Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Volunteer Western Regional Director
To put it simply: this is what victims have fought for all along.
The only way to stop the cycle of child sex abuse and cover-up is to punish child predators and anyone who covers up for them. Empty apologies by bishops and promises of prayers do nothing to keep children safe or help victims heal. Vigorous police investigations and criminal prosecutions do.
LA’s victims of child sexual abuse by clergy have fought for more than eight years to get these files publicly released. They did that for two reasons: to alert the public about past crimes and help law enforcement prosecute criminals who are within the statute of limitations. It is our hope that this investigation by the LAPD puts wrongdoers behind bars. It is also our hope that any police investigation exposes other predators still under the protection of the Archdiocese and secret files that have yet to be turned over.
(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. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
I am sure Obama is going to do anything, are you kidding?
If the LAPD looks closely at Cardinal Mahony’s depostions under oath, his public utterances and his written statements, with a little help from the survivors lawyers, they likely can find some basism either obstruction of justice, perjury or xhild endangement, that is not time barred. The Pope, through Archbishop Gomez, has effectively blessed prosecuting Mahony. The inexcusable footdragging here by LA political leaders and prosecutors to date is more than enough reason for replacing them. It also makes clear this abuse of children and survivors will never end unless President Obama conducts a thourough national investigation at the Federal level.
For more, please see: http://wp.me/P2YEZ3-kQ
I think President Obama has more than enough on his mind, what with the drone thing happening. We must be diligent as you are and many others who write day by day and year by yea, rwithout much happening. I thought you were going to write a book ..??I wish you would. You can include every comment and headline you’ve ever written.Keep up the good work. I’d love for Obama to get after the RCC but don’t you think it might hurt the “real church?” The people who follow Christ?
Applause !!!!!!!!!!! A job well done by the survivors and their leadership !!!!!!!