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Abuse commission recommends creation of registry listing removed priests
Judge rules Shanley, Paquin psychiatric records should be released By Denise Lavoie, Associated Press, 10/07/02
BOSTON -- A registry listing the names of priests removed from their ministries after credible allegations of sexual abuse is among a series of recommendations made to Cardinal Bernard Law on Monday in the final report from a commission set up to protect children from sexual predators. In its 52-page report, the Commission for the Protection of Children reiterated many recommendations it made in earlier draft reports, including the immediate removal from duty of clergy and staff after receiving a credible allegation of sexual abuse. Law, who met privately with commission members before the final report was made public, said in a statement that he will review the recommendations with canon lawyers and two archdiocesan councils. He said he hopes to put the recommendations in place as policy by Dec. 1. "Its comprehensive nature makes it of great value in the ongoing work of formulating the revised policy of the Archdiocese," Law said. Commission chairwoman Maureen Bateman said the report calls for "substantial policy and structural changes" to promote the prevention of child abuse. "We have only one agenda, and that's to heal the victims and to prevent any other victims from occurring," Bateman said. The commission was established earlier this year after the clergy sexual abuse scandal exploded in Boston. Previously confidential documents showed the Archdiocese of Boston had moved priests facing multiple allegations of child sexual abuse from parish to parish. Many of the recommendations have been put in place over the last few months. Creation of a regional registry is the one new recommendation contained in the report. The registry would be kept internally by the archdiocese and would be made available to volunteer organizations and future employers of priests and church workers. Bateman said the archdiocese could share the registry with organizations such as the Boy Scouts. Other recommendations made in the report include: -- Mandatory reporting to civil authorities for all clergy, church staff and volunteers within 24 hours of receiving a report of a credible allegation that a child has been abused. -- Full cooperation with civil investigating authorities, and no independent interviewing of juvenile victims by church personnel. -- Immediate removal from duty for clergy and staff after receiving credible allegations, with no return to ministry or work for anyone who engages in sexual activity with a minor. -- Creation of a system to supervise clergy removed from the ministry. -- Prevention education for children and parents, provided annually in parishes through religious education programs and schools. -- Psychological screening, background checks and inquiries of references about any inappropriate physical and sexual contacts with children as part of the selection of clergy, church staff and volunteers. -- Establishment of an independent review board with experts in the area of child abuse to make recommendations about appropriate action to take after receiving specific allegations of abuse. State Attorney General Tom Reilly, who has been critical of the church's slow pace in instituting reforms, praised the commission's work and called the final recommendations "a very sound set of policies." But Reilly said the church hierarchy must radically change its attitude if the policy is going to work. "They have to be more open, more responsive, more willing to work with the laity and others to change the culture that allowed this to happen in the first place," said Reilly. Joyce Strom, president of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said there must be firm oversight to make sure the recommendations are followed. "I think the whole issue here isn't about the report; it's about the leadership to implement it," Strom said. "We've had reports before. ...Policies are only as good as the leadership to implement them." In other developments Monday, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Constance Sweeney ruled that the psychiatric records of two priests, Paul Shanley and Ronald Paquin, should be released. Sweeney said the confidentiality of the records are not protected under state law, Both Shanley and Paquin had opposed the release of the records.
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