CALIFORNIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Victims seek bishop’s help
Deadline has been set for victims to step forward
According to court filing, 11 predators worked in diocese
But survivors’ group says “there are surely more”
SNAP: Anyone who believes they have a claim should act now
Organization is available to help survivors as they navigate this process
WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will
— urge officials of the Stockton Catholic diocese to aggressively seek out abuse victims before an August 15th deadline;
— list names the 11 predator priests diocesan officials admit to, plus identify additional child molesting clerics who have been accused, sued or convicted (and where they worked);
— beg victims to come forward, report crimes and report their abuse before it is too late.
–give out contact information for local SNAP leaders who are available to help survivors as they come forward
Where:
Outside the Diocesan headquarters, 212 N San Joaquin Street (between Miner and Channel), Stockton
When:
Wednesday, July 16th at 11:00 a.m.
Who:
Two to three victims of child sex abuse and their supporters who are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPNetwork.org)
Why:
In January, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton filed for bankruptcy. The deadline for sex abuse victims to report abuse and seek compensation is August 15 at 4:00 pm.
The August 15th deadline, or “bar date,” is explicitly for child sex abuse victims. (Other “creditors” have an earlier deadline.) After August 15th, victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Stockton will likely be unable to use the civil justice system to seek justice.
However, for almost two weeks, from June 25th through July 7th, a toll free phone line giving information to clergy sex abuse victims in the Stockton Diocese malfunctioned, according to a New Mexico newspaper.
(The complete text of the July 12th article is pasted below.)
While the faulty phone lines were being monitored by the California law firm of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, SNAP feels the person ultimately responsible for outreach to victims of child molesting clerics is Stockton’s Bishop Stephen Blaire.
SNAP is urging Blaire to step up efforts to find and help victims now. The group wants Blaire to personally visit every parish where pedophile priests worked, begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to speak up. He should post the names of every proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting cleric in every parish bulletin, SNAP says, and should “more aggressively than ever seek out those who are in pain because Catholic priests assaulted kids and Catholic officials hid those crimes.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.