Victim Groups Want State Ag's, US Doj to Review Bishops Abuse "Measures" Passed in Baltimore This Morning

SNAP
June 13, 2019

http://www.snapnetwork.org/victim_want_state_ag_s_us_doj_to_review_bishops_abuse_measures_passed_in_baltimore_jun19

In letter to top law enforcement officials across the US, survivors concerned that bishops "self-policing" policy will continue abuse and cover ups.

This morning, the US Bishops in Baltimore passed an new internal policy church which they claim will finally hold abuser bishops and bishops who have covered up sex crimes accountable for potential criminal conduct. The new measures, victims say, do not recognize and are in potential violation of US state and federal laws. Currently 20 US attorneys general and the US Department of Justice are actively investigating church officials for abuse and cover up of sex crimes.

"What the bishops pass today in Baltimore absolutely needs a larger review from state and US law enforcement officials,” said Peter Isely, Founding Member of Ending Clergy Abuse Global. “It is stunning that the bishops have once again under the euphemism of 'reform' created yet one more iteration of a self-policing mechanism that does little but protect and hide criminal abusers and complicit bishops from justice."

According to the measures passed by the bishops today, criminal evidence of abuse and cover up will continue to be directed to the Vatican and under the authority of the Pope and the Holy See, not US law.

"US Bishops do not operate a self-governing country when it comes to criminal acts against children,” said Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Member. "What looks like reform is actually just a rewrite of their human resource policy without requiring their senior managers to be mandatory reporters of abuse and that all evidence of criminal acts by its top company officials and investigations of crimes will be determined internally, not forwarded to local law enforcement, and controlled by an entity outside the United States, in this case, the Vatican."