Pa- Archdiocese of Philly Announces New Review Board, SNAP Responds

By Barbara Dorris
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
October 17, 2012

http://www.snapnetwork.org/pa_archdiocese_of_philly_announces_new_review_board_snap_responds

It's the structure, not the membership, of this board that's the problem. As long as the archbishop picks every single member and as long as the board depends almost strictly on church officials for information, it will lack effectiveness, objectivity and credibility.

It continues to be a 'garbage in, garbage out' system in which a corrupt hierarchy cynically exploits well-meaning Catholics who naively lend their reputations to an inherently flawed structure.

There's one good way to deal with child sex abuse reports - through the time tested, open American justice system, both criminal and civil. And there's one good way to deal with older child sex abuse reports - through reforming the statute of limitations so that these cases are dealt with by impartial secular professionals, not biased religious amateurs.