South Carolina Bishop Accused of Abuse in New York Lawsuit
The highest-ranking Catholic official in South Carolina is being accused of child sexual abuse according to a just-filed New York lawsuit. For the safety of children, we call on church officials in the United States and in the Vatican to act quickly and suspend this bishop from his post pending an full investigation into the allegations.
Bishop Robert Guglielmone is being accused of molesting a child in the 1970s on Long Island. This accusation now places him amongdozens of US bishops who themselves have been accused of child sexual abuse.
It would be much easier if child molesters were always obvious social misfits who quickly gave others ‘the creeps.’ But in fact, child molesters are often charming, charismatic, outgoing and loveable, so it is not surprising that people like this can rise through the ranks of an institution. One needs look no further than Cardinal Theodore McCarrick as a recent example.
While we do not have firsthand information on these allegations, studies show that false allegations are extremely rare. We hope that anyone with information about these accusations will come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors immediately.
We also urge anyone who may have suffered, witnessed or suspected child sexual abuse in either South Carolina or New York to speak out and get help from trusted sources like police, prosecutors, therapists or support groups like ours.
Finally, we hope that this news will spur South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to follow in the footsteps of twenty of his colleagues throughout the US and open an independent investigation into clergy abuse in South Carolina.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([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