Report finds flaws in Catholic Church abuse-prevention plans
By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer
Published: October 1, 2020, 9:02am
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FILE - In this Aug. 14, 2018 file photo, victims of clergy sexual abuse, or their family members, react as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. The child-protection policies adopted by Roman Catholic leaders to curb clergy sex abuse in the U.S. are inconsistent and often worryingly incomplete, according to the Philadelphia-based CHILD USA think tank's 2018-2020 investigation of policies in all 32 archdioceses. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)Photo Gallery
NEW YORK — Child-protection policies adopted by Roman Catholic leaders to curb clergy sex abuse in the United States are inconsistent and often worryingly incomplete, according to a think tank’s two-year investigation encompassing all 32 of the country’s archdioceses.
The analysis by Philadelphia-based CHILD USA said the inconsistencies and gaps suggest a need for more detailed mandatory standards for addressing sexual abuse of children by priests and other church personnel, a problem that has beset the church for decades and resulted in many criminal investigations, thousands of lawsuits and bankruptcy filings by numerous dioceses.
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