WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Service
June 1, 2018
The 15th annual report on the implementation of the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” shows a decrease in allegations of clergy sex abuse from the two previous years but also indicates the need for continued vigilance since charges were raised by more than 650 adults and 24 minors.
The overall decrease in allegations coupled with the fact that charges of abuse are still being made is something Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board, which oversees the audits, finds troubling.
In introductory remarks to the report released June 1, he said: “While progress continues to be made, there are worrisome signs for the future revealed in this year’s audit that cannot be ignored.”
He said he was most concerned by signs of general complacency such as a shortage of resources available to fully implement programs, failure by some dioceses to complete background checks in a timely manner and, in some cases, poor record keeping.
Cesareo wrote that this “apparent complacency” could indicate that some in the church think “sexual abuse of minors by the clergy is now an historic event of the past.”
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