ROME
New York Times
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — Pope Francis’ top adviser on clerical sex abuse says bishops have a “moral and ethical responsibility” to report all cases of suspected rape, molestation and other abuse to police — even where local laws don’t require it.
A statement released by Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley goes beyond the Vatican’s current guidelines for bishops. Those 2010 guidelines say bishops and superiors must report suspected cases where civil reporting laws require it.
O’Malley, who heads the pope’s abuse advisory commission, issued the statement after a recent course for new Catholic bishops on handling abuse cases featured a French monsignor who reportedly said bishops don’t have to report cases. He said it is up to families and victims to do so.
The failure of bishops to turn suspected and known pedophiles over to police is one of the main reasons that the church’s abuse scandal grew to the extent it did, since bishops for decades moved rapists from parish to parish rather than hand them over to law enforcement.
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