PA--Penn State trustees won't revisit Freeh report
For immediate release: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
We applaud Penn State’s trustees for refusing to revisit the Freeh report. This is a step toward healing and away from unhealthy defensiveness.
Maybe more investigation into the Jerry Sandusky scandal is needed. But that can happen without trashing investigations that have already happened.
Joe Paterno is deceased. His defenders should move on. They should accept the widespread consensus that their hero could and should have done more to protect kids from Sandusky. And they should know that defending Paterno rubs salt into the wounds of child sex abuse victims who are adults and helps to silence child sex abuse victims who are still young.
No one is saying that the Freeh report is perfect or that those who commissioned it were purely unselfish. But any imperfections – in the report or in people’s motivations – pale beneath the harm that would come from re-opening a public debate by vociferous football fans over just which Penn state officials were complicit for how long and to what degree in the crimes and cover ups surrounding the Sandusky matter.
We hope the board’s minority will now shift their focus away from trying to restore the reputation of a powerful, popular deceased coach and onto trying to heal the wounds of suffering victims and protecting the safety of vulnerable children.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has 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]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [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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