GENEVA (SWITZERLAND)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
June 21, 2021
In a letter made public today, four Independent human rights experts working with the United Nations want the Vatican do more to prevent violence and sexual abuse against children. The experts cited the “persistent allegations of obstruction and lack of cooperation” from the Catholic Church. SNAP agrees wholeheartedly with them.
To us, it is excellent news that yet another highly respected group is calling on the Vatican to reform. Hopefully, the increased pressure from these international experts will force Church officials to make a difference for children and the vulnerable. We also applaud the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) for noting the tactics used by Catholic leadership in avoiding accountability and transparency. Most importantly, we fully agree with the UN experts who raised concerns about the Church’s efforts to thwart legislative efforts to make the prosecution of abusive clergy, brothers, and nuns easier, as intense lobbying to preserve the statute of limitations and limit reparations.
Responding to the needs of sex abuse survivors by Catholic clergy, brothers, and nuns no longer requires conversation; it requires action. The U.N. has made a powerful statement and made clear something we at SNAP have said many times over, “no institution knew more about the abuses that were happening, and no institution did less to stop it.”
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, mmcdonnell@snapnetwork.org), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, zhiner@snapnetwork.org)