SNAP Media Events

PRESS ADVISORY

September 10, 2018

Contact: 

Prof. Marci A. Hamilton, CEO, CHILD USA, 215-353-8984, marcih@sas.upenn.edu

Alix Boren, Esq., Executive Director, CHILD USA, 215-539-1906, aboren@childusa.org

Michael McDonnell, SNAP, Philadelphia, 267-261-0578, mcdo1268@gmail.com

Vinka Jackson, 470-464-0779, vinka.jackson@gmail.com 

Jessica Howard, 904-314-8764, j.a.howard@icloud.com 

Sarah Klein, 646-335-3385, sk.advocate@gmail.com 

Larry Nassar Survivors Join CHILD USA and SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) Hold Press Conference to Call Upon Pennsylvania Lawmakers to Pass a Window for Justice in Pennsylvania 

WHERE:        

601 S. Henderson Road,

King of Prussia, PA 19406  

DATE:            September 11, 2018

TIME:            11:30 a.m.

#CatholicToo Movement – Times Up  Nationwide protests

"DC Cardinal should resign," Victims and Advocates say

They demand that he post names of accused clerics on church websites

Group urges release of all church documents pertaining to abuse or the cover up of abuse. 

And Grand jury investigations similar to the one just held in Pennsylvania be carried out in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC

WHAT

As Part of a Nation-wide response this weekend, Local clergy survivor groups and support organizations will be holding signs and childhood photos, to demand that Washington DC's top Catholic figure resign. They will also ask DC archdiocesan officials to:

• Post the names of all the current and former accused child molesting clerics on church websites, and 
• Stop lobbying against efforts to reform "archaic, predator-friendly state laws." And instead support these legal reforms necessary for survivor justice that they claim to support
• Urge State attorneys general across the DMV to launch investigations into their local dioceses,
• Ask US Justice Department to launch a full-scale federal investigation into the systematic sex crimes and cover ups within the Catholic Church, and 
• Demand State lawmakers to extend statues of limitations and strengthen mandatory reporting laws to help deter future abuse and cover ups.

WHEN

Sunday, September 9 at 11:00 am

WHERE

United States Vatican Embassy (Apostolic Nunciature), 3339 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

WHO

About a dozen survivors and supporters including members from SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), who are fed up with the Church providing cover for predator priests. Sponsoring organizations include  Call To Action, DignityUSA, FutureChurch, New Ways Ministry, Quixote Center, RAPPORT (Renewing and Priestly People Ordination Reconsidered Today),  Roman Catholic Women Priests, Southeastern Pennsylvania Women's Ordination Conference, Women's Ordination Conference

WHY

• In response to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s release of an 887 page report that details the systematic sexual abuse of children and coverups by top Catholic officials.
• https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/report/
• In response to hearing that Washington Archdiocese, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, engaged in "absolutely abhorrent" behavior, according to AG Shapiro. (Page#229) https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/639371818/how-pennsylvanias-attorney-general-is-investigating-reports-of-sex-abuse-by-prie
• Noting that the MD Attorney General, Brian Frosh has asked victims and/or their family members to reach out to his office with emails, so he can be informed of clergy sex abuse cases in the state of Maryland. kmurphy@oag.state.md.us
• Realizing that the time is now for the US Department of Justice action on this issue. Last week the group - along with the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rightswrote to Deputy US Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. They're asking 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 proceedings against the hierarchy that enabled the violations.
• http://www.snapnetwork.org/after_pa_grand_jury_report_survivors_renew_demand_for_federal_investigation_into_church_sexual_violence_and_cover_up
• The PA grand jury concluded that “Over one thousand child victims were identifiable, from the church’s own records. SNAP believes that the real number – of children whose records were lost, or who were afraid ever to come forward – is in the thousands.”
• http://www.snapnetwork.org/blog
• SNAP is worried about those victims, and about children who are at risk now, because of predators who may be living or working near kids.

 CONTACT

Judy Lorenz (301-633-2823) jlorenz@verizon.net, David Lorenz, (301-906-9161) David_lorenz@verizon.net) Deborah Rose Milavec, Executive Director FutureChurch  216.228.0869 Ext.3

MEDIA ADVISORY    MEDIA ADVISORY    MEDIA ADVISORY

Survivors Denounce Archbishop Viganò’s Statements Conflating Homosexuality and Sexual Violence by Clergy

Who: 

• Peter Isley, founding member and spokesperson for Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA USA), survivor of childhood sexual assault by a priest;
• Becky Ianni, member of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) since 2006 and D.C. area leader of SNAP since 2007, survivor of sexual abuse by a priest; and
• Pamela Spees, senior staff attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights, and lead counsel to Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP)

"DC Cardinal should resign," abuse victims say

They demand that he post names of accused clerics on church websites

Group urges US Justice Department to investigate Catholic sex crimes & cover ups 

And Washington church officials must stop blocking "sorely-needed state law reforms"

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy abuse survivors and their supporters will demand that Washington DC's top Catholic figure resign. They will also ask DC archdiocesan officials to:

--Post the names of all the current and former accused child molesting clerics on church websites, and 

--Stop lobbying against efforts to reform "archaic, predator-friendly state laws."

Victims blast Scranton Catholic officials & prod prosecutors

Victims blast Scranton Diocese Catholic officials

They want "aggressive outreach" to "thousands in pain"

And they insist police, prosecutors and lawmakers do more

SNAP: Bishop must disclose & punish "enablers" who "ignored or hid" abuse

WHAT:     

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk conference, clergy sex abuse survivors and advocates will call on 

--Police throughout the diocese to make "repeated and aggressive public appeals" begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call law enforcement with suspicions or knowledge of abuse or cover ups. 

Victims blast Greensburg Diocese Catholic officials

They want "aggressive outreach" to "thousands in pain"

And they insist police, prosecutors and lawmakers do more

SNAP: Bishop must disclose & punish "enablers" who "ignored or hid" abuse

WHAT:     

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk conference, clergy sex abuse survivors and advocates will call on 

--Police throughout the diocese to make "repeated and aggressive public appeals" begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call law enforcement with suspicions or knowledge of abuse or cover ups. 

Victims blast Pittsburgh Catholic officials & prod prosecutors

Victims blast Pittsburgh Diocese Catholic officials

They want "aggressive outreach" to "thousands in pain"

And they insist police, prosecutors and lawmakers do more

SNAP: Bishop must disclose & punish "enablers" who "ignored or hid" abuse

WHAT:     

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk conference, clergy sex abuse survivors and advocates will call on 

--Police throughout the diocese to make "repeated and aggressive public appeals" begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call law enforcement with suspicions or knowledge of abuse or cover ups. 

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.