MN- Evidence shows church officials delayed reporting
For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 30 2014
Statement by Megan Peterson, Twin Cities SNAP leader, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (218-689-9049 cell, [email protected])
We are deeply disappointed in Twin Cities law enforcement officials.
Given what's happening in the Twin Cities – now and over the past five months – it is very tough for us to understand why subpoenas and search warrants haven't been used yet.
Police and prosecutors beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward, as they should. But police and prosecutors need to respect our pain by doing some real homework on the long-standing, widely-documented and on-going pattern of persistent deceit by Catholic officials – in Minnesota and across the world – in clergy sex abuse and cover up cases.
It speaks volumes that
–- the veteran archdiocesan abuse “handler,” Fr. Kevin McDonough, refuses to be questioned by police, and
–- the archbishop refuses to order McDonough to sit for questioning.
Those two simple and alarming facts scream “cover up” to anyone who's listening.
We could cite many examples, even recent ones (like Bishop Robert Finn in Kansas City), in which high ranking Catholic officials have hidden evidence from law enforcement officials. But look at the case of Fr. Gerald Robinson in Toledo, who is now in prison for brutally murdering a nun.
Police investigators arrested him and asked diocesan staff for Fr. Robinson's personnel file. They were given three pages.
Police then executed two “no knock” search warrants on the diocese. They recovered hundreds and hundreds of pages of more records, records that had never been turned over to the police. Those records led to Fr. Robinson's conviction.
Despite our disappointment, we join with Twin Cities law enforcement in begging those with information or suspicions about clergy sex crimes and cover up to call police and prosecutors. Our justice system isn't perfect. But it's our best chance of protecting kids, exposing criminals and deterring crimes.
Finally, we beg police and prosecutors to stop sugar-coating the truth about the alleged “cooperation” by church officials. Nienstedt and his staff are doing the absolute bare minimum because they fear going to jail. That's self-preservation, not cooperation.
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]
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
Showing 2 comments
I am curious if anyone at SNAP has heard anything this week about Roger Mahoney again being sought for prosecution? I live in California, and I heard part of a TV news broadcast that said new charges were being brought against him. I think that was on Monday, Jan. 27th and I’m not sure if it was broadcast on the national news, or only the local news.