Boston archdiocese to require clergy, church workers to report child sex abuse claims

Posted 7:51AM on Thursday 10th January 2002 ( 23 years ago )

BOSTON - The Archdiocese of Boston will begin requiring clergy to report allegations of child sexual abuse and is implementing a zero-tolerance policy for priests, Cardinal Bernard Law said. "Any priest known to have sexually abused a minor simply will not function as a priest in any way in this archdiocese," Law said Wednesday. Law also apologized to children allegedly abused by a former priest scheduled to stand trial next week in one of the country's most prominent cases or clergy accused of child molestation. John Geoghan, 66, faces criminal charges and 84 civil lawsuits. The archdiocese's new policy mandates that all clergy and church volunteers report allegations of abuse to authorities, following the same procedures outlined in state law for teachers. The Legislature is also considering reporting requirements for clergy. The Vatican announced similar guidelines Tuesday for the Roman Catholic Church, ordering church officials worldwide to inform the Vatican swiftly of allegations of child sexual abuse by priests. Law said the Boston archdiocese's new policy goes farther. While the Vatican's guidelines declare the information subject to secrecy, the archdiocese's policy requires all allegations be reported to authorities except when learned during confession or counseling, Law said. Phil Saviano, head of a local support group of victims of abuse by priests, said he was encouraged by the new policy but said the church also should give police the names of accused priests who have already left the church. In Geoghan's case, more than 130 people have claimed the former priest fondled or raped them during the three decades he served in Boston-area parishes. Most were boys in grammar school at the time. Geoffrey Packard, Geoghan's lawyer, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Law and five other bishops who supervised Geoghan have been accused of negligence in many of the civil lawsuits, which allege they knew of the abuse and did nothing to stop it. Geoghan was defrocked in 1989. Law has acknowledged he knew about allegation against Geoghan in 1984, his first year as cardinal, but has said doctors who examined Geoghan at the time found no psychiatric reasons he should not work as a priest. "Judgments were made regarding the assignment of John Geoghan which, in retrospect, were tragically incorrect," Law said Wednesday. Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer who has represented 118 people allegedly abused by Geoghan, said Law's apology sounded conditional. He urged the Legislature to pass the reporting bill. The Archdiocese of Boston serves more than 2 million Catholics in eastern Massachusetts. ------

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