the Press Conference will begin at 3 PM on Friday, June 17

WHERE: Outside the TCL Chinese Theater, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood CA 90028

WHY: A powerful new documentary on clergy abuse and cover-up called THE NEW RATLINE is premiering at the Dances with Films festival, and survivors of clergy abuse and advocates are gathering to draw attention to the film, its premiere, and most importantly, the stories that the film details.

From Dogtooth productions, THE NEW RATLINE is “a relentless search into one of our generation’s greatest cover-ups” and tells the story of Fr. Jesus Suarez, a priest from Colombia who is accused of sexually abusing young girls in his home country before being brought to the US – apparently with the full knowledge of local Church leadership – where his crimes were brought to light. After Fr. Suarez fled, investigative journalist John Carlos Frey went to find him and hopefully bring his victims some sense of justice. THE NEW RATLINE is the story of those efforts.

“We are honored to have been able to work with John on this important film that tells a modern story of a problem that so many people think ended long ago,” said Eduardo Lopez de Casas, SNAP Board Member. “If we want to truly put a stop to this problem, we need more people to take the time to learn that it is still happening and that they can be a part of the solution.”

CONTACT: Eduardo Lopez de Casas, SNAP Houston ([email protected], 361-571-7106), John Carlos Frey ([email protected]), Dorothy Small, SNAP Sacramento Area Leader, ([email protected], 530-908-3676), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), 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 more than 30 years. We have upwards of 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) 

(For Immediate Release January 20, 2022) 

Critical legislation that will better protect Nebraskan children and provide support for victims of sexual abuse will be heard during a meeting of the Nebraska State Judiciary Committee on Friday, January 21, 2022.

Sponsored by Sen. Rich Pahls, LB 833 is a bill that will repeal the statute of limitations for third parties in cases of sexual assault of a child.  To understand why this legislation is so important, look no further than this recent report by Nebraska Attorney General Douglas Peterson, which detailed the stories of 258 victims of Child Sexual Assault committed by church officials alone. The saddest fact is that none of these cases could be prosecuted due to statute of limitations concerns. Even though the average age at which a survivor of child sexual assault comes forward is 52 years old, the Nebraska statute of limitations currently bars civil cases from being brought after a victim is 33 years old.

Fortunately, over the past three years, more than thirty states have reformed their statutes of limitation in cases of child sex crimes to be better in line with medical facts like delayed disclosure. Now, Nebraskans will have an opportunity of their own to start these important changes.

Kathryn Robb, Esq. of Child USAdvocacy, Debbie Dappen, local SNAP Leader and Shaun Dougherty, Board President from SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) will be available to the media and can explain the importance of child sexual assault legislation in Nebraska along with and the broader national trend of repealing statutes of limitation on child sexual assault. Each individual can be available in the morning preceding the hearing. 

CONTACT:

Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President (814-341-8386), [email protected], Debbie Dappen, SNAP Leader, [email protected], Kathryn Robb, Esq. (www.childusadvocacy.org), (781-856-7207),  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected] Zach Hiner, SNAP 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)

New Vatican law on the abuse of adults by clergy goes into effect December 8th

Sacramento Diocese already includes clerics who abused those aged 18-25 on its abuser list

Adult survivor who was older than 25 now asks for her perpetrator to be added

SNAP will also release its own more complete Sacramento list

The victims’ group believes that adult victims in California need a "Window to Justice"

WHAT: At a sidewalk news conference abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will urge the Diocese of Sacramento to add clerics who abused men or women over the age of 25 to its list of perpetrators. The group will also provide its own list for Sacramento and ask that those additional names be included as well. Finally, SNAP will call attention to the need for a California civil window for adult survivors such as the one now available for child victims in the state.

WHEN: December 8, 2021, at 11 AM

WHERE: Outside the Diocesan chancery office, 2110 Broadway (near 21st Street), in Sacramento

WHO: 4-5 abuse survivors and advocates, including the Sacramento area SNAP Leader, who wants to see the name of the priest who assaulted her when she was an adult added to the Diocesan list of accused clerics.

WHY: Back in June Pope Francis changed Catholic Church law to explicitly criminalize the sexual abuse of adults by clergy. The new provisions become effective today, December 8^th. We believe that dioceses across the United States, Sacramento included, should now begin adding these clerics to their lists of abusers.

We certainly know that those priests who abuse adults sometimes abuse children as well. Out here in California, Fr. Jose Superiaso sexually abused a woman who was in her 20s and a youth coordinator for the Church, and also molested her 12-year-old sister. In a case out of the Archdiocese of Washington, Fr. Urbano Vasquez was convicted last week of sexually assaulting an adult female parishioner while serving time in prison for assaulting two little girls. The infamous case of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is another example. The Church apparently ignored McCarrick’s abuse of adults under his authority and took no action against the prelate until accusations of child sexual abuse became public in 2018.  

What: At an outdoor protest, survivors of child sexual abuse, including a man who was sexually abused by Catholic priest Msgr. Eugene Fanelli, will:

• Signs and protestors demanding West New York City officials immediately remove a city-owned street sign that honors alleged child predator Msgr. Eugene Fanelli.
• Implore Cardinal Tobin and Archdiocese of Newark officials to remove the street sign and add Fanelli’s name to the Archdiocese’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
• Urge all survivors of child sexual abuse in New Jersey to take action under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill before November 30, 2021.

A survivor who was abused by Fanelli will also speak publicly and disclose:

• Both he and his father were sexually abused by Fanelli.
• A lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of Newark identifying Fanelli as an abuser.

New Clergy Sex Abuse and Cover up Lawsuit Filed in Archdiocese of Houston

“Once again, the church has put its reputation above the protection of children”

SNAP Calls for Immediate Action by Church Officials

Abusers’ names to be written on sidewalk

All are predator priests ‘under the radar’ here

One was convicted for trying to hire a hit man

But he, nor the others, are on diocese 'perp list’

Each is ‘credibly accused’ say bishops elsewhere

SNAP also reveals settlement vs. another cleric

He’s “the most dangerous KC clergy offender”

WHAT: Holding signs at a news conference, survivors of clergy abuse and their supporters will identify the accused Marianist clergy members who have worked in this community, provide contact information for support for any new survivors coming forward, urging them to report any abuse to law enforcement first. SNAP calls out the archdiocese and St. Mary’s to be proactive in finding survivors who may need support.

WHEN:  Wednesday, June 23, 2021. 12pm

WHERE: Outside the San Antonio Archdiocese headquarters, 2718 Woodlawn Ave, on the public sidewalk in front of the Archdiocese sign.