ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, June 11, 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 )
Catholics, you may feel powerless but you aren’t. You can donate to groups that prevent abuse, not institutions that hide it. You can write letters to lawmakers urging better child safety laws. You can invite child sex abuse victims and their advocates to speak in your churches or to your organizations. You can speak out – in public and online – because secrecy only helps the bad guys.
You can look at the list of 51 proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting St. Louis Catholic clerics at BishopAccountability.org. You can ask every current and former Catholic you know about these predators – your friends, your family, your neighbors. You can get specific, and ask “Did any of these priests, nuns, seminarians or brothers hurt you?” If they say yes, you can beg them to call police, prosecutors, therapists or our support group. You can assure them that healing is possible, and sometimes justice and prevention are possible too. You can encourage them to explore any legal options they may have – criminal or civil.
You can beg your colleagues – fellow parishioners – to report what they know or suspect about clergy sex crimes to law enforcement. You can remind them that nothing is too small, old or seemingly minor to report. You can tell them it’s their duty to share what they’ve heard or seen, and it’s law enforcements’ duty to decide what’s worth investigation or prosecuting.
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