According to a USA Today story posted on Sept. 30, 2019, priests accused of molestation whose alleged sexual misconduct has been deemed credible have all been removed from the New York archdiocese of the Catholic church.

A report on the subject authored by former U.S. Federal Judge and prosecutor Barbara Jones offered this conclusion. Her findings were based upon work contracted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

According to USA Today, the Cardinal hired her to review the methods the archdiocese had employed in managing priests accused of molestation to see if there could be a process improvement. Jones’ conclusions revealed that almost all abuse had stopped in the first couple of years of the new millennium.

Priests accused of molestation over the last number of years are being called out on behavior which has dated back at least a couple of decades or even more, as Jones assesses in the USA Today article.

She is currently operating in the role as special counsel and independent investigator for the New York archdiocese. Her retention has led to a total review of the body’s policies, procedures, and protocols concerning sexual abuse and misconduct.

An Overseer of Complaints

In a separate article posted by NBC News on September 30, 2019, Jones is said to have recommended that the archdiocese hire a person specifically for the purpose of overseeing complaints of a sexual abuse nature. In her mind, the functional capacity of the role would involve administration of a new document management system as well as ensure compliance in the Office of Priest Personnel.

According to the New York Daily News on Sept. 30, 2019, Barbara Jones reviewed, during a 12-month period, at least a couple of thousand personnel files and engaged in multiple interviews. She claims she was given open and direct access by virtue of her retention to archdiocese records. This allowed her to draw very distinct conclusions presented in her ensuing report.

The primary conclusion was that priests and deacons that had ever been credibly accused have all been removed from active ministry. She believes that this “house-cleaning” has demonstrated a commitment to the mental and physical well-being of children in the Catholic community.

According to the USA Today source, Jones presented her report with recommendations at a Catholic center in New York City recently. She claims the internal administrative processes are working very well in that there have been only two substantive complaints since 2002.

A Digital Era Recommendation

Amidst the overall positive review was the advice to the archbishop that hard-copy records be transferred into digital status as soon as possible. This step would, of course, require a significant upgrade of technology. Jones believes this upgrade would generate data to help track any complaints faster and more efficiently to prevent abuse.

In addition to the overhaul to personnel records as a result of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, Jones recommends that an annual requirement be added for Safe Environment training for all employees working with children. This type of training is currently required on a one-time basis, but she believes annual visitation to the material would be vital, particularly in Catholic schools.

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