Little tracking for priests removed on abuse charges
December 03, 2010
The Washington Post, reporting on the status of clerics who were removed from ministry because of sex-abuse charges, finds that many of the former priests are now living on the margins of society, without direction of supervision.
Church officials note that once a priest is laicized, diocesan officials no longer have any control over him. Few dioceses keep records of the priests' whereabouts and activities. The Post notes:
In recent years, at least two archdioceses - Chicago and Detroit - have hired staff to monitor priests who have been removed from the ministry to prevent further abuses. But such measures remain rare.
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Posted by: marttywinston6762 -
Dec. 03, 2010 6:37 PM ET USA
All sex offenders, when they get out of prison, are forced to live on the margins of society. By law they are not allowed near children and no one wants them in their neighborhoods. The sheriff's office has a publically available record of their residences. Our local newspaper publishes these records every few years.
