Statement on the Public Release of the Names of Friars with Confirmed Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults

Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph
June 18, 2013

http://sjpcommunications.org/files/pastoralcare/names061813.pdf

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Upon the recommendation of the auditors, and with the support of our Provincial Review Board and Audit Work Group, we have also made the decision to publicly release the names of current, former, and deceased friars who have allegations of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult that have been confirmed by their own admission, an investigation, or what the auditors have determined to be other sufficient evidence. This is not a decision that we make lightly. It is the product of years of periodic reflection, conversation, deliberation and prayer.

We acknowledge that in today’s environment the public disclosure of even an allegation of abuse can have a negative and perhaps irreparable effect on a friar’s reputation. This is an important consideration (though not the only one) when a friar must be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. It is even weightier for those who are deceased and will never have the opportunity to defend themselves. A number of the friars on the list below were previously publicly identified, chiefly by prior media reports, court filings or other matters of public record.

The Province’s policies require that a member of the Province who has been found to have sexually abused a minor or vulnerable adult have a Supervision Plan (SP). This plan is reviewed annually by our Provincial Review Board and revised where necessary. As part of the process of developing a friar’s SP, our Office of Pastoral Care and Conciliation (OPCC) also employs the services of professionals to conduct risk assessments.