NORTHERN IRELAND
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release Monday, January 13, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
A formal governmental inquiry into child sex crimes and maltreatments at Northern Ireland institutions – many run by Catholic organizations – begins today.
Our hearts break for these thousands of brave victims of child molesting clerics, many of whom suffered years of abuse at the hands of those entrusted with their care. Several hundred will offer testimony. We suspect that many more cannot or will not because they continue to struggle and suffer today.
But we are encouraged by this government inquiry. It’s only a first step. But it’s better than no step at all.
We hope, however, that more will be done to reduce the pain of those who have been so severely wounded as kids and betrayed as adults. And we hope that archaic, predatory-friendly secular laws will be reformed to deter employers and officials from concealing crimes against kids now and in the future.
Children will be safer only when all those officials who commit or conceal these horrific crimes are publicly exposed and held accountable.
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