New Lawsuit Filed in British Columbia, SNAP Applauds Victim for Coming Forward
A new lawsuit has been filed alleging child sexual abuse and cover-up in the Archdiocese of Vancouver and now we call on Catholic officials to do immediate outreach to find other victims and encourage them to come forward and get help.
According to the lawsuit, John Doe was only 6 years old when he was first sexually abused in the mid-1970s by a priest, Father John Kilty, and schoolteacher, Raymond Clavin. The lawsuit details textbook grooming behavior by both Fr. Kilty and Mr. Clavin as both men ingratiated themselves into the victim’s life and, in the case of Mr. Clavin, into the victim’s family. The behavior described by these men is typical for child molesters and the “a culture and system of entrenched clericalism that enabled perpetrators of sexual abuse to continue to commit their grievous crimes” as described in the lawsuit is similar to criticisms of the Church in the United States, Australia, England and elsewhere. Truly, the scope of sexual abuse is worldwide and the playbook appears to be the same in every country in which the Catholic Church operates.
Our hearts ache for this man and the years of suffering he has experienced and we applaud him for coming forward today. Sharing his story could be the catalyst to bring other still-suffering victims forward and lead them to get help and expose other hidden predators and enablers. Now that this lawsuit has been filed, we call on Archbishop Michael Miller to take immediate steps to publicize the allegations and personally visit each location where Fr. Kilty and Mr. Clavin worked, encouraging other victims and witnesses to come forward, file reports with the police, and find avenues for healing.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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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