By Justin Kendall
The Pitch
June 30, 2011
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/06/jenifer_valenti_sex_abuse_catholic_church.php
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| Bishop Finn: Still trying to clean up the diocese's messes. |
Bishop Robert Finn is still trying to mop up the Kansas City-St. Joseph Catholic Diocese's mess. His latest attempt: appointing former Jackson County prosecutor Jenifer Valenti as the contact person for receiving sexual-abuse complaints against the diocese, according to Micheal Mahoney's 20 Pounds of Headlines blog.
Valenti will be the diocese's ombudsman and public liaison, starting on July 15.
"Valenti's work will be independent and confidential. She will have the responsibility and authority to receive and investigate reports of suspicious, inappropriate behavior or sexual misconduct by clergy, employees or program volunteers," Finn said in a press statement. "Within our 27-county diocese, I have asked her to focus particularly on reports relating to children and young people."
If officials with the diocese believe that they need someone in the middle to handle complaints, fine. But every complaint should also be forwarded to the police right away (which didn't happen in the case of the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, who is accused of possessing child porn).
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