MISSOURI
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Here’s something for St. Louis Catholics to think about when they pass the collection basket at church next Sunday: Lawyers for the Archdiocese and Archbishop Robert J. Carlson have launched a legal assault on the victims’ advocacy organization that helped expose the clergy abuse epidemic here and around the country.
The same tactic is being employed in the Diocese of Kansas City against the organization, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and its national director, David Clohessy. In St. Louis, the target is SNAP’s outreach director, Barbara Dorris. SNAP is an international organization, but Mr. Clohessy and Ms. Dorris are St. Louisans.
The effect of both efforts could be to force SNAP into expensive, drawn-out legal battles to protect the confidentiality of its communications with victims, lawyers, whistle-blowers and news reporters. Mr. Clohessy said the Kansas City case already has strained SNAP’s finances, which, in turn, will reduce its effectiveness. Some victims of clergy abuse may hesitate to seek help, knowing that their communications no longer are private.
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