A long-delayed audit of the Roman Catholic diocese of Manchester found the church has made some progress toward protecting children from sexual abuse. But many basic problems remain.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers has more.
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte talks with her staff after the Diocese Audit press conference. (Cheryl Senter, NHPR)
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte says current levels of compliance with the terms of the 2002 settlement agreement with the state are inconsistent at best. Among other things found by the first of four planned KPMG audits was that church has so far failed to ensure staffers who work with children get background checks, or even that church leaders have figured out who ought to be checked…….Ayotte called such findings troubling……and placed the blame squarely at the feet of Bishop John McCormack.
"The fundamental problem seems to be a failure to take responsiability at the top of the diocese to provide guidance and assist local leaders to assume the ultimate responsiability for full implementation of an effective compliance program to protect children."
Ayotte says she expects that situation to change…….and change promptly……The state has given the diocese 30 days to offer a formal response to the audit…..…The Attorney General says if steps aren't taken to address the problems, she would not hesitate to head to court before year's end.
"I hope it doesn’t come to that but we will take whatever action we need to take to make sure that there is follow through on this audit…..And that the next audit we come to present to you has sigificant improvement."
Diocesean officals, meanwhile conceded that there's plenty of room for progress.
"We have plenty of more work to do I have admitted that, we are working toward full compliance…..I wish it were completed today…..I am being honest and forthright and so has the bishop we have more work to do."
Diocesan secretary for administration Edward Arsenault. (Cheryl Senter, NHPR)
That's diocese secretary for adminstation Edward Arsenault speaking to reporters at a Concord Church.-- …..Arsenault took pains to stress the audit contains some factual errors…..He suggested those errors bespeak the auditors failure to fundamentally understand how the church works.……Arsenault also repeatedly pointed to a single paragraph in a largely critical three page letter from the Attorney Genera that credits the Diocese is credited for training 9000 church personnel in their obligation to report sex abuse……Arsenault was at a something of a loss, however, when asked why the church hasn't taken the basic step -- one common to schools, camps and daycare centers -- of checking volunteers dealing with children against the state sex offenders registry.
"I don't know if I name anything that has prevented it, but I can tell you that largely it's associated with privacy issues. I think the reality is that to enquire about somebody's background is new to us in the church.
Arsenault then when to caution against thinking that such steps would even go any didstance towards protecting children from sexual abuse.
"Most people who abuse minors have never been caught and so background screening doesn't catch them, training does not catch them. They not people who are on the sex offender register they are people who trick young people….We are committed to doing everything set out in this policy, by I do not want anyone to think that's going to end sexual abuse of minors…..What's going to change things is raising awareness of the problem."
Attorney David Braiterman (center) argues for access to the Diocese press conference. (Cheryl Senter, NHPR)
And few would dispute that the church has, in a fashion, raised awareness of child sex abuse…..Outside the church where Arsenault hosted reporters, Rose-Marie Lanier, one of the parties in the legal action that prompted the audit was less than impressed with Father Arsenault's candor.
"It's still like stonewalling and I'm glad that Judge Conboy…said that the audit should look at compliance and not just whether you put out a plan, because just putting out a plan does not mean it's implemented and we see why that's needed."
David Braiterman, a lawyer representing Lanier others who sued the Diocese belives verfiying the diocese has put in place polices that actually protect children could hinge on the audit's effective duration. And he beleives question of the timetable could emerge as a point of contention…..The settlement agreement signed in 2002, called for five years of compliance audits…….Braiterman said he heard little in the dueling press conferences to suggest there's likely to be a meeting of the minds over when the clock actually started.
"This is 2006. The Attorney General is expecting a 5 year audit complieace per the agreement reached in the plea agreement. The diocese is going to thing it's done in 18 months.
The Diocese of Manchester has until April 26 to formally respond to the audit.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo