TX--Group praises Marsh's victims; urge others to come forward

For immediate release: Wednesday, April 8

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, 314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected]

We are glad that child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits against a Texas millionaire have settled but we suspect that there are other kids who were violated and are still suffering in shame, silence and self-blame. We urge them to come forward, expose wrongdoers and start healing.

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2015-04-07/chase-tower-businesses-settle-lawsuit-linked-marsh-3  

We are glad that Stanley Marsh can no longer molest children. But we hope that those who ignored or concealed his crimes might still be brought to justice. In many child sex abuse cases, other adults hide the crimes or refuse to call 911 to report them. Those adults should be vigorously prosecuted. That’s a terrific way to prevent more shattered childrens’ lives – punishing those who could and should have stopped a child molester through a simple phone call to police and prosecutors.

To those who have settled these cases, we applaud your courage. We hope the settlement will bring you some measure of healing and closure. But we know that no one event or outcome can magically “cure” a victim of the potentially life-long impact of this kind of heinous betrayal. It’s crucial that you get or stay in therapy, recovery groups and 12 step programs.

To those who are still in pain, having been hurt so severely by Marsh, we beg you to speak up. You can recover from this trauma. But you can’t do it alone. Please confide in a partner or sibling or parent or therapist. Please contact groups like ours. Please consider going to law enforcement. But above all, please do not keep hurting in isolation and silence.

The depression, sleeplessness, addictions, eating disorders, anger and hurt you’re experiencing need not last forever. But the mere passage of time won’t do the trick. You must find the strength and courage to reach out to others for help. Then and only then can you begin piecing your life back together. We’re ready to help.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We were founded in 1988 and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy 314-566-9790, [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003, [email protected], Barbara Blaine 312-399-4747, [email protected]