FORT WORTH (TX)
Dallas News
September 8, 2018
By Richard Mathews
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth is attacking the evil of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults with increased rigor and intensity.
Organizations and institutions, including religious organizations, have historically focused on protecting children in their care from sexual victimization on the basis of “external threats,” such as “stranger danger,” breaches of facility security, and intercepting children traveling to or from locations or supervised activities. Yet, as we consider the increasing revelations of abuse among youth-serving organizations and religious institutions over the past two decades, attention must also turn necessarily to the victimization of children by those working inside, or affiliated with, these organizations.
In 2002 the Diocese of Fort Worth created its Office of Safe Environment to take specific action in response to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (commonly referred to as the Dallas Charter). The Dallas Charter addressed the church’s commitment to deal appropriately and effectively with cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests and deacons. The diocese extended that commitment for accountability to include all other church personnel, employees and volunteers, including the bishop.
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