NEW JERSEY
The Jersey Journal
Saturday, April 01, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
An independent audit has found 12 allegations of sexual misconduct against 10 priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark last year.
The audit, performed by the Gavin Group of Boston, was part of a national campaign by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to make sure allegations of sexual misconduct are immediately referred to prosecutors.
The Archdiocese - which covers Hudson, Bergen, Passaic and Union counties - was found to be "fully compliant" in its efforts to protect young people from sexual predators last year, church officials announced yesterday.
That means all allegations were referred to prosecutors and hundreds of priests and other diocesan employees underwent training on sexual abuse prevention, said James Goodness, a spokesman for the Archdiocese.