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  Diocese of Davenport to Help Abuse Victims

By Barb Ickes bickes@qctimes.com
Quad-City Times [Davenport IA]
January 31, 2004

Two years after the sex scandal broke in the Catholic Church and two days after area priests apologized for the abuse, the Diocese of Davenport announced its plans to strengthen victim outreach.

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Bishop William Franklin has come under fire in recent months by parishioners in the Davenport Diocese who do not believe the church, the diocese nor the bishop are doing enough to heal the hurt left by sexual abuse.

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In a news release Saturday, diocesan officials announced that they are hiring someone from outside the diocese to serve as victim assistance coordinator and have identified another outsider to investigate allegations of abuse.

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Diocesan officials also promised to begin establishing support groups for victims and their families — a request that was made almost two years ago by at least one sex-abuse victim from DeWitt, Iowa.

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The bishop also said the diocese is completing its review of priest personnel files from the past 50 years and will report its findings “in the near future.” He said that he hopes the disclosure of that report “helps to restore trust.”

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That trust has been in jeopardy in recent months as parishes and parishioners struggle with the shock and fallout from the growing number of allegations against Roman Catholic priests. Eleven lawsuits have been filed against the diocese.

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Thomas Crowley, who established employee assistance programs for Alcoa, will serve as the diocese’s new victim assistance coordinator. He is retired from Alcoa.

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James M. Sweeney of James M. Sweeney & Associates Inc., will work as the diocese’s abuse investigator. His credentials include 26 years of abuse investigation.

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“These changes bring additional people to foster the healing process,” Franklin said. “I hope it is the way we can work together, to walk together in faith.”

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Earlier last week, a group of 25 priests from the Davenport Diocese vowed to commit themselves to self-education about sexual abuse and to listen to victims’ testimonials as part of their training.

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Barb Ickes can be contacted at (563) 383-2316 or bickes@qctimes.com.

 
 

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