CANADA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Friday, March 07, 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 )
Church abuse apologies are virtually meaningless. Whether long or short, clear or vague, prompt or delayed, they don’t protect a single child, expose a single predator or uncover a single cover up.
Apologies like this are smart public relations and legal defense maneuvers. And it’s tragic that they often come only after Catholic institutions are sued and Catholic officials are forced to act.
(Often, some church apologies seem “good” or “sincere” when compared with even more awful earlier apology attempts by other church officials. That’s the wrong standard to use.)
Virtually every step the Christian Brothers have taken about abuse have been forced on them by wounded victims, aggressive journalists, determined police, skilled prosecutors or outraged donors and Catholics.
We are not impressed by the Christian Brothers’ “promise to ensure it never happens again.” If they were sincere, we’d see tangible, proven preventative steps taken voluntarily, not lip service and empty ‘policies’ that are ignored or violated.
Christian Brothers officials should permanently post on their websites the names, photos, whereabouts and work histories of every proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting cleric.
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