Self help group wants others to “speak up”

It urges those who saw, suspect or suffered child abuse to report

But “contact secular officials, not religious officials,” SNAP recommends

WHAT

Handing out fliers to Catholics as they leave mass, child sex abuse victims will urge

--anyone who suffered, witnessed or suspects child abuse in institutional settings to “come forward, get help, and start healing,” and

--contact law enforcement officials “so that kids can be safer and cover ups can be exposed.”

WHEN

Sunday, November 25 at 11:45 a.m.

WHERE

Outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Gisborne St and Cathedral Place, in Melbourne

WHO

Three or four members of an international support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) including an American woman who is the organization’s president and founder and who has spent time in 12 nations dealing with the Catholic church’s abuse & cover up crisis

WHY

Over the past 24 years, members of SNAP have found that public outreach efforts encouraging child sex abuse victims to step forward can be effective. Now that the Catholic church abuse and cover up crisis is attracting more public attention in Australia, SNAP is strongly urging those with information or suspicions about clergy sex crimes to speak up.

The organisation is a self-help and advocacy group with the mission of “protecting the vulnerable and healing the wounded.”

Members of SNAP are urging anyone else who saw, suspects or witnessed child abuse to contact police, expose wrongdoing, protect kids and start healing. But SNAP encourages those with information or suspicions to report to secular authorities, not church authorities.

CONTACT

Barbara Blaine, SNAP President and Founder (+1 312 399 4747, bblaine@snapnetwork.org

Nicky Davis, SNAP Australia Leader (+61 422 538 440, nicky@nickydavis.com.au

Mark Fabbro, SNAP Australia Leader (+61 411 390 850, survivorsclergy@gmail.com