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Second Audit Finds Twin Cities Archdiocese Remains ‘substantially Compliant’ with Clergy Abuse Settlement Terms

By Sarah Horner
Pioneer Press
January 10, 2019

https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/10/second-audit-finds-archdiocese-remains-substantially-compliant-with-clergy-abuse-settlement-terms/

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis continues to meet terms of the settlement agreement it reached with the Ramsey County attorney’s office over its handling of clergy sex abuse, according to court findings.

On Thursday, Ramsey County District Judge Teresa Warner signed off on the findings of the second of three court-ordered independent audits to monitor the archdiocese’s adherence with the agreement.

The audit, conducted by Stonebridge Business Partners, found the archdiocese to be in “substantial compliance” with the terms of the deal, according to the report released Thursday.

The audit covered the archdiocese’s conduct between July 2017 and June 30, 2018. The archdiocese was also found to be in substantial compliance in its first audit report, which was released early last year.

During a court hearing on the second report Thursday, Warner asked the archdiocese’s director of ministerial standards, Timothy O’Malley, if the archdiocese was pushing itself beyond the court’s orders and truly working toward a change in culture.

“Yes, we are not there yet, but (we are making) progress,” O’Malley replied, noting archdiocesan staff at all levels are engaged in the transformation, and their work involved more than “just checking boxes.”

He added that since the resolution of the archdiocese’s bankruptcy case, more sexual abuse survivors have provided input, which he called “encouraging.”

Terms of the settlement include:

Requirements that the archdiocese adopt new protocols for reporting and responding to allegations of clergy abuse.

Regularly visit all parishes and schools, revise and review archdiocesan policies.

Require background checks and child safety training for all staff and publish statements in the Catholic Spirit — the archdiocesan newsletter — urging victims of sexual abuse to report the misconduct to police.

Of issue during the last audit was parish and school personnel’s compliance with new requirements that mandate every person who works or volunteers for the sites to complete “Virtus training,” sign a code of conduct and get a background check every three years.

At the time of the last report, some 92 percent were compliant in that regard. That number jumped to 99 percent this time.

The settlement was announced about six months after the Ramsey County attorney’s office filed charges against the archdiocese in June 2015 for failing to adequately protect three children sexually abused by former priest Curtis Wehmeyer.

The charges were dropped after the settlement agreement was reached and the archdiocese publicly admitted to failing the three minors in the case.

The final audit report will be released next year.

Warner encouraged the archdiocese to think beyond that time frame though, saying the aim of the settlement is to ensure “the safety and welfare of children,” indefinitely.

 

 

 

 

 




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