Alberto Athie, Mexico
I was catholic priest for 20 years when I met and tried to help a former priest and victim of sex crimes by the famous Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ. Tens of thousands followed Maciel. We learned that obtaining justice in the church is impossible, that Vatican policies permit sex crimes and the crimes occur across the globe. I left the priesthood and now work to expose crimes and cover-ups by church officials.
Presentation: Child Abuse, A World Cause |> Watch Video In Spanish
Agata Baraniecka-Kłos, Poland
Agata Baraniecka Kłos born in 1969. Wife of a surgeon Tomasz and mother of two adult sons Michał and Filip both forensic medicine students. She is a victim of pedophile, her step father. On the surface powerful and strong woman who dared and hanged her tormentor's name on her house's banner. Founder of "STOP STATUTE OF LIMITATION". Thanks to her determination and despite the adversity of her ostracized hometown, she led to changes in the criminal code to extend the limitation period for the victims of pedophilia in Poland.
Presentation: Stop Statute of Limitation |> Watch Video In Polish
Barbara Blaine, United States
Barbara Blaine, a victim of priest sex crimes, founded SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, in 1988 to protect the innocence and safety of children and to help survivors and their loved-ones find healing, information and support. Employing self-help principles SNAP membership is now over 20,000 including 150 trained volunteer leaders.
Presentation: SNAP: Where have we been and where are we going? |> Watch Video In English
Dr. Adam Bodnar, Poland
Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland. Former Vice President of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights doctorate in law. Dr. Bodnar holds a M.A. in Law and Administration from Warsaw University (1999), and a M.A. in Law (LL.M. Studies - Comparative constitutional law) from Central European University in Budapest (2000). He also holds a PhD of Law (2006). From 1999 to 2004 he worked in the Warsaw office of Weil Gotshal & Manges law firm.
Presentation: Obstacles in Exerting by Polish Victims of Pedophilia their Rights in Civil and Criminal Investigations
Geoff Budden, Canada
Geoff Budden is from the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and has been practising law since 1989. He has represented hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse in claims against religious orders, schools, governments and childcare organizations. He also volunteers with community groups and other organizations dedicated to assisting survivors. He is lead counsel on a lawsuit brought by dozens of orphanage-abuse survivors against the Archdiocese of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, which is to be tried in April, 2016.
Nicky Davis, Australia
Nicky Davis reported her abuse after the appalling treatment of Australian survivors at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. Nicky went to the police and her perpetrator was finally arrested, but eventually allowed to walk free. Determined not to see others denied justice, Nicky became a SNAP leader and lobbied for the Royal Commission. Now Nicky works with the Royal Commission in Australia to ensure justice and healing for survivors.
Barbara Dorris, United States
Barbara Dorris is a victim of clergy sex crimes and a whistleblower. After failing to get the predator priest she caught removed from ministry she joined SNAP to expose not only the danger the predator posed but also the cover-up by church officials. As the outreach director for SNAP she works with and trains volunteer leaders around the world so that they can provide resources, information and support to survivors, family members and supporters.
Presentation: The Power of One |> Watch Video In English
Tom Doyle, United States
Tom Doyle was ordained in 1970. He has been an advocate for abuse victims since 1984 when he warned the U.S. bishops while working at the Vatican Embassy. He has spoken out, supported victims and served as a court expert throughout the U.S., in Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, Austria and the U.K. He has graduate degrees in theology, philosophy, political science, administration and a doctorate in Canon Law. He is also a licensed addictions therapist.
Gerard Mannix Flynn, Ireland
Gerard Mannix Flynn was born in Dublin in 1957. He is a professional artist and politician. His practice includes literature, playwriting, performance, visual art and film-making. He has campaigned extensively for children’s rights and for justice and accountability for all those who were detained in residential institutions in Ireland. The work has received critical acclaim and much of his literary work has been translated. He is an elected member of Dublin City Council (Independent Councillor) and is a member of Aosdána.
Presentation: Keeping a Lid on It |> Watch Video In English
Jean-Marie Furbringer, Switzerland
Jean-Marie Fürbringer is born in 1963 in Switzerland. He is Physicist and has a PhD in sciences. He works as a lecturer at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Lausanne. From 2004 to 2015, he has been the president of the association Faire le pas parler d’abus sexuel.
Presentation: Support and Advocacy for Victims of Sexual Abuse in Switzerland |> Watch Video In English
Jarosław Głuchowski, Poland
Jarosław Głuchowski, Lawyer, member of the Chamber of Advocates. The owner of a law company, works with other law firms and companies. He participates in numerous lawsuits. Involved in two processes conducted jointly with the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. Participant of all lawsuits carried out so far in Poland against dioceses and parishes from liability for child abuse committed by individual priests. Member of the board of the Foundation "Be not afraid".
Miguel Hurtado, Spain
As a teen in Barcelona, Miguel immediately told about his abuse by a priest to church officials expecting they would report it to secular authorities. When they didn’t he learned they were more concerned with preserving their reputation than protecting children. He was a SNAP spokesperson during the historic hearings at the UN in Geneva and in Rome during the canonization of John Paul II. He is currently a physician training as a Child Psychiatrist.
Presentation: 21st Century Activism Confronts Medieval Child Endangerment Practices |> Watch Video In Spanish
Dr. Lesław Juszczyszyn, Poland
He studied philosophy and theology in Cracow. He graduated in psychology and got PhD in rhetoric / homiletics. He studied human resource management and quality management in Warsaw. He lives near Krakow and are happy as a husband and father. Thanks to God's grace, his determination and kind help of other people, he is now a healthy man, engaged in helping children and adults sexually abused in their childhood. He is a great example of how to live life to the fullest despite the losses. His shared his life experience in a book called "Under the shell of silence". He currently serves as President of the CEREO Foundation for Development and Counselling.
Christopher Kerns, United States
Christopher Kerns is a practicing attorney with the Chicago law firm of Kerns, Frost & Pearlman. Mr. Kerns practice concentrates in the area of commercial litigation and he works primarily in the insurance industry. Mr. Kerns works with numerous not-for-profit entities, most recently serving as the Chairman of The Wetlands Initiative in Chicago. Mr. Kerns is completing his Phd. in Psychology, at the First Faculty of Medicine, at The Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Presentation: Childhood Trauma: Neuroscience and Perspective with Lukasz Konopka
Matthias Katsch, Germany
Matthias Katsch studied politics, philosophy, business administration, then working as management trainer. In 2010 he publicly exposed his abuse at the prominent catholic boarding school Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin. He also brought the school and the cover-up to national and international attention. As head of the survivor group “Squared table” (ECKIGER TISCH) he participated in the German Round table on child abuse and has been appointed a member of the newly organized Council of survivors.
Presentation: You are Not a Alone |> Watch Video In English
Daria Kikola, Poland
President of Ocaleni Polish Survivors Foundation. Currently coordinating the "Online Awareness" project, which was created to educate children, teenagers, and parents in Pomerania on the dangers of cyberspace.
Presentation: Cyberpedophilia-How to Protect Our children Online? |> Watch Video In English
Guido Klabbers, Netherlands
Mr. Klabbers is a delegate of the group “Boys of Don Rua” who represent victims of abuse by the Catholic Church. He is currently the chairman of the KLOKK foundation. The “Boys of Don Rua” named after the Seminary where they had been abused, was the first group in the Netherlands for those abused by clergy and offered healing by a special form of mediation. The seminary was a “hotspot” with at least 60 cases of abuse where reported by the Deetman Commission.
Presentation: Survivors in the Netherlands |> Watch Video In English
Prof. Lukasz M. Konopka, United States
Prof. Lukasz M. Konopka is executive director of the Chicago Brain Institute, a scientist, clinician, and member of national and international scientific organizations focusing on the biological basis of behavior. In addition, he is very interested in linking science and art. A portion of his clinical and scientific work focuses on early childhood trauma and abuse and the effects on brain function, emotion, cognition, and behavior. He uses a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model in his research and practice.
Presentation: Childhood Trauma: Neuroscience Perspective |> Watch Video In English
Dominika Kozłowska, Poland
Editor in chief of the monthly magazine "Sign", PhD in philosophy, publicist. She addresses topics related to the social change of religiosity, ideological disputes, church-state relations, multiculturalism, and minority issues. She has been writing about the clerical pedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church and commenting on the activities of the Church. Also publishes in "Tygodnik Powszechny" and "Gazeta Wyborcza" magazines.
Presentation: Different Story? Does clerical pedophilia in Poland fit in schemes known from other countries?
Marek Lisiński, Poland
Marek Lisinski is a survivor, social activist, president of the Polish Foundation, which provides assistance to victims of sexual abuse by the clergy, company owner, and father. Marek was the victim of a pedophile priest at the age of 13 and was repeatedly molested by the priest for several consecutive months. He has been actively working for charities for over ten years. Last year he co- founded and now manages the first and only Polish organization which attempts to identify the problem of clerical pedophilia in Poland, called “Be Not Afraid Foundation.”
Presentation: Providing Support to the Victims in Poland |> Watch Video In Polish
Marek Mielewczyk, Poland
Co-founder of the „Nie lękajcie się / Be Not Afraid” Foundation
Presentation: Providing Support to the Victims in Poland |> Watch Video In Polish
Esther Hatfield Miller, United States
A survivor of clergy sex abuse and bestselling co-author of "Answering the Call," Esther Hatfield Miller transformed from victim, to survivor and emerges a thriver, using a 5-step self healing system; moving from chaos to calm. Esther's personal journey has been featured in media & SNAP press events worldwide. Esther mentors others how to heal from their sexual abuse & trauma so they can live a powerful, calm &drama-free life.
Presentation: Self Healing Trauma by taming your Triggers
Badara Ndaw, Senegal
Working with SNAP since 2010, Badara Ndaw has now been appointed as the West Africa Regional Coordinator of the organization. Through SNAP educational material and frequent virtual self-help support sessions, Badara is working to bring more disclosures, accountability and reparations from Catholic pedophile priests. With the support of SNAP, Badara is fighting to protect the confidentiality of the victims and bring the clergy perpetrators into justice.
Presentation: Please Reach Out to African Victims of Pedophile Priests |> Watch Video In English
Ann Olivarius, UK
Dr. Ann Olivarius is the managing partner and co-founder of AO Advocates a leading child sexual abuse law firm in England. She has been praised internationally for her substantial contribution to protecting and promoting the rights of children and women, including by the American Civil Liberties Union and by Nelson Mandela, who retained her to serve as his lawyer. Currently, Dr. Olivarius is working to improve compensation for survivors of child sexual abuse so that it more accurately reflects the magnitude of the effect that child sexual abuse can have on a person’s life.
Presentation: Gender and Sex Abuse in the Catholic Church |> Watch Video In Spanish
Sara Ovideo, Ecuador
Sara Oviedo, Ecuador , South America , 1952. Sociology of profession . She has worked for the rights of children and teenagers we last 36 years of his life . It was part of the programs of care for children under 5 and childhood protection system . Currently, she is member of the Child Committee derechoa UN and vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Presentation: The UN and the Protection of Children |> Watch Video In Spanish
Ekke Overbeek, Netherlands
Ekke Overbeek is a Dutch freelance journalist. The author of the book "Be afraid. The victims of pedophilia in Polish church. The whole Poland is silent. Victims of pedophile priests speak out loud.” In this book Polish Catholics say how they became victims of pedophile priests in their childhood.
Dr. Dorota Pudzianowska, Poland
Dr. Pudzianowska is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Law, Warsaw University, specializing in human rights law with special focus on anti-discrimination and immigration law. She heads the Anti-discrimination programme at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Warsaw). In 2008-2012, she was an alternate member of the Management Board of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. She is currently the legal expert within FRANET network and a Council of Europe expert. She received the Florian Znaniecki prize from Polish Sociological Association and the Polish Prime Minister prize for the best Ph.D. thesis.
Presentation: Helenski Human Rights Foundation and Our Help to the Victims of Abuse
Stanisław Rychowiecki, Poland
Born in 1979 in Warsaw. He was abused as a child, but neverthehless entered the seminary and eventually became a priest. The memories of the abuse where coming back to him as an adult. He is now an ordinary man and a survivor.
Prof. Roman Wieruszewski, Poland
Prof. Roman Wieruszewski is a lawyer and political scientist, Professor of Law, specializing in human rights, university lecturer, former member of the UN Human Rights Committee and its Vice-Chairman. In 1998-2000 and 2003-2006 he was a member of the UN Human Rights Committee and its Vice-President from 2003 to 2004. He was also Director of the Poznan Human Rights Centre, an expert in Human Rights of the OSCE, the Strategic Litigation Programme. He is the author, co-author and editor of numerous publications on human rights and international institutions dealing with this topic.
Presentation: The Ability to Assert the Rights o Victims of Pedophilia Within the Framework of International Mechanisms for Human Rights Protection
