NY- Priest on probation abuses again, SNAP responds
For immediate release: Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected]om)
A New York priest, who has been on probation since 2008 for child sex crimes, has struck again. He's allegedly been caught abusing a six year old girl, who now has a sexually transmitted disease. Our hearts ache for this innocent girl who might never have been hurt had church officials acted responsibly.
Fr. Augusto Cortez, who is a member of the Vincentian religious order from Brooklyn, abused a 12 year old child in 2008. Vincentian officials should have immediately removed him to a remote and secure treatment facility so that he could not harm another child. Instead they allegedly wrote letters on Cortez’s behalf. It is deeply upsetting, although not surprising, that Cortex has abused another child, by exploiting the trust of an unsuspecting family.
According to news reports, after being arrested Cortez was released and has now disappeared.
We urge everyone to remain vigilant. Vincentian officials should immediately reach out to everyone who may have come in contact with Cortez and beg them to come forward and report what they know. They should use their websites, mailing lists, and bulletin boards to warn people about him.
Brooklyn's Bishop Nicholas Dimarzio should do the same. The Vincentians work in his diocese with his permission. He is responsible for the safety and well being of his flock. He must aggressively try to find others with knowledge or suspicions about Cortez' crimes.
We encourage anyone who saw, suspects, or suffered child sex crimes by Cortez, or any other church official, to immediately come forward, report what you know, and start healing.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years 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 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (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
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