SNAP to share its list of those publicly accused of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Oakland

(For Immediate Release December 12, 2022) 

At a sidewalk press conference outside the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, SNAP will share its list of those publicly accused of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Oakland

Following the press conference, SNAP will hand deliver a letter and a copy of its list to Bishop Michael Barber, asking him to expand his list

The list published by the Diocese of Oakland contains 65 names

SNAP's list is currently at 227, with more names anticipated to be added before the 3-year civil window opened by California Assembly Bill 218 closes at the end of the month

WHEN

Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at noon

WHERE

On the public sidewalk outside of the Cathedral of Christ the Light, 2121 Harrison St. in Oakland, CA

WHO

5-6 survivors of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Oakland, supporters and advocates

WHY

The Diocese of Oakland released its own list of abusers in 2019. That list now includes 65 names. However, SNAP's list of accused perpetrators has 227 names. The survivors' group will be asking Oakland Bishop Michael Barber to examine our list with the expectation that he will then expand the Oakland list to include the missing names.

DETAILS

Following a sidewalk press conference, members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will be hand delivering a letter to Oakland Bishop Michael Barber, along with its list of abusers in the Diocese which has been painstakingly developed by culling public information, including lawsuits filed so far during California's civil window for child sex abuse victims. The text of the letter is pasted below. Copies of the letter and the SNAP list will be available at the event. 

SNAP did extensive research to identify the 227 perpetrators on its list, culling through information from media reports, civil lawsuits, criminal proceedings, and the Catholic Church itself. The group also hopes that when the Diocese makes appropriate additions to its list, it will also take the time to include work histories with dates, as well as details on when each and every accusation was received, where it originated from, and what actions Church officials took in response. SNAP believes that such a list would truly be a giant step toward openness and transparency.

At the press conference, the survivors and advocates will also address why these lists are important to survivor healing and public safety, the closing California civil window for child sex abuse victims, the California civil window opening in 2023 for survivors of abuse as adults, as well as sharing the insights discerned through the development of their own list.

SNAP's LETTER to BISHOP MICHAEL BARBER is linked here <<

SNAP's List of Accused - Diocese of Oakland 

CONTACT
Dan McNevin, SNAP Treasurer ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Joey Piscitelli, SNAP Northern California ([email protected], 925-262-3699), Dorothy Small, SNAP Sacramento ([email protected], 530-908-3676), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(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)