Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Catholic Church Accused of 'Bullying' Organization Representing Clergy Sex Abuse Victims

Catholic Church Accused of 'Bullying' Organization Representing Clergy Sex Abuse Victims
"  A victims advocacy organization alleging pressure from lawyers representing the Roman Catholic Church to hand over confidential documents related to clergy sex abuse cases claims the tactics being used are akin to "bullying" and "intimidation." Church officials deny, however, that any tactics are being used to pressure the group.  The advocacy group, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, has been uniting clergy sex abuse victims since 1991, offering counseling, group support and legal advisement. The group is known for having filed a lawsuit against top Vatican leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI, at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in Sept. 2011.
When lawyers representing the Catholic Church in two sexual abuse cases, one in Kansas and one in Missouri, requested in Dec. 2011 that SNAP release confidential documents, including emails between the organization and abuse victims as well as whistle-blowers and witnesses, SNAP viewed the request as a form of harassment.
The case in St Louis, Mo., is currently "on hold" until May, but the one in Kansas City has been moving ahead more quickly, and on April 20 the court is expected to decide whether SNAP will have to reveal the emails, David Clohessy, SNAP's national director and spokesman, told The Christian Post. Whatever the court's decision, each side is likely to appeal, he added.  "
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1 comment:

  1. We are learning that church officials will use any tactic they can get away with:
    --to keep their power
    --to protect their image
    --to not be held accountable
    --to keep themselves out of jail... for covering up sex crimes against kids.

    BUT:
    To all victims who have been sexually abused by clerics, your voices are strong, powerful, and being heard...!..
    The church officials can't shut us up. They can't shove all the victims back under their control of silence.

    Crimes have been committed and the can of worms has been opened, and that is only because very brave victims of clergy sex abuse are speaking up, coming forward, contacting the police, exposing the truth, and trying their hardest to not allow another child to be given the life sentence of harm which they were dealt.

    For those who wish to help ...On our website - SNAPnetwork.org - are simple suggestions for helping victims beat back this assault against them by top Catholic officials. Please check it out. Thanks.

    Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, USA, 636-433-2511
    "Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy.

    (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims.
    SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word "priest" in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers and increasingly, victims who were assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like summer camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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