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	Averting Sexual Abuse Crisis By Richard Pollock The Windsor Star April 17, 2010 http://www.windsorstar.com/opinion/Averting+sexual+abuse+crisis/2918227/story.html The sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church could have been averted had bishops properly adhered to canon law. For years, decisions by various patriarchs were wrongly justified in the name of the "best interests of the universal Church," at horrific expense to both victims and families. How painfully humiliating it must be for the church to be publicly reminded that the moral test of any society is how its most vulnerable members are treated. On April 12, the Vatican issued guidelines to clarify procedures when a priest is accused of sexual abuse, stating "civil law concerning the reporting of crimes should always be followed." The Ontario Child and Family Services Act imposes important obligations upon all who perform professional or official duties with children, including teachers, health care workers, police officers and members of the clergy. Clearly, this group includes Catholic bishops. By law, any priest or bishop with reasonable grounds to suspect that a child has been sexually molested or exploited has an obligation to report this suspicion to the Children's Aid Society forthwith. Any failure to report may constitute an offence punishable under the Act. Enforcement and strict adherence to child protection law protects those who cannot protect themselves. It also advances the true best interests of any church which advocates truth, reconciliation and social justice.
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