Settlement reached in unprecedented MN/India case
Statement by David Clohessy of SNAP, 314 566 9790
In an unprecedented victory, a victim of a convicted child molesting cleric has forced Catholic officials to promise in writing to keep him out of ministry.
She has also won an agreement that the predator "not have access to youth" and have his "faculties" - permission to act as a priest - "suspended or revoked." For five years, the priest’s bishop must also "provide yearly status updates" of the priest's "location and ministerial status" (and for six years, provide "semi-annually status updates") unless or until the priest is defrocked.
We applaud this incredibly brave, compassionate and persistent victim, Megan Peterson, for taking extraordinary steps to protect kids from Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul, formerly of Crookston Minnesota and now of the Ootacamund diocese in India, where he was ordained.
In 2015, Fr. Jeyapaul pled guilty to child sex crimes in Minnesota and was later sent back to India.
That decision, we believe, clearly shows that Catholic officials continue to put their own selfish needs ahead of the safety of children.
Again, we applaud Megan for safeguarding the vulnerable. And we beg anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by Fr. Jeyapaul to follow Megan’s example and protect kids by calling law enforcement.
Here’s a more specific timeline:
In 2006, Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul was accused of abusing a Minnesota girl.
In 2007, that girl, Megan Peterson, filed a civil suit against him.
In 2014, prosecutors successfully extradited Fr. Jeyapaul from India.
In 2015, Fr. Jeyapaul pled guilty and was later sent back to India.
In 2016, Peterson settled her suit.
(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])
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