By Ashley Brauer
WAVE
September 14, 2011
http://www.wave3.com/story/15462790/local-snap-group-supports-charges-against-vatican
[court filing]
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LOUISVILLE (WAVE) – The Louisville chapter of SNAP, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says it stands behind charges filed with the International Criminal Court against the Pope Benedict XVI and other top Vatican officials.
SNAP and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed more than 20,000 pages of documents at The Hague Tuesday. The two advocacy groups want the ICC to charge the Pope and other leaders with crimes against humanity.
The brief accuses the Vatican of tolerating and enabling "the systematic and widespread concealing of rape and child sex crimes throughout the world."
In Louisville, SNAP members say it's time the Vatican and the Pope take action.
"It's way past time for them to step up," said Cal Pfeifer. "The Pope needs to step up. He's the head of the Catholic Church and if he doesn't step up then that signals to all Catholics and Non-Catholics that they just aren't serious, they just don't care that they are doing the minimal to make this whole problem go away."
Other members agree, saying the abuse impacts victims for the rest of their lives.
"There comes a point where you cannot move on," said Warren Tucker of SNAP. "You must stand up and say this has affected me. It has affected my life. And I'm not going to be quiet anymore. I want something done about it."
The Vatican says it is aware of the filing, but has no comment.
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