YORK (PA)
York Daily Record
August 27, 2018
By Teresa Boeckel
As the Roman Catholic Church grapples with the recent Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing widespread clergy sexual abuse, it faces a critical question: What can be done to protect children?
The Diocese of Harrisburg has detailed a lengthy list of steps it’s taking, such as:
– Reporting every allegation of child sexual abuse to law enforcement for investigation
– Conducting multiple background checks on all employees and volunteers
– Teaching students how to stay safe through age-appropriate child abuse awareness programs.
It’s part of the Youth Protection Program, which is built upon the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Youth and Young People. That charter was developed in 2002 to address child sexual abuse and prevention.
The Harrisburg diocese underwent an intensive, on-site audit last year as part of a nationwide audit, said Joseph Aponick, director of communications for the diocese. The independent agency found it to be in compliance.
Some experts, however, say that more needs to be done to address the problem. More oversight is needed, and lay people need to take a more active role in the church.
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