SNAP Statement Regarding McChesney Remarks
on the Deposition of Therapists

Statement from Ben "Buddy" Cotton,
New Jersey Director, SNAP

January 25, 2003

"Today we learned that the Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection for the Catholic Bishops announced her support for the deposition of therapists in clergy abuse civil cases. It seems that Ms. McChesney has put the cart before the horse in her first public comments about the compliance of a Catholic diocese with the church's new child sexual abuse policy. Had she met with clergy abuse survivors on her first trip to Boston, Ms. McChesney might have begun to establish an independent voice for what the church has claimed is her independent role to help solve the sexual abuse crisis in the church.

Ms. McChesney needs to understand better the games that bishops play. Bishops claim in their policies and their public pronouncements that they will deal with clergy sexual abuse and rape victims with more compassion. Then they release their attack dog lawyers out the back door of the chanceries across America, using hardball legal tactics to intimidate and discourage victims.

For all pending cases of abuse in each diocese, Ms. McChesney should not apply a legal standard for what is the proper way to treat victims. She should apply the same standard that most Catholics would apply: a high moral standard. Based on Ms. McChesney's comments this week, we hope that she will refrain from comments that may hurt already struggling sexual abuse victims, reflect open-mindedness about the dioceses that she is investigating, and consult others about the right moral course
for all cases.

If on her future trips to dioceses Ms. McChesney meets with at least as many clergy sexual abuse victims as she does church leaders, perhaps she will gain greater moral clarity about this crisis and begin to make a difference for victims."

CONTACT:
Buddy Cotton 917-715-6500
David Clohessy 314-645-5915, 314-566-9790
Barbara Blaine 312-399-4747
Mark Serrano 703-771-9606, 703-727-4940