KANSAS CITY (MO)
The Kansas City Star
By GLENN E. RICE
The Kansas City Star
In her first year of the job, the ombudsman for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph handled 79 reports of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct or suspicious behavior by clergy, lay staff, volunteers and people not affiliated with the diocese.
About a fourth of the cases involved allegations against people working or volunteering in diocesan activities, according to a report released today by Jenifer Valenti, the diocesan ombudsman and public liaison officer who previously worked as a Jackson County assistant prosecutor.
Bishop Robert W. Finn made the appointment in July 2011 as part of a five-point plan that the diocese offered as a response to lawsuits and allegations of sexual misconduct by clergy.
Her two-page report covers July 1, 2011, through June 30.
The 79 complaints involved 72 people, including 20 clergy, 17 lay employees, seven volunteers and five members of “religious orders.”
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