SPRINGFIELD (MA)
WAMC Radio
June 18, 2019
By Paul Tuthill
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has restructured the department responsible for overseeing clergy sex abuse allegations.
Springfield Bishop Mitchell Rozanski said the newly-named Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance will have a free hand to review practices and policies and conduct an independent examination of past cases to see if anything was overlooked or mishandled.
“Our goal is to deal compassionately and justly with those who come forward to us,” said Rozanski.
Along with a new name for the former office of Child & Youth Protections come new people.
Jeffrey Trant, a licensed social worker and certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner, is the director of the new department. Li-Ling Lam-Waller has been hired as compliance officer. She previously worked in the finance office at the diocese.
The restructuring follows a series of meetings Rozanski held earlier this year in parishes throughout the four western Massachusetts counties in response to concerns about how the diocese handles clergy sex abuse allegations.
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