For immediate release: Monday, March 8, 2010

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home)

Within days of the first clergy sex abuse victims coming forward in Germany, the Pope’s brother attacks them. Shame on him.

Deeply wounded victims of horrific child sex crimes should be helped, not assailed. Those who report clergy sex crimes should be praised, not vilified.

Church officials should bind up the wounds of those in pain, not rub more salt into them by attributing ill motives to well-intentioned, hurting individuals. Having never met the brave victims who are speaking up, Ratzinger has no business claiming to know, and attacking, their motives.

Mean-spirited and self-pitying remarks like this – that try to portray the church as being victimized – serve only to discourage others who saw, suspected or suffered devastating abuse and cover ups from speaking up, exposing predators, protecting kids and healing themselves.

The Pope himself should condemn his brother’s harsh and intimidating comments.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 22 years and have more than 9,000 members across the country. 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)

Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Peter Isely (414-429-7259) Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003)

http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20100308-25727.html