The U.S. Catholic Church Spent $281,611,817 on Child Sex Abuse Cases in 2019 | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos In the year ending June 2019, the number of allegations of sex abuse by US Catholic clergy quadrupled to an astonishing 4,434 cases - up from 1451 cases the previous year, according to an annual audit of more than 200 diocese and Catholic Church entities produced by CARA.
The report also highlights the fact that child abuse is continuing in Church establishments and that there is complacency with continued failure to publish reporting procedures, poor recordkeeping of background checks, dysfunctional Diocesan Review Boards and a lack of formal monitoring priests who have been removed from ministry.
The modal age group of the victims when the abuse began was 15-17 years old (48%) with 39% aged 10-14 years old, 13% were under the age of 10. The age when abuse started of 26 victims was unknown. 83% of the victims were boys and 17% girls. 64% of the abuses were carried out by parish priests either from the province in which the abuse took place or from another province but working in the diocese.In his covering letter, addressed to Reverend José H. Gomez, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, attached to the report, Francesco C. Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People said:
The overwhelming majority of these allegations were historical in nature due to the implementation of compensation programs, bankruptcies, clergy file reviews, and lawsuits. However, of the 4,434 allegations, thirty-seven involved current minors which makes clear that the sexual abuse of minors in the Church is not a thing of the past but continues to be an issue that requires the undivided attention and energy of the bishops. Failure to do so will make it more difficult to nurture a culture of safety in which the laity can feel confident that children will be safe in our schools and parishes.
The current year’s Annual Report highlights concerns also noted in previous years that speak to the issue of complacency. We continue to see the failure to publish reporting procedures in the various languages in which the liturgy is celebrated; poor recordkeeping of background checks; dysfunctional Diocesan Review Boards; lack of a formal monitoring plan for priests who have been removed from ministry; failure to update policies and procedures in light of the 2011 Charter revisions. [My emphasis]
It seems that a number of bishops and archbishops are still failing to take seriously the scandal of child abuse within the clergy, despite the fact that:
Dioceses and eparchies that responded to the survey and reported costs related to allegations paid out $281,611,817 between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019.
It should be noted that these allegations are historical in nature. There are a number of factors that conspire to concentrate these allegations in the year-ending June 2019:
- Several states introduce a one-year window for complainants to instigate claims to circumvent the statute of limitations.
- High-profile clerics such as (former) Cardinal McCarrick being removed from the ministry.
- Several states launching Grand Jury investigations.
- A large number of newly-implemented compensation programs, bankruptcies, clergy file reviews, and lawsuits.
Three eparchies did not cooperate with the audit. They were:
- The Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of St. Mary Queen of Peace, New York.
- The Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Peter the Apostle, San Diego, CA.
- The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas, Chicago, IL
These shocking figures come as donations to the Catholic church are tumbling with key appeals producing some 30% less than in previous years.
The question many people are now asking themselves is whether they want their family to remain affiliated to this, or any other organization where it's leading figures see the faith of its members as a weakness to be exploited and their positions of trust as an opportunity to abuse for sexual recreation. Millions of Americans have already left the Catholic Church and other established religions to join the growing ranks of 'Nones'. As studies have shown, 'None' is a transitional status for people on their way to full Atheism.
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