Supreme Court of Canada Sides with Irene Deschenes, SNAP Applauds
We applaud the decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to stand with a survivor of clergy sexual abuse over the powerful, monolithic institution that is the Catholic Church. The record shows that the Diocese of London, ON, not only enabled Irene Deschenes' abuse but also misrepresented to her when it first learned of allegations against her perpetrator. Irene’s victory in court is a win for everyone who believes in transparency and justice and we are grateful that she has prevailed.
The Diocese of London, ON has fought Irene at every possible turn, so this is truly the story of one brave and persistent person triumphing over the money and might of a powerful institution. The fact that the Diocese fought so hard after lying to Irene about their knowledge of the abuses committed by Fr. Charles Sylvestre is yet another demonstration that the Catholic Church will protect its reputation and finances at any cost. If only Church leadership would instead see innocent children as a resource of the Church and been similarly passionate about defending them from abuse.
We are glad that the Supreme Court agreed with Irene that Catholic officials misled her and coerced her into signing a settlement under false pretenses. We believe that this decision may well make a difference to all survivors who have felt that they were treated in bad faith by Church leadership. We hope that Irene’s win in Canada’s highest court will help encourage and inspire other survivors both in that country and also around the world.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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
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