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	Sex Abuse Victims Respond to German Justice Minister’s Idea As More Evidence of Abuse Surfaces Voice from the Desert February 25, 2010 http://reform-network.net/?p=2635 SUBJ LINE: Sex abuse victims respond to German Justice Minister’s idea For immediate release: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010 Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell) We respectfully but firmly disagree with German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger who apparently calls for “a round table of representatives of the government, the church and victims” (according to Der Spiegel). Devastating, horrific child sex crimes have taken place and deliberate, callous cover ups are still taking place. Catholic officials aren’t well-intentioned men who just happen to have genuine differences of opinions from most of the rest of society. They have behaved, and are behaving, like criminals. The answer isn’t “round table” discussions; it’s vigorous governmental intervention and investigation and prosecution of powerful but corrupt wrong-doers. Such a panel, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger says, would be “a good way to give the Catholic Church an opportunity to enter into conversations with the victims over voluntary compensation.” Again, we disagree. For decades, the church hierarchy has had ample opportunity to “enter into conversations” with victims and provide “voluntary compensation.” That has rarely happened, in Germany or elsewhere. There must be pressure – public, parishioner, and governmental – to force the timid, self-serving monarchs of the church to do what’s right. We urge anyone who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes and cover ups to call police, get help, expose predators, protect kids and start healing. We especially urge victims and witnesses to contact the unbiased and independent officials in law enforcement, not the biased and largely corrupt officials in the church hierarchy. And we urge German citizens and Catholics to prod secular authorities to step in, be persistent, get creative, and do everything possible to help victims, expose predators, and punish wrong-doers, especially those in the church hierarchy who have acted and are acting recklessly, callously and deceptively. (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 22 years and have more than 9,000 members across the country. 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. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Peter Isely (414-429-7259) Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003)
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