SNAP Applauds as Pennsylvania House Advances Reform to Give Survivors their Day in Court
The Pennsylvania State House today moved forward on much-needed reforms that can help provide justice for survivors of child sexual abuse and help prevent future cases from happening in the first place. We are grateful that this measure has advanced and look forward to the day when survivors in Pennsylvania will be allowed their day in court.
House Bill 14 seeks to amend the state’s constitution in order to create a two-year “window” that would temporarily lift the civil statute of limitations on sex crimes, allowing survivors to file lawsuits and get critical information about abusers and enablers into the hands of the public. This much-needed reform still faces an uphill battle, but we are hopeful that the people of Pennsylvania will support the effort and give survivors and children in Pennsylvania a shot at justice and prevention.
Statute of limitations reform has been a challenging fight in Pennsylvania. Survivors and advocates have been fighting for years to advance this change. Despite multiple investigations into cases of serial abuse and cover-up within Catholic institutions in Pennsylvania attempts to reform the state’s statute of limitations have repeatedly fallen short, due in no small part to lobbying from the Catholic Church itself.
"We know the wolves are watching," said Mike McDonnell, leader of SNAP Philadelphia. "We will remain optimistic until all have their claims heard."
We hope that this latest effort will succeed and that those who were victimized in any institution, whether a church, school, youth camp, or otherwise, will be empowered to come forward, name their abusers and the enablers, and help create a safer society for children.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Philadelphia ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner ([email protected], 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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