Cardinal George Pell Convicted of Abusing Children, SNAP Responds
Cardinal George Pell is the highest-ranking church official to ever go on trial for sex crime charges. We hope that his conviction will not only bring healing to his victims in Australia, but hope to survivors across the world who are yearning for accountability at the top levels of the church.
Unfortunately, many survivors in Australia may not learn about this news due to a gag order imposed on the case which prevents the publication of details – including Cardinal Pell’s name and the charges against him. While such an order may have made sense during the trial, it certainly does not now that the Cardinal has been convicted of these crimes. We hope that the judge will lift this order and allow Australian newspapers to share the information learned during the trial. This would encourage more survivors – whether of Cardinal Pell or any other church official – to come forward and make a report.
We believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant. By sharing the details of this case with the public, people become more knowledgeable about what crimes have occurred and what failures along the way allowed those crimes to happen. This knowledge in turn will makes them better able to prevent similar cases in the future. Church officials in the United States regularly pledge “transparency” as a solution to clergy sex crimes, and we hope that the judiciary in Australia will be transparent with their citizens on the facts of this case.
CONTACT: Steven Spaner, SNAP Australia Coordinator ([email protected], +1 636.433.2511), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], +1-517-974-9009)
(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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Rich, MSW