Minnesotans in new book on Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal
ST. PAUL, Minn. — As the state Legislature nears a vote on a controversial bill that would give victims of sexual abuse more time to sue, a new book chronicles the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, including some key characters and cases from Minnesota.
Some victim advocates are pursuing legislation to remove statutes of limitations in abuse cases, a step they see as a final frontier in the reckoning they seek with the church.
The Child Victims Act before the Senate would drop Minnesota's statute of limitations for civil suits involving child sexual abuse. The House version would create a three-year window for victims to bring old cases.
In Minnesota, victims of childhood sexual abuse must file civil suits before they turn 24 - a stricter threshold than many states. Four states have eliminated statutes of limitations for these kinds of cases, and three others have opened windows for victims to file.
It's impossible to know how many cases may have been blocked by the statute of limitations, said Michael D'Antonio, author of "Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime and the Era of Catholic Scandal." His book tells the story of s...
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
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I hope and pray that the supporters of this proposed new legislation are able to be victorious on behalf of victims and get it passed into law.
To quote this SNAP article, the actual entity taking up this particular “battle” in favor of the Child Victims Act in Minnesota is: “…the National Center for Victims of Crime. Deputy Executive Director Jeff Dion anticipates spending $95,000 to lobby for the bill. Dion believes it has a very good chance of becoming law in Minnesota.”
Thank you to all SNAP and other supporters involved for working to get this legislation passed. It is so very obviously, needed.