SNAP delegation seeks federal investigation of church over abuse

Published: 2005-07-25

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Three representatives of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests met with Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania July 21 to tell him how upset victims were at his recent remarks blaming clergy sexual abuse of children on sexual freedom and a liberal culture and to seek his aid in getting the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the church over the abuse crisis. The three also met with staff aides of Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts to seek support for a Justice Department investigation from the two senators and to thank them for their responses to Santorum's comments. Kennedy and Kerry are Democrats. All three senators are Catholic. In conjunction with the meetings, SNAP released the contents of a complaint against church officials it lodged with the Justice Department in November 2003. The complaint accused bishops and other top church officials of conspiring to hide the crimes of child-molesting priests from civil authorities, in part by sending them across state lines for treatment to circumvent local mandatory reporting laws. David Clohessy, SNAP national director, said the survivors' group initially sent its complaint to the Justice Department without publicity, but decided to make it public now since the department never responded.

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