Local Sexual Abuse Victim to Establish National Survivors Group
By Don Lajoie
A Windsor woman who offers support for victims of clergy sex abuse wants to expand the service nationwide. Brenda Brunelle is seeking federal incorporation as a not-for-profit organization that would offer help to victims across Canada. She began the service in Windsor last year. Brunelle, who was sexually abused by local priest Rev. Michael Fallone when she was a girl, sued the Catholic church four years ago and reached a settlement in 2012. Brunelle said the local chapter of the U.S.-based international Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has helped dozens of victims come to terms with their experiences — participants come from as far away as Sarnia and Cambridge to take part in regular meetings. The first session she chaired in Toronto recently drew 16 people, despite little advance notice. “The experience was overwhelming,” she said. “It was the first time many had ever met someone else who had been abused and the emotions were high. People were still talking in the parking lot well after the meeting ended. They didn’t want to leave. It was the rawest moment I’ve ever experienced in my life.” She said the program is modelled on Alcoholics Anonymous, the focus on communication, talking and listening. Aside from the regular meetings, SNAP offers members ongoing support, including accompanying them to court. There are no professional counsellors at the meetings, just victims helping victims. But, if people require professional help or therapy, the group will help them find it. SNAP was established by Barbara Blaine in Chicago in 1989 to address the burgeoning number of sexual abuse cases involving Catholic clergy in the U.S. It has since expanded its mandate to provide support and advocacy for survivors of abuse at the hands of perpetrators from any religious organization or other institution. There are 60 chapters in North America, with affiliates in South America, Australia and Europe, serving 12,000 members. Brunelle became involved during her legal battle after searching for help online. She said that once her case was decided, she was approached by Blaine to set up Canada’s first chapter. She has since organized a chapter in Toronto, chairing the inaugural meeting, and has received requests to start a group in Vancouver. But, to take that next step, incorporation is essential to allow the organization to receive donations and issue tax receipts. She said the group will file for federal incorporation in December. She is reaching out to residents, community groups and businesses to help sponsor its filing fees. Meanwhile, the local chapter will continue regular monthly peer-support sessions, the next one scheduled for Sunday. “It’s amazing how complete strangers come together,” she said. “When they talk, they’re describing your own experiences to a T, like we’ve all followed the same path. I really had no one to turn to in my case, other than my husband and my lawyer. But a lawyer is a litigator, not a friend. “When I think of what I put my husband through for four years. The process beats the hell out of you. It’s a war and they will pull any skeleton they can out of your closet. But here you meet people who have gone through it and survived.” To inquire about attending a Windsor chapter meeting or making a contribution to the group’s incorporation efforts, contact SNAP at 519-800-3492.
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