Catholic Abuse Trainer Caught with Child Porn; Victims Respond

SNAP
May 22, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ny_catholic_abuse_trainer_caught_with_child_porn_victims_respond

A Catholic church official, who taught abuse prevention in the New York City archdiocese, is charged with child pornography. His alleged crimes have led to the arrest of 71 individuals on child sex charges. This raises concerns about the church's abuse programs and who runs them.

Catholic officials relentlessly brag about these abuse programs. But they are relatively new and untested with little or no independent evaluation. They were adopted by bishops who were pressured by their insurers and public relations staff. They were set up to try to trick parishioners into believing that “things are changing in the church.” And these programs miss the boat, because the church's horrific, on-going child sex abuse and cover up scandal was caused by – and is perpetuated by – the church hierarchy, not by church members.

Reckless, callous and self-serving bishops have put and still put kids in harm's way. So no amount of training of lay people can remedy a crisis that continues thanks to the men atop the church's rigid, secretive, all-male monarchy.

According to the New York Times, the investigation “began in Westchester County with the arrest of a police chief who was teaching classes about sexual abuse at a Roman Catholic church. Brian Fanelli, 54, who until January was the police chief of Mount Pleasant, N.Y. He was charged in federal court in White Plains with possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. Until October, Mr. Fanelli had been teaching children in religious classes at a Catholic church in Shrub Oak, N.Y., how to be alert to sexual abuse, covering topics like improper touching and the pitfalls of social media devices.”

We urge Catholic parishioners to remain vigilant. Despite decades of pledges, promises, programs and protocols, child sex crimes and cover-ups still happen in the church. Complacency protects no one. Only continued skepticism and vigilance protects kids.

And we urge parishioners to join the effort to reform New York's archaic, predator-friendly statute of limitations, which enables more sex offenders to commit more crimes.

Finally, we urge Cardinal Timothy Dolan to spend less time bragging about untested abuse programs and more time improving them.