Four more Catholic priests accused of abuse have been put on administrative leave in the Archdiocese of New York, pending the outcome of an investigation.

Three of the four priests accused of abuse are pastors at various parish churches in the New York City region; the fourth works in the administrative office of the Diocese. All four of these cases have been referred to the District Attorney for further investigation; after that, the Lay Review Board will decide whether or not to reinstate them.

The incidents involving the sexual molestation of minor children are alleged to have taken place several years ago; they are not currently part of the special investigation that began at the end of September.

In a letter that was delivered to the affected parishes, Cardinal Timothy Dolan wrote that the actions are “not a punishment,” and that all four of the priests in question are entitled to a presumption of innocence until the official investigation is concluded.

The Changing Legal Landscape

These recent allegations come only eight weeks since New York’s new Child Victims Act went into effect. This law has extended the statute of limitations for bringing lawsuits by individuals who claim they were sexually abused or assaulted as children. Earlier this year, the archdiocese released a list of 120 priests and deacons who have been credibly accused of sexually molesting or assaulting minors and vulnerable adults. Most of those who have been accused were ordained prior to 1969, with most of the alleged incidents taking place between 19970 and 1990.

At the end of September, a 12-month investigation of the archdiocese and how they have been handling sexual abuse allegations was completed. According to former federal judge Barbara Jones, only two priests accused of abuse have been proven guilty since 2002. Other complaints received over the years involve incidents that took place as long ago as the 1950s, and most of the accused priests are dead. The conclusion was that the archdiocese is doing its job in investigating all allegations.

Doing Better

Although Jones concluded that the Archdiocese has been fully cooperating with authorities, she made several recommendations on how to improve safety for children and vulnerable individuals. These include:

• hiring a special supervisor to oversee investigations into priests accused of abuse
• Require Safe Environment Training on an annual basis for all workers who have contact with children
• new protocols for investigating allegations of sexual assault against non-consenting adults
• enhanced investigation techniques
• addition of experts in law and psychology as well as parents and a nun to the Lay Review Board
• upgrades to data management software and digitization of all pertinent documents

How the Public can Help Identify Priests Accused of Abuse

Cardinal Dolan has asked members of the public who may have knowledge of the priests under suspicion and the alleged incidents to come forward and report their information to the district attorney and the archdiocese victims assistance coordinator.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.