SAN JOSE (CA)
The Mercury News
February 8, 2019
By John Woolfork
State law requires church officials to immediately report suspected abuse
Concerned that church officials took too long to report a priest’s misconduct, abuse victims are asking the Alameda County District Attorney to investigate when the Diocese of Oakland first learned of child abuse allegations involving a priest who was placed on leave last week.
Representatives of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) sent a letter to District Attorney Nancy O’Malley noting that the diocese publicly announced it had placed the Rev. Alex Castillo on leave five hours before notifying Oakland police
Clergy members along with teachers, medical professionals, law enforcement officials and others are required under state law to immediately or as soon as practical report suspected child abuse to police or child welfare authorities when they become aware of it. Failure to do so is a misdemeanor.
“There was obviously a delay in reporting, but whether it was hours, days, weeks, or months, is
not entirely clear,” said the letter to Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley from Bay Area SNAP representatives Melanie Sakoda, Dan McNevin, Joey Piscitelli and Zach Hiner.
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