KOMU
January 12, 2010
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| Barbara Dorris and Don Asbee, both survivors of priest abuse, wrote a letter to the Jefferson City Diocese regarding the Seifner investigation. |
JEFFERSON CITY - The statement comes in reaction to the investigation of a Mid-Missouri priest accused of improper communication with a child.
The diocese acknowledges a report of a minor allegedly abused by Father Thomas Seifner in 2004. However, that minor was an adult by the time the abuse was reported in 2009. The diocese says that as an adult, that individual can contact the proper authorities on his own time.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Diocese of Jefferson City said:
"The Diocese follows the requirements of Missouri law relating to reporting allegations of abuse. If the diocese receives information involving a person who is currently a minor, then the appropriate civil authorities are notified. If the diocese receives information involving a person who is an adult, the person is reminded of his or her right to contact civil authorities."
The Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests disagrees. In a letter to Bishop Gaydos, SNAP said:
"Diocese employees and volunteers may know a lot about church history, church music, church doctrine, and church practices. To the best of our knowledge, neither you nor your staff has ever worked as police officers, prosecutors or psychologists. You and your staff aren't experts on what constitutes criminal behavior or compulsive misbehavior. These serious matters and potential crimes should be turned over to independent professionals in law enforcement."
KOMU 8 talked with the Missouri State Department of Social Services to see if the Catholic Diocese is in accordance with the law. The department said:
"Our expectation is that people will abide by state statutes 210.115 and 352.400 when they have reasonable cause to believe that a child has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect. Those who are unsure of what their obligations are should contact their legal adviser directly."
Statutes 210.115 and 352.400 clearly list priests as mandated authorities in abuse cases. However, the statutes do not clearly approve or disapprove of the diocese's policy on reporting abuse reports.
KOMU contacted the Missouri Attorney General's office for further clerification, but they would not comment on the situation.
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