SAN DIEGO (CA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
June 17, 2024
By SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
- Clergy sex abuse victims blast SD bishop
- They call his new legal move “frightening”
- SNAP: “It’s just one more way of hiding predators”
- Diocese seeks Chapter 11 protection & end to lawsuits
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will
–harshly criticize San Diego’s bishop for using bankruptcy court to “keep clergy sex abuse secrets secret and prevent abuse survivors from having their day in court,” and
–beg him to give victims a longer time to come forward, and not push for a tight deadline which re-victimizes many.
They will also call on
–Catholics to pressure top Catholic officials to “stop playing legal hardball” and fighting victims,
–other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward and report known and suspected clergy sex crimes and cover ups “so that kids receive protection and victims receive justice and healing,” and
–police, prosecutors and other officials to work “harder and smarter.”
WHEN
Monday, June 17 at 11:00 am
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the US Federal Courthouse on F Street (between State and Union on north side) in downtown San Diego
WHO
Three-four survivors of sexual assault by Catholic clerics, including a San Diego man who is the local leader for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and a LA-area woman who is a widely-known survivor, advocate and public speaker
WHY
Tomorrow, the San Diego Bishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy, is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The move stems from church officials ignoring or concealing the crimes of predator priests for decades and more recently, from civil lawsuits filed by victims seeking to safeguard kids, expose predators and seek justice.
CONTACT: Paul Livingston, SNAP San Diego (sddiver2@yahoo.com, 619-408-9111), Joelle Casteix (jcasteix@gmail.com, 949-322-7434), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director, (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Director (mmcdonnell@snapnetwork.org, 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814- 341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)