Media Statements

A former university official who is alleged to help conceal a massive sexual abuse scandal has been formally charged for her role in the cover-up. Such charges are necessary to ensure accountability for crimes that have occurred and prevention of similar crimes in the future.

A now-deceased Rapid City bishop has been accused of molesting a Minnesota child, Catholic officials recently acknowledged. 

Today, the Department of Education unveiled proposed changes to the ways that universities handle sexual violence. We believe that the new rules will harm survivors, not help them.

The attorney general for New Jersey has ramped up their investigation into clergy sex abuse and has issued subpoenas to at least one of the state’s catholic dioceses. We applaud this move by Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.

On Monday, the Vatican delayed a vote that would have let US bishops take small steps towards addressing the clergy sex abuse crisis. Despite that delay, some bishops around the country have already been taking positive steps in their own way.

For immediate release, November 13 2018

Since the bombshell grand jury report that revealed the depth of clergy sex abuse and cover-ups in Pennsylvania, 19 other states have begun investigations of their own. Following last Tuesday’s elections, at least six of those states will have new attorneys general and SNAP is pleading with those newly elected officials to not let these investigations fall by the wayside.

For immediate release, November 13 2018

On the second day of this month’s meeting of US catholic bishops, the Chairman of the National Review Board said that Catholic bishops who ignored sexual abuse committed by clergy should face “real consequences.” We could not agree more with his assessment and would argue that any bishop who has covered-up or ignored sex crimes should resign.

As Chairman Francesco Cesareo argued, there is a clear need for bishops to do more to hold accountable their brethren who ignored, concealed, or otherwise covered-up sexual abuse and argued that the USCCB could bar “guilty bishops from USCCB membership or attending national meetings.”According to a recent report from the Boston Globe and Philadelphia Inquirer, nearly one-third of active bishops have been accused of failing to properly address claims of sexual misconduct in their dioceses. If the bishops listen to Mr. Cesareo, one of those bishops who could be barred would be the head of the USCCB itself, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo.

Members of a clergy abuse advocacy organization in Mississippi are demanding action be taken by the state’s catholic and law enforcement officials.

For immediate release, November 12 2018

Today, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops met to discuss, among other things, their response to the clergy sex abuse crisis. Instead, the Vatican kicked the can down the road.

On Monday, Bishops from across the country will gather at their headquarters in Baltimore to discuss, among other things, the current state of the clergy sex abuse crisis. Yesterday, a detailed piece from J.D. Flynn in the National Catholic Register has pointed out some significant issues with the proposed agenda.