SNAP Statement on Accused Predator Priest Arrest

KATC
March 23, 2012

http://www.katc.com/news/snap-statement-on-predator-priest-arrest/


The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Executive Director David Clohessy has responded to the arrest of a former priest arrested today.

Here is the press release from SNAP:

We are grateful that Fr. Mark Broussard has been apprehended and will be prevented from harming more children. We are extremely upset and disturbed, however, at the revelation that documents were found in this predator priest's file that detailed sexual contact with at least four other children. It is unconscionable that someone could have knowledge of these depraved crimes and yet do nothing to stop them.

We hope that Louisiana law enforcement officials will look beyond Fr. Broussard's crimes and investigate the clear cover-up that took place at St. Henry Catholic Church. Officials at the Diocese of Lake Charles, especially Bishop Glen John Provost should become targets of this investigation as well. The fact that they knew of Fr. Broussard's disturbing crimes and relocated him instead of turning him over to police is egregious and should be severely punished.

At the same time, we hope the arrest of this predator will embolden his other victims to come forward, get help, and make a report to police. Now that Fr. Broussard has been criminally charged, we hope these survivors can end their suffering in silence. We encourage anyone who may also have seen or suspected Fr. Broussard's crimes to come forward to police as well and do whatever they can to assist in this investigation.

(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 and increasingly, victims who were assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like summer camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)