Lapd Launches Probe into Clergy Files, Victims Respond

The Worthy Adversary
February 5, 2013

theworthyadversary.com/1709-lapd-launches-probe-into-clergy-files-victims-respond

Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Volunteer Western Regional Director 

To put it simply: this is what victims have fought for all along.

The only way to stop the cycle of child sex abuse and cover-up is to punish child predators and anyone who covers up for them. Empty apologies by bishops and promises of prayers do nothing to keep children safe or help victims heal. Vigorous police investigations and criminal prosecutions do.

LA’s victims of child sexual abuse by clergy have fought for more than eight years to get these files publicly released. They did that for two reasons: to alert the public about past crimes and help law enforcement prosecute criminals who are within the statute of limitations. It is our hope that this investigation by the LAPD puts wrongdoers behind bars. It is also our hope that any police investigation exposes other predators still under the protection of the Archdiocese and secret files that have yet to be turned over.

(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. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)