CONCORD (NH)
Boston.com
By J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press Writer | March 29, 2006
CONCORD, N.H. --More than three years after a landmark agreement between the state and New Hampshire's Roman Catholic diocese mandated annual audits of the church's sexual-abuse prevention strategies, the results of the first audit are in.
The audits were a key part of a 2002 settlement between the state and the diocese that ended a criminal investigation of whether church officials knew priests were molesting children, but failed to protect them over a period of decades.
But the audits have been delayed as state and church officials sparred over their scope and who would pay for them. The attorney general's office was expected to release the audit results Thursday.
The state sought a comprehensive audit that evaluated the effectiveness of the diocese's new policies, many of which were implemented following accusations several years ago that church officials nationwide had failed to protect children.