JUNEAU (AK)
KTVA TV
December 12, 2018
By: Chris Klint
The Roman Catholic Church in Juneau is examining its records for any possible links of current or former clergy to a vast series of cases in the Lower 48 which came to light in August.
The Diocese of Juneau announced Wednesday the appointment of a three-member commission by Bishop Andrew Bellisario. According to a decree, the independent panel will “review the personnel files of clergy and religious who have served in the Diocese,” as well as any allegations of sexual abuse by staff or volunteers since the diocese’s founding in 1951.
The commission is set to begin its work Jan. 7, with a final report due by June 1.
A database maintained by the non profit group BishopAccountability.org lists just two known cases of clergy abuse in Juneau, the most recent in 1988.
Dominique Johnson, a spokesman for the diocese, said Wednesday that no new allegations of abuse in Juneau have come to light. The commission was instead prompted, he said, by the massive allegations of Pennsylvania sex abuse involving hundreds of clergy members and more than 1,000 victims.
“We just wanted to review our files to see if any allegations have been reported involving our employees, our past employees, since the establishment of the diocese in 1951,” Johnson said.
The Archdiocese of Anchorage announced a similar review in October of any abuse allegations dating back 50 years. Anchorage’s archbishop, Paul Etienne – who barred a Wyoming bishop from public ministry over alleged abuse when Etienne served there – told KTVA last month that the move was part of a focus on transparency.
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