SNAP Applauds the Passage of an Adult Survivors Bill in California
Last week Governor Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 2777 into law. In addition to extending the civil statute of limitations for sexual assaults against adults, The Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act also opens a window to justice for survivors of sexual assault who were attacked as adults. The length of the window depends on when the abuse occurred. It is a 1-year window for abuse at any time and a 3-year window for survivors who were abused on or after January 1, 2009.
SNAP commends California lawmakers for changing the existing statute and for opening this civil window. This is a huge victory for survivors’ rights in the state. There can be no justice without truth, and unless someone raises their voice to speak the truth, there will be no justice.
"We believe all survivors deserve to have their day in court and hope that other states will follow in New Jersey, New York, and California’s footsteps and pass their own version of this important legislation," said SNAP Leader Dorothy Small, who was sexually assaulted by a Catholic priest as an adult.
We hope that the passage of California Assembly Bill 2777 will encourage victims of sexual violence, no matter their age or where their abuse occurred, to come forward and seek the justice they deserve. We also hope that those who may have reported in the past but were ignored or fell victim to archaic, predator-friendly laws will find the strength to go through the process one more time to find healing and accountability.
CONTACT: Dorothy Small, SNAP Sacramento ([email protected], 530-908-3676), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected] 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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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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