Media Statements

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.

For immediate release: August 5, 2019

It is good that church officials in Cincinnati are looking into the actions that a local auxiliary bishop took in response to hearing allegations that a priest “violated child protection rules.” It is critical that all allegations involving children are routed immediately to police, and so it is also a good thing that Catholic leaders are investigating a possible delay in the reporting of those allegations.

Statement by David Clohessy of SNAP (314-566-9790)

We belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Our mission is to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, expose the truth and deter future wrongdoing.

We’re here to warn parents, parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public about two potentially dangerous men, both connected to – or formerly connected to – the Catholic church in Maryland and DC.

The one-year anniversary of the scathing grand jury report on six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses is fast approaching. The report triggered tremendous strides on a horrifying topic that was once never discussed. Since Aug 14, 2018, when Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro released the 884-page findings, more than a dozen states’ attorneys general have since launched their own probes into clergy sex abuse cases and set up dedicated phone numbers for victims. Here in Pennsylvania, more than 1,400 new calls have been received by the Attorney General’s hotline. This speaks volumes to the tremendous amount of effort that is going into exposing the perpetrators and those who shielded them. 

As recently as last year a former Catholic deacon defrocked after allegations of child sexual abuse had leadership roles in a Louisiana Catholic group. Even worse, he had access to children for decades despite his history. Now, church officials must take responsibility for this troubling revelation.

A survivor has stepped forward in Mississippi to report the abuse she suffered at the hands of a Mississippi priest. We would like to thank this courageous survivor for coming forward and reporting these crimes committed against her.

The Diocese of Manchester, NH has released a list of priests accused of sexual abuse. Now that church officials have taken this first step, we call on them to update the list to include critical information that has been left off, and to explain these omissions.

A report from a U.S. Senate subcommittee has called out several organizations for a “cover-up” related to the serial abuse of hundreds of girls and young women by a now-disgraced and jailed former U.S. Olympic team doctor. Our hearts ache for these survivors and we hope that this report will lead to a fundamental shift in the way we view institutional accountability in cases of sexual violence.

It's reckless and callous for Archbishop Robert Carlson to have hidden these names for so long, releasing them when it's convenient for him, instead of immediately when the allegations are made or deemed ‘credible.’

A catholic group operating out of Michigan has been termed a “rapid response” team for priests that have admitted or been accused of sexually abusing others. Making matters worse, the group is funded by the same clerics who pledge honesty and transparency in cases of clerical sexual abuse. This troubling situation should be confronted by parishioners and the public.