FRESNO (CA)
Central Velley Wire
June 6, 2019
The Diocese of Fresno said Wednesday that retired FBI agent and high-ranking bureau executive Kathleen McChesney is leading a team reviewing all clergy files going back nearly 100 years.
Their goal is to compile a list of Catholic priests who have been credibly accused of improper conduct with minors, according to the diocese.
McChesney was selected by the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference to establish and lead their Office of Child Protection where she developed and administered a national compliance mechanism to ensure that all Catholic dioceses complied with civil laws and internal policies relative to the prevention, reporting, and response to the sexual abuse of minors.
She also coordinated a major research study into the nature and scope of the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. McChesney also co-edited “Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis” which describes the actions of Catholic Church leaders, abuse survivors, and lay Catholics following the January 2002 Boston Globe “Spotlight” report.
In addition, a compensation program administered by mediators Kenneth Feinberg and Camile Biros is being set up. They run similar abuse compensation programs for Catholic dioceses in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Colorado.
Feinberg, perhaps, is best known as the Special Master of the U.S. government’s September 11th Victim Compensation Fund for the victims of the 9-11 terror attacks.
If they haven’t already done so, past victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy should report what happened to law enforcement officials in the city or county where the abuse occurred before applying to the compensation program, the diocese said.
Under the program, victims, including undocumented immigrants, will be able to apply for compensation for past abuse, regardless of when the abuse occurred. The program is operated independently of church control.
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