BishopAccountability.org
	US Bishop Indicted on Charge of Failing to Report Suspected Child Abuse Irish Times October 14, 2011 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/1015/1224305837251.html The Catholic bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, and the diocese he leads have been indicted by a county grand jury on a charge of failure to report suspected child abuse in the case of a priest who had been accused of taking lewd photographs of young girls. The indictment is the first ever of a Catholic bishop in the 25 years since the scandal over sexual abuse by priests first became public in the United States. Bishop Finn is accused of covering up abuse that occurred as recently as last year – almost 10 years since the nation’s Catholic bishops passed a charter pledging to report suspected abusers to law enforcement authorities. The bishop has acknowledged that he knew of the existence of the photos last December but did not turn them over to the police until May. The indictment was announced yesterday by the Jackson County prosecutor, Jean Peters Baker. It had been under seal since October 6th because the bishop was out of the country. He returned on Thursday. “This is about protecting children,” Ms Baker said. The bishop and the diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph were charged with one count each, a misdemeanour. In court yesterday Bishop Finn pleaded not guilty, as did lawyers for the diocese. Bishop Finn said in a statement: “We will meet these announcements with a steady resolve and a vigorous defence.” He said that he and the diocese had given “complete co-operation” to law enforcement. He also pointed to steps he had taken since the scandal first became public, which included commissioning a report to look into the case, and reinforcing procedures for handling allegations of abuse. The priest accused of taking the lewd photos, Fr Shawn Ratigan, was arrested in May and has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of taking indecent photographs of young girls, most recently during an Easter egg hunt last spring. – ( New York Times )
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.