NEW ORLEANS (LA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
June 29, 2022
(For Immediate Release June 29, 2022)
We are encouraged by news that the FBI is looking into sexual abuse and cover-up within the Archdiocese of New Orleans. We have no doubt that this probe will reveal far more truths to the public than we have gotten from church officials in New Orleans. A probe like this is absolutely critical, especially when considering the move by church hierarchs in New Orleans to pre-emptively declare bankruptcy, a move that we believe was designed to shield assets, protect secrets, and prevent information about the cover-up from making it into the public eye.
As we see it, the best justice that victims and the unsuspecting faithful can hope for lies with a secular law enforcement investigation. SNAP has long argued that true reform and change will come from the involvement of secular authorities and believe that what is happening in New Orleans is a welcome change and something that should be replicated throughout the United States. We hope that this news will especially encourage any survivors who have been suffering in silence to find the strength to come forward, make a report, and start healing.
We believe that priests and deacons took boys across Louisiana’s borders to sexually abuse them, these acts are federal crimes, some of which may still be prosecutable. We applaud the New Orleans FBI field office and hope their investigation is not only for the Archdiocese of New Orleans but for all the dioceses across the state.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager(mmcdonnell@snapnetwork.org, 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386) Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)