Mo. Court Rejects SNAP Request in Records Case

Sacramento Bee
August 14, 2012

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/14/4725948/mo-court-rejects-snap-request.html

A group that advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse has lost an effort in Missouri to shield some documents from lawyers for an accused priest.

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a Jackson County judge's order for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests to release some records.

The issue stemmed from lawsuits against a Roman Catholic priest by accusers who say they repressed memories of begin abused decades ago. The defense argued that documents held by SNAP could raise doubts about such memories and whether a gag order was violated.

Several Missouri prosecutors sided with SNAP. The prosecutors filed a brief with the high court arguing that disclosing records would violate the privacy of alleged abuse victims and discourage others from coming forward.