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US clerical abuse down; more dioceses receive “management letters”

Friday, April 15th, 2011

The number of new credible accusations of clerical abuse in the United States dropped in 2010, however more dioceses are receiving “management letters”. So says the Report on the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which also highlights

  • 428 new credible allegations of child sexual abuse were lodged against 345 diocesan priests or deacons in 2010
  • seven credible accusations by youth against clerics in 2010
  • 421 of the credible allegations were made by adults alleging they were abused as minors
  • 82% of the credible allegations are male victims
  • 20% of the victims are under 10 years of age
  • 66% of the new allegations occurred or began between 1960 and 1984
  • 17% of allegations were unsubstantiated or false
  • dioceses beginning to receive reports on boundary violations
  • dioceses spent $20 million-plus for safe environment programs

While the audit also found that “all dioceses that participated in the 2010 audit process were found to be compliant with the Charter,” 55 dioceses received management letters expressing concerns about procedures which could result in non-compliance.

This number is greater than the 23 dioceses who received a management letter in 2009, the main issue centering on the need for dioceses to provide safe environment programs.

“The Church can never forget the harm done to victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse,” the report said. “Healing those wounds must remain a top priority for all the Church. Our work is finished only when all victims are comforted and healed,” Archbishop Dolan said.

The report released by the US Catholic Bishops Conference identifies 62% of those funds were allotted to settlements ($70.4 million) and therapy for abuse victims ($6.4 million); the rest was spent on attorneys’ fees ($33.9 million), support for offenders ($9.9 million), and other costs ($3.1 million).

“We will continue to work to our utmost for the protection of children and youth,” Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York reaffirmed in the report’s preface.

“We are committed to ensuring that those who are ordained to the priesthood and put into positions of trust will share this commitment to protecting children and youth as part of their love and commitment to Jesus Christ and his Church.”

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