OH--Convicted serial predator priest wants out of jail
For immediate release: Wednesday, Jan. 21
Statement by Judy Jones of St. Louis, Assistant Midwest Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (636 433 2511, 314 974 5003, [email protected])
The latest legal moved by a convicted pedophile priest shows why every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes must speak up.
Fr. Robert Poandl wants his child sex abuse conviction overturned on technicalities. We hope he fails. And we hope that donations from parishioners are not funding his increasingly expensive legal maneuvers to duck responsibility for his heinous crimes.
There is absolutely no reason why this serial child predator should be given any special treatment. It is public information that he sexually abused at least 3 boys, so he needs to be kept behind bars and away from innocent children.
It’s possible he may prevail. (Often, predator priests get top-notch lawyers and exploit loopholes and walk free.) So it’s crucial that others who may have knowledge of or suspicions about Fr. Poandl find the courage to come forward and contact police, no matter how long ago it happened. Your silence only hurts. By speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others.
(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 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, b[email protected] ) Judy Jones, (636-433-2511, [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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