NEW YORK
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Here is a letter being sent today to Cardinal Tim Dolan, head of the New York archdiocese:
(NOTE: At 1:30 today, SNAP is holding a news conference about this outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.)
October 1, 2013
Dear Cardinal Dolan:
We are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org). Our mission is to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable. We believe you are acting irresponsibly regarding Deacon Al Mazza.
On Sunday, you ousted Mazza from his post because of substantiated child sex abuse allegations. But you admit waiting months to do so. You won’t say when police gave information about the predator to you or your staff. And in a letter to parishioners on Sunday and a news release yesterday, you claim you suspended the deacon months ago but offer no proof of having done this.
Let’s take each of these separately.
First, undisputed media accounts say that the child sex abuse allegations against Mazza were given to you by police because the statute of limitations precluded prosecution. Obviously, independent, unbiased and experienced law enforcement found them credible. So why didn’t you publicly disclose those allegations – quickly and widely – right away? Every day a credibly accused child molester continues “under the radar,” he has more chances to hurt kids, intimidate victims, threaten witnesses, discredit whistleblowers, destroy evidence, fabricate alibis and even flee the country. Through your silence, you have helped a child molester and endangered innocent children.
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