News Story of the Day
He molested a child twice in a church van and now a former pastor gets his day in court
By Jeff Clark, August 16, 2017, SunHerald
A former pastor at a Pearl River County church is facing jail time after pleading guilty to two sex crime charges in Hancock County.
Children of Catholic priests live with secrets and sorrow
By Michael Rezendes | Photos by Suzanne Kreiter | Videos by Emily Zendt August 16, 2017
This is the first of a two part Spotlight series.
Bishop Seane in shameful sex sandals
By Tsaone Basimanebotlhe, August 11, 2017, Mmegi Online
Reverend Valentine Seane’s alleged insatiable sexual needs are behind his sudden and seemingly unceremonious resignation as Bishop of Gaborone. Seane has been at the helm of the local chapter of the church for eight years
Magdalene abuse must not go unpunished, UN tells Ireland
August 12 2017, The Times
Members of the Catholic Church must be prosecuted and punished for their role in the Magdalene laundries, the United Nations has said.
The UN committee against torture has unequivocally dismissed the state’s investigation into the institutions and claims damning documents showing church and state collusion against women have been ignored.
Paedophile Remains a Priest
Chris Morris, August 11, 2017, Otago Daily News
The Catholic Church is defending its decision not to defrock a paedophile priest who abused boys in Dunedin.
It was confirmed this week Magnus (Max) Murray, now aged 90, is in the care of a Catholic-owned rest-home in Auckland. Despite admitting 10 charges of sexual offending against boys in Dunedin, dating back to the 1950s, Fr Murray has retained his status as a priest following his conviction in 2003, the church has confirmed
Lafayette, diocese has history of sex offenses by priests
Accusations of sex crimes involving Roman Catholic priests and Acadiana children might date back some seven decades, court records reveal. They also include two notorious court cases in the past few years.
The case of the Rev. F. David Broussard, whose scheduled Aug. 14 court appearance has been delayed until Nov. 27 in St. Martin Parish, is the most recent occurrence. Broussard is not accused of sexual contact with children, but the former Breaux Bridge pastor, 51, was charged in July 2016 with 500 counts of possession of child pornography. Some 500 images of children were found on his personal computer.
Youth pastor already sentenced for filming girls in shower sentenced in second county
EMMET COUNTY, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU) -- The former Emmet County youth pastor who was already sentenced to four years in prison was sentenced in a second county.
Benoni Enciso was sentenced Monday in Emmet County to 54 months to seven years on the four convictions of using a computer to commit a crime and two years to five years on the four convictions of capturing an image of an unclothed individual. The sentences for the computer crime will run consecutive to the sentences for capturing an image.
NJ priest groped girl just a month after being ordained, cops say
By Townsquare Staff, August 7, 2017, New Jersey 101.5
A newly ordained Roman Catholic priest has been charged with groping a teen girl under her skirt.
Sexually deviant priests sent to Tagaytay for rehab
On a two-hectare land tucked away somewhere in Tagaytay City stands a gated retreat house run by priests for priests.
At any one time, the center can accommodate up to 45 priests in need of spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological renewal. It also serves as the temporary home of priests “exiled” by their bishops for sexual misconduct, including pedophilia and siring children.
Constructed in 2007, the John Mary Vianney Galilee Development and Retreat Center for Priests, or Galilee Center as it is commonly referred to, serves as a kind of “extended” seminary formation.
Priest's abuse victim slams Ballarat Catholic Church over compensation dispute
By Emma Younger, August 5, 2017, ABC.net.au
The Catholic Church in Ballarat is being accused of breaking its own guidelines in its legal fight against a compensation claim from a victim of notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale.
The church released new guidelines for dealing with civil claims for child sexual abuse in November 2015, which it said would promote a more compassionate approach towards victims.
They state a claimant would not be required to prove the elements of an abuse case that the church authority had already accepted to be true.
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