Denver, Colo., Feb 19, 2019 / 20:51 pm
An agreement between Colorado's attorney general and the state's Catholic bishops aims to investigate clergy sex abuse of minors in the state's Roman Catholic dioceses, the dioceses' past handling of sex abuse, and current procedures and responses to abuse allegations.
"The damage inflicted upon young people and their families by sexual abuse, especially when it's committed by a trusted person like a priest, is profound," Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver said at a Feb. 19 press conference held with the Colorado attorney general.
This process will involve "painful moments" and "cannot ever fully restore what was lost," the archbishop said.
"We pray that it will at least begin the healing process," he said. Transparency for the Church's history on child abuse is needed, said the archbishop, who hoped that the programs offer a "path to healing for survivors and their families."
Also speaking at the press conference were Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who took office in January; Colorado's immediate past attorney general Cynthia Coffman; and Father Randy Dollins, vicar general of the Denver Archdiocese. In addition to the Archdiocese of Denver, the Colorado Springs diocese and the Pueblo diocese are parties to the agreement.
"It's well known that child sexual abuse is a societal-wide problem," Weiser said. "It demands our attention and action. I am so pleased the Church today has recognized the need for transparency and reparations for survivors."
The process involves an independent review of church records, a compensation process for victims, and a victims' support service to aid their participation in the compensation program.
Robert Troyer, former U.S. Attorney for Colorado, will conduct the independent review. The agreement with the dioceses gives him "full access" to their files on sexual abuse of minors by diocesan clergy, according to a Feb. 19 joint statement from Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and the Catholic bishops of Colorado.
The review will examine the records and policies of Colorado's three Roman Catholic dioceses about the sexual abuse of minors. A public report will be drafted and released to the public. The review aims to ensure that there are "no known or suspected abusers in active ministry."
The review aims to provide transparency regarding abuse in the Church and the dioceses' historic responses. The report will analyze dioceses' current policies and procedures for abuse prevention and their response to abuse allegations.
The independent review aims to provide "recognition of past wrongdoing" and an opportunity for healing. The report process is not a criminal investigation, but an "independent inquiry with the full cooperation of the Catholic Church."
The joint statement from the attorney general and the bishops said that they are not aware of any previously unreported criminal conduct. Should the review find any abusers, they will be reported to law enforcement immediately.
The report is expected to be released by fall 2019. It will not identify victims by name to protect their privacy. It will name diocesan priests with "substantiated allegations" of sexually abusing minors. It will detail these substantiated allegations, including the assignments of abusive priests and the years of the alleged abuse.
Misconduct with minors described as "inappropriate but not illegal behavior," will also be included in the report, but those accused of misconduct will not be named.
The term "diocesan priest" does not include religious order priests, who, according to the agreement, are "assigned, transferred, and subject to the control of their own religious orders and religious superiors," and not subject to the governance of the Colorado dioceses.
While sexual misconduct with adults is not a focus of the report, if adult victims of abuse come forward, the attorney general's office will support them, Weiser said.
Half the costs of Troyer's independent review will be met by the three dioceses, and the rest by anonymous donors.
The Catholic dioceses will also fund "an independent, voluntary program that will compensate victims of abuse, regardless of when the abuse occurred," the joint statement said.
The program will be developed by nationally recognized claims administrations experts, Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros.
They were involved in compensations in the wake of the Aurora, Colo. theater shooting in 2012 and have also been involved in Catholic sex abuse victims' compensation programs in New York, New Jersey and other states.
Colorado's bishops and the attorney general agreed that the program must accept claims through the public release of the independent review, as well as for "a reasonable period of time" after.
Former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown will chair an independent commission overseeing the reparations program.
The reparations program will be augmented by a victims' support service that will be created to aid victims or survivors. The service will be staffed by professionals who can discuss the reparations, program, hear stories from abuse victims, answer possible claimants' questions, and help support the submission of documentation to the program.
Coffman, Weiser's predecessor as Colorado attorney general, initiated action investigating Catholic clergy sex abuse in Colorado in late 2018.
"There is a recognition that childhood sexual abuse is not specific to one institution," Coffman said. "The spotlight is on the Catholic Church but this abuse is indicative of what has happened in other institutions. We want to shine a light on the activity."
After a July Pennsylvania attorney general report compiled allegations against over 300 Catholic clergy, with over 1,000 reported victims, Coffman's office began receiving calls from Colorado citizens who had suffered sexual abuse in the past. Some were abused in other states by priests who were no longer alive.
Representatives of the group Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests asked the Colorado attorney general to conduct a grand jury investigation into sex abuse of children in the Catholic Church in Colorado. The request was part of the group's national effort to engage every state attorney general.
While some states' attorneys general have the authority to launch such investigations, Colorado's does not.
Coffman's office began examining alternatives for uncovering previously undisclosed abuse involving Catholic priests. That effort drew a response from the Catholic bishops, who reached out to understand the effort. Her office discussed options on investigations.
Meeting with Aquila, Dollins, Bishop Stephen Jay Berg of Pueblo, and representatives of the Colorado Catholic Conference, Coffman said, "demonstrated their commitment to acknowledging past abuse by priests and moving forward with honesty and accountability."
She voiced gratitude for their "cooperation and collaboration."
Aquila referred questions about the Denver archdiocese's current policy on abuse of minors to a website the archdiocese created to provide information.
