UNITED STATES
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 13, 2012
Children safer now than decade ago
Those making allegations need ‘compassionate care’
No time for complacency despite significant advances
ATLANTA—The National Review Board (NRB), a lay group advising the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on the handling of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy, issued a 10-year progress report, June 13, at the USCCB spring meeting in Atlanta.
Al Notzon III, NRB chair, addressed the bishops on the report (http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-actions/child-and-youth-protection/upload/10-year-report-2012.pdf). The report looked at the decade since the 2002 approval of the bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
The NRB noted that “Ten years later, there has been striking improvement in the Church’s response to and treatment of victims. Children are safer now because of the creation of safe environments and action has been taken to permanently remove offenders from ministry.”
“Yet, much work still needs to be done,” the NRB said.
THE NRB cited data that “found the incidence of abuse began to rise in the sixties, peaked in the seventies and declined sharply in the eighties.” Even cases from the past which are reported now, they said, “continue to fall into this same pattern” and that “the hundreds of cases reported yearly continue to fall within the timeline of the established curve.”
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