VA school district failed to report an accusation of sexual assault, moved abuser; SNAP responds
We are stunned by the apparent callousness of the Loudoun County Public School District for failing to report alleged sexual assaults. Moreover, the District apparently compounded their mistake by allowing the accused perpetrator to transfer to another school, where he is alleged to have assaulted another student in the exact same manner.
We hope that these failures are thoroughly investigated and that charges are pursued against the responsible parties where possible. There is absolutely no excuse for keeping silent about child sex abuse reports, or for exposing additional children to possible assaults.
Sadly, those who ignore or conceal child sex crimes, or who endanger additional young lives, are rarely prosecuted. We hope this case is timely enough to make criminal charges possible. If not, we hope the state of Virginia or the federal government will continue changing the laws in the future. Mandatory reporters are often children's first line of defense, and failure to report and endangering additional children should not be taken lightly.
We echo the thoughts of Virginia State SNAP Leader Becky Ianni who said, 'How can parents protect their children if they don’t know there is danger?'
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager,( [email protected], 267-261-0578) Becky Ianni, SNAP Virginia State Leader ([email protected], 703-801-6044), 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 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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