A group representing survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in New Zealand has called on Pope Francis to intervene, claiming authorities are mishandling it and retraumatising victims. In a letter sent to the Vatican and seen by Reuters, the New Zealand chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), accused church officials of breaching procedures for managing abuse complaint cases. In the letter, Christopher Longhurst, National Leader for SNAP in New Zealand, said while publicly the leaders of the local Church extend an “open hand to the hope of healing”, behind closed doors they traumatise survivors by violating their own procedures.