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Sex Abuse Group Wants Mexican President to Investigate Clergy Abuse Cases

SNAP Leaders Head to Mexico City This Week to Offer Support

Group Hopes to Set Up Its First Self-Help Chapter in Another Country;
They Want Vicente Fox to Urge Victims and Witnesses to Report Crimes to Police

MEXICO CITY, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Clergy molestation victims are asking Mexican President Vicente Fox to investigate clergy sex abuse cases and take steps to protect children from a predatory priest who molested dozens of kids in California in Mexico and help heal those already wounded by the crimes.

Yesterday, leaders of a national support group called SNAP, the Survivors
Network of those Abused by Priests, picketed and outside the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles and hand-delivered a letter to Mexican officials urging President Fox to investigate and explain why Fr. Nicolas Aguilar, has not been prosecuted, seek further evidence and explore addition legal approaches to prosecution, and publicly reach out to victims/witnesses and urge them to contact criminal authorities.

Last week, a young Mexico City man who was allegedly sexually abused by Aguilar, in 1996 contacted Los Angeles SNAP leaders seeking personal help and safeguards for kids in Mexico. In response, SNAP leaders are going to Mexico City this week, Dec. 4-7, to offer support and reach out to others victims still suffering in guilt, shame and silence. A SNAP Mexico toll free phone number will soon be set-up for victims and witnesses to call for help andsupport (1-888-SNAP-SSOS or 1-888-762-7767).

"Sadly, it is rare that Catholic priests have been prosecuted for sex
crimes against minors, primarily because of their position of unquestionable trust and authority. This is overwhelmingly not the case with non-clergy who committed such crimes," says SNAP leader Eric Barragan of Ventura.

At least 26 California boys have been molested by Aguilar yet the cleric
remains free and apparently in active ministry in Mexico even after his abuse criminal conviction in 2003, according to an investigation by the Dallas Morning News. Despite this evidence, and a formal request from SNAP in 2004, Mexican authorities have failed to prosecute Aguilar's crimes or extradite him back to Los Angeles for prosecution. Aguilar is alleged to have molested more than 60 children in Mexico and California.

"We are convinced that dozens of Mexican and American kids have needlessly been put at risk and victimized by this priest and other known and suspected abusive priests in Mexico," said SNAP leaders in their letter to Fox.

"We are also convinced that you can help these victims come forward to
police without fear of harm and take the necessary steps to bring Aguilar and other child predators to justice," the group's letter to Fox said.

In 1988, LA Bishop Thomas Curry met with Aguilar regarding allegations
that the priest had molested altar boys in two parishes. During the meeting, Aguilar told Curry that he planned to leave the country soon, according to archdiocese sources. By the time a school principal called police two days later, Aguilar had fled to Mexico City. On April 15, 1988, Aguilar was subsequently charged with 19 felony counts of committing lewd acts on a child. He is still being sought by U.S. authorities. Church officials essentially helped the priest evade the law.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ca ... 2-08-b.htm.

In 1995, Mexican prosecutors finally took the case to a judge, who
dismissed it as too old to prosecute. Last year, SNAP delivered a similar
letter to the Mexican consulate urging President Fox to investigate the crimes and publicly urge victims and witnesses to come forward, get help and contact police. SNAP also called on Cardinal Roger Mahony to discipline two of his top aides who enabled Aguilar to flee and to make vigorous efforts to bring that fugitive priest to justice. Neither official has responded to SNAP.

The case has attracted the attention of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who
wrote Fox two years ago complaining that the priest had gone free because "Mexican prosecutors didn't prosecute it promptly." Feinstein says there was no response from Fox.

SNAP is a national confidential self-help support group for men and women
victimized by clergy. The group works to end the cycle of abuse in two ways:

1) By supporting one another in personal healing 2) By pursuing justice and institutional change by holding individual perpetrators responsible and the church accountable. There are over 5,000 SNAP members with 60 SNAP support group chapters in the United States.

A copy of SNAP's letter delivered to President Fox will be provided upon
requested and is posted on SNAP's website at SNAPnetwork.org

For more information:

Eric Barragan of Ventura, SNAP Leader and Spokesperson
805 207-7424 cell Bilingual/Spanish

Esther Miller of Seal Beach, SNAP Leader and Spokesperson
562 673-9442 cell Bilingual/Spanish

Mary Grant of Long Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director
626 419-2930 cell

David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director 314 566-9790 cell