Once Again, Statute of Limitations Prevent Abuse from Being Investigated
For immediate release: January 31, 2022
Despite being accused of sexually abusing a child in the mid-1990s, allegations against a priest from the Diocese of Wichita, KS cannot be investigated due to the statute of limitations in Kansas making prosecution impossible. We are dismayed at this outcome and hope that this news will spur legislators in Kansas to begin reforming these archaic laws immediately.
The lack of charges against Fr. Michael Schemm is yet another indictment of the archaic laws that protect predators at the expense of children. Once again, the statute of limitations has allowed allegations of abuse to go uninvestigated, potentially putting other children in Kansas at risk. It is notable that the District Attorney’s office specifically mentioned that their decision was a “legal conclusion only” and that their decision to not pursue charges is not a determination of guilt or innocence. Sadly, such a determination will not be made in a Kansas court of law.
Barriers like this will only make survivors more fearful and less willing to come forward to report their abuse. If survivors know that there is no recourse for them under the law, then there is almost no benefit to going through the pain of making a report in the first place. We hope that this news will encourage Kansans to contact their state Representatives and Senators to change the laws in their state to better protect children as opposed to those who would harm them.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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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