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How to
Report Abuse by Clergy
From:
Put Out Into The
Deep
Bishop DiMarzio's Weekly Column
The Tablet:
September 11, 2004
Toll-free number to
report sexual abuse
My dear brothers and sisters in
Christ,
As an additional means of responding to the
United States Bishops' 2002 "Charter for the Protection of
Children and Young People" and its accompanying Norms, the
Diocese of Brooklyn maintains a Toll-Free "888" Number for
reporting instances of sexual abuse of minors by clergy and
any other employees of the Diocese, and its parishes and
institutions. The Toll-Free Number is (888)
634-4499.
The institution of the reporting
Toll-Free "888" Number is an important part of our response to
the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People."
In the past, reporting of such cases was made directly to the
Chancery Office. Now, an attorney who is not involved in
defending the Diocese receives the call.
It has been
my experience that outside reporting systematizes and
accelerates the process of following up on the reports.
Another advantage of the outside reporting is that false
reports are less likely when the person making the call
realizes that he or she is not dealing directly with the
Church entity but rather with others.
The Diocese of
Brooklyn has an agreement to report to one or the other
District Attorney of Kings and Queens Counties any allegations
of abuse it receives, either past the statute of limitations
or not. Reporting a crime to an attorney, in my estimation, is
the best way to get accurate details that can be transmitted
to the appropriate civil jurisdiction for follow up. The
attorney also immediately informs our Victim/Survivor
Assistance Coordinator, Sister Ellen Patricia Finn, O.P., as
well as myself for follow-up action.
The "Charter for
the Protection of Children and Young People" states that an
investigation must follow any reports of abuse, after which a
priest may be relieved of his ministerial duties. It is always
possible that, when there is a report of recent abuse and
there is a clear danger to children, a priest might be removed
before the completion or initiation of an investigation.
Unfortunately, the attorney who has volunteered to
assist the Diocese in this reporting mechanism has come under,
I believe, undue scrutiny by the press. It was my instruction
that "an attorney beyond reproach" be found to assist the
Diocese in this very important matter. Unfortunately, we are
all open to criticism and reproach these days. Time will tell
how the Diocese and those who are victims can best be served.
Again, the intention is to separate those who receive reports
and those who must act on such reports, so that there can be
no filtering or miscommunication in this important protective
activity.
In a recent communication to pastors and
associates, I made them aware of a poster, to be placed in the
vestibules of all churches in Brooklyn and Queens, that
clearly states the Toll-Free Number for the Diocese of
Brooklyn.
Last February, the U.S. bishops' National
Review Board published the data gathered in the so-called
"John Jay Study," which covered reported abuse by clergy since
l950. Most of the abuse cases were more than a decade old.
Nevertheless, constant vigilance is called for, in order to
prevent the abuse of minors by anyone working for the
Church.
This chapter in the history of the Church is a
sad one, since it involved pain and suffering for innocent
victims, as well as the cloud that has been cast upon all of
the bishops and clergy by the actions of a few. It is, indeed,
incumbent on the whole Church to work together to continually
improve our protection activities. For example, the Diocese
has invested much in the Virtus Safe Environment Program,
which trains those working with youth to learn preventive and
protection methods which can serve to avoid any kind of abuse
of children.
We also must not forget that sexual abuse
of minors is not a "Catholic (Church) problem" alone. Numerous
times we are made aware of painful incidents perpetrated by
other trusted members in every strata of society, including
parents, teachers and other professionals. It is my hope that,
as we learn more about this abhorrent behavior, we can all
work together, taking pro-active steps, to eradicate this evil
from our midst.
It is truly necessary that we put out
into the deep and discover the new causes of abuse to make
sure that we do all in our power to prevent any such abuse of
minors in the future. Please join me in praying for
purification of our Church and the restoration of faith and
trust in those who serve the Church in the ministry of Word
and Sacrament.
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