Prosecutors moving forward in criminal case against defrocked Cardinal McCarrick
In the second pre-trial hearing held yesterday for Theodore McCarrick, a defrocked Catholic Cardinal and former ‘prince of the church’, a motion for transcript, audio, and video recordings of depositions related to the criminal charges against McCarrick was filed by the prosecution. McCarrick is the highest-ranking Catholic official in the United States to face criminal charges in the sexual abuse scandal that has plagued the Church for decades. While McCarrick was not present in the courtroom for proceedings on December 21, 2021, his defense attorney was there in representation. McCarrick faces three counts of indecent assault and battery. A notorious abuser, this latest trial is related to claims that McCarrick sexually assaulted a teenager during a 1974 wedding in Massachusetts. The former Cardinal pleaded not guilty to the charges this past September.
The brief second pre-trial hearing in the case was held at Dedham District Court in Massachusetts. In addition to the motion, the case was continued to March 3 for a status update. McCarrick’s attorneys say that “we will look forward to addressing this issue in the courtroom.” McCarrick also faces a number of civil lawsuits filed against him, mostly in New Jersey and New York. However, none of them can be filed criminally.
While we are grateful that the wheels of justice are moving in this matter, we know that the abuses committed by McCarrick were covered up by many others. We are glad that McCarrick is facing justice for his crimes, we know that there are many enablers who have escaped the scrutiny that they deserve. We hope that this trial will inspire others to come forward and hopefully draw more attention to the cover-up of McCarrick and others’ crimes.
We have seen far too many times that Church officials will admit to one thing and cover up a thousand others. In this case, it seems to us that Catholic leaders removed McCarrick from the clerical state in the hope that his name would disappear from the headlines, hoping his victims would remain silent and any criminal cases being beyond the statute of limitations. The proceeding yesterday is another step forward towards justice, not just the brave survivor who came forward in this case, but for all survivors who deserve the same.
CONTACT:
Mike McDonnell, Communications Manager, 267-261-0578, [email protected]
Becky Ianni, SNAP DC Leader (703-801-6044, [email protected]
Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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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