Victims of clergy abuse were proportionately the smallest group providing input for a recent task force report on how the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield can better handle claims of sexual misconduct.

A total of 11 abuse survivors participated in three, 90-minute focus groups held online this winter, a form of response selected by the task force. In contrast, an online survey asking lay people for feedback drew 492 respondents, while a phone survey of clergy involved 83 priests.

“We were disheartened that we did not have more and that we did not have more time to get more voices and we also felt incredibly grateful about how much was shared,” said Jenny Coleman, a licensed mental health counselor and director of the organization Stop It Now! that was hired by the diocese to recruit survivors for the focus groups.

“We know each person had an…