SNAP Leader Blasts Missouri AG’s Outreach Efforts
Tomorrow, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt will release his so-called report on clergy sex crimes and cover ups at a St. Louis news conference. This whitewash is precisely what we predicted and feared: apparently no subpoenas issued, no hearings held, no hotlines established, and no experts consulted.
Looking through old files voluntarily shared by wrongdoers is not an investigation. Catholic officials shrewdly conceal child sex crimes and have for decades. Why would they do a sudden turn-around and disclose damning information they have successfully fought for ages to hide?
Two veteran victims' attorneys - Rebecca Randles in Kansas City and Ken Chackes in St. Louis - have represented hundreds of abuse victims and have thousands of pages of church records. Neither AG Schmitt nor his staff have met with these attorneys nor even asked to look at what they have uncovered.
As best we can tell, AG Schmitt is also ignoring roughly one third of all priests in Missouri, those who belong to religious orders (like the Jesuits and the Marianists), which is an inexplicable oversight.
In Illinois, in just a few months, the AG disclosed that 500 accused abusive priests there remain hidden. In Kansas, in just a few months, law enforcement disclosed that 119 victims have come forward and 74 investigations are pending. This is what results from real investigations. AG Schmitt has provided no such helpful information over the past year and we cannot help but feel that he is unlikely to do so tomorrow.
Elsewhere, AGs are teaming up with local law enforcement, seeking more authority from lawmakers and taking aggressive and creative steps to protect children, expose abusers, and end cover ups. Sadly, Missouri AG Eric Schmitt is apparently doing none of this. Like his predecessor Josh Hawley, he is feigning powerlessness, endangering children and selling out victims.
Kids are safer when crime victims trust law enforcement. The Missouri AG’s half-hearted effort undermines that trust, meaning children will be less safe because of his timidity and short-sightedness. In that way, AG Schmitt has not only done a real disservice to vulnerable children and wounded victims, but also to the many dedicated, caring law enforcement officials across Missouri.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri ([email protected], 314-566-9790)
(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