NY, AZ – Victim advocates to Catholic Church: #NoMore
For immediate release, Saturday, November 11, 2017
Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of Moraga, California, Volunteer Member of the Board of Directors and Volunteer East Bay Leader for SNAP, the Survivors Network (925-708-6175, [email protected])
Yesterday it was revealed that the Brooklyn Diocese of the Catholic Church had quietly posted on its website the names of seven former priests it says were defrocked for child sexual abuse.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/nyregion/brooklyn-diocese-priests-sexual-abuse.html
SNAP, the Survivors Network, is glad that the diocese is finally confirming that it found these men to be a threat to children. However, as advocates for victims, we wonder, as did attorney Mitchell Garabedian, why an institution which professes to stand for morality could have put so many children in danger by keeping criminal behavior secret?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/nyregion/brooklyn-diocese-priests-sexual-abuse.html
We have advocated for years that the Catholic Church reveal the names and whereabouts of all those that it has determined are guilty of child sexual abuse. This simple, cost-free step would go a long way toward preventing the abuse of more children by these hidden predators.
SNAP again calls on all New York dioceses and all Catholic dioceses around the world to reveal the names. Please, just do the right thing to protect children.
#NoMore secrets! #NoMore hidden predators!
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 members. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contacts –Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected]), Megan Peterson (218-684-0073, [email protected]), Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Melanie Jula Sakoda (925-708-6175, [email protected]), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director