SNAP Network urges officials to seek out victims

KATC
July 27, 2016

http://www.katc.com/story/32556866/snap-network-urges-officials-to-seek-out-victims

A survivor group has issued a statement about the news today that a Catholic priest was arrested on child pornography charges. 

SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, called on Lafayette Bishop Daniel Deshotel to seek out any people who may have been abused by F. David Broussard, the priest arrested Wednesday after a repair technician allegedly found more than 500 images of child pornography on his computer. 

During a Wednesday press conference, the bishop said no complaints had ever been received against Broussard, who was ordained in 1993. As part of his position as the priest administrator of St. Bernard Church, he also oversaw St. Bernard School, the bishop said. 

In a release from David Clohessy, the international director of SNAP, said Deshotel must visit the parish immediately to seek out any possible victims or witnesses. 

"Specifically, we call on Bishop Daniel Deshotel to personally visit Fr. David Broussand’s parish this weekend (and any other church where he may have been) begging victims, witnesses or whistleblowers to call police," Clohessy said. "Deshotel should also put announcements in church bulletins, parish websites and other diocesan publications and outlets."

SNAP is an international group founded in 1988 which now has more than 20,000 members. The group is open to people who have survived molestation by religious leaders of any denomination. 

"No matter what lawmakers or church officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Catholic churches or institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours," Clohessy said. "This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface."