MN--Victims want more "aggressiveness, creativity" by prosecutor
For immediate release: Wednesday, Feb. 11
Statement by Frank Meuers of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (952-334-5180, [email protected])
When it comes to clergy sex crimes and cover ups, John Choi has been no ‘profile in courage.’ So we’re saddened but not surprised by news that he won’t prosecute two predator priests.
http://www.startribune.com/local/east/291558921.html
The phrase “where there’s a will, there’s a way” comes to mind. And the case of Al Capone comes to mind. Energetic prosecutors finally nailed him on income tax evasion.
Had Choi convened a grand jury, as we urged, who knows if the outcome here would have been different? Or had he more aggressively begged victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward? Or if subpoenas had been issued on Catholic officials?
What now? We can only hope that more brave victims, witnesses and whistleblowers will step forward and do all they can to expose clerics who commit and conceal child sex crimes. We also hope police and prosecutors will get more creative and aggressive about pursuing these heinous crimes and cover ups. And we hope that lawmakers will do all they can to remedy this tragic and dangerous situations through hearings and legislation that will make it easier for the victims of child sex crimes to expose the perpetrators and enablers of those crimes. Finally, we hope more victims will turn to and use the civil court system to get the truth about this horrific crisis brought into the public view.
What we know for sure is that giving up, keeping silent and suffering alone won’t help. No matter how hopeless it may seem, kids need us to stay strong and speak up.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We were founded in 1988 and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy 314-566-9790, [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003, [email protected], Barbara Blaine 312-399-4747, [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
John Choi has also failed to charge Archbishop John Nienstedt with perjury hasn’t he? SNAP’s Frank is not going too far when he describes the clergy child sex abuse & cover up crisis as horrific.
Continue the good work SNAP.