Annual Compliance Audit Shows Decline in Abuse Allegations, Victims, Offenders

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
May 9, 2013

http://www.usccb.org/news/2013/13-089.cfm

Safe environment programs reach 99 percent of targeted audience

Diocese of Lincoln, five Eastern Rite eparchies still non-compliant

Auditors recommend expansion of audits into parishes

WASHINGTON—The annual audit of diocesan compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People found a drop in the number of allegations, number of victims and number of offenders reported in 2012.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), which gathered data for the report, found "the fewest allegations and victims reported since the data collection for the annual reports began in 2004."

Most allegations reported last year were from the seventies and eighties with many of the alleged offenders already deceased or removed from ministry in the priesthood.

StoneBridge Business Partners, which conducts the audits, said law enforcement found six credible cases among 34 allegations of abuse of minors in 2012 itself. Credibility of 15 of the allegations was still under investigation. Law enforcement found 12 allegations to be unfounded or unable to be proven, and one a boundary violation.

Almost all dioceses were found compliant with the audit. Three were found non-compliant with one article of the Charter. The Diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was faulted because its review board had not met in several years. (The diocese had no allegations during that time). The Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was faulted because auditors could not determine if parishes provided safe environment training to religious education students and volunteer teachers. The Diocese of Baker, Oregon, was faulted because students did not receive safe environment training while a new program was being developed. The diocese has since begun training.

[]

The annual report has two parts. The first is the compliance report of StoneBridge, which conducted on-site audits of 71 dioceses and eparchies and reviewed documentation submitted by 118 others. The Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, and five Eastern rite dioceses, known as eparchies, refused to be audited.

The second part is the "2012 Survey of Allegations and Costs," conducted by CARA.The Lincoln Diocese refused to cooperate with the survey, and the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles did not respond by the cut-off date.

The StoneBridge audit, in addition to finding most dioceses Charter compliant, reported that "over 99 percent of clerics and over 96 percent of employees and volunteers were trained" in safe environment programs. "In addition, over 4.6 million children received safe environment training. Background evaluations were conducted on over 99 percent of clerics; 98 percent of educators; 96 percent of employees; and 96 percent of volunteers."

StoneBridge cited limitations, including "the unwillingness of most dioceses and eparchies to allow us to conduct parish audits during their on-site audits." It said that "the auditors must rely solely on the information provided by the diocese or eparchy, instead of observing the program firsthand."

Another limitation is staff turnover in diocesan child abuse prevention programs. As a result, "records are often lost, and successors to the position are often placed in key roles without formal orientation," StoneBridge reported.

Al J. Notzon, III, chairman of the National Review Board (NRB), which oversees the audits, echoed StoneBridge concerns in a letter to Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Notzon highlighted the importance of good record-keeping "and the great significance of involving parishes in the audit process."

"Abuse happened in the parishes where our children learn and live their young, growing faith," Notzon said. "From the NRB's perspective, parish participation in the audit process is an essential next step in what 'makes the Charter real' for laity in those parishes. What we have come to see is that protecting children from sexual abuse is a race without a finish and more rather than less effort is necessary to keep this sacred responsibility front and center."

Cardinal Dolan in a preface to the report commended clergy, employees and volunteers trained in safe environment.

"At the same time we also renew our steadfast resolution never to lessen our common commitment to protect children and young people entrusted to our pastoral care," he said. "We seek with equal determination to promote healing and reconciliation for those harmed in the past, and to assure that our audits continue to be credible and maintain accountability in our shared promise to protect and our pledge to heal."

In data gathering from dioceses, CARA noted there were 397 allegations, most of them from decades past, against 313 priests or deacons, by 390 individuals. About 84 percent of the victims were male. Half were between 10 and 14 when the abuse began. An estimated 17 percent were between 15 and17, and 19 percent were under age 10.

Dioceses and eparchies that responded to the survey reported costs related to allegations at $112,966,427 in 2012. Expenses covered settlements, attorney fees, therapy for victims and support for offenders. The total amount expended for dioceses, eparchies and religious orders was $148,338,437. Dioceses and religious orders also spent $26,583,087 for child protection programs.

---

Keywords: Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Al Notzon III, National Review Board, NRB, StoneBridge Business Partners, Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, CARA, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, clergy sexual abuse, child sexual abuse