Some victims call upon Church to track, confine laicized priests
March 08, 2011
Some victims of clerical abuse are calling upon Church authorities to create special housing for laicized priests or to monitor them as civil authorities monitor convicted sex offenders.
“Essentially, you have admitted or credibly accused child molesters walking free among unsuspecting families-- and bishops are doing little or nothing," said David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
“We obviously don't have a police force, and our mission has been to cleanse the priesthood, and we think we've done that effectively and well," countered Michael Hennigan, attorney for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “Once they're out, it's up to civil authorities to deal with them on behalf of society. It's really too much to ask the Church to institute a prison system, and no one could be forced to comply with it except voluntarily.”
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Posted by: Don Vicente -
Mar. 08, 2011 8:16 PM ET USA
By what authority would the Church do this? Why would released abusers VOLUNTARILY lock themselves away? If a soldier is dishonorably discharged by a court-martial, the military has no more authority over him once he is discharged from the service (and maybe from Leavenworth). He is like any other released prisoner. Same with laicized clergy who are not convicted sex abusers -- and if they are, then the government supervises them.
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Posted by: AgnesDay -
Mar. 08, 2011 11:32 AM ET USA
The fallacy here is that the Church took perfectly healthy men and turned them into abusers. The truth is that perpetrators found the Church to be excellent cover for their vicious appetites. It will be up to society to alert parents to the ways of sexual abusers, just as we have done in the Catholic Church. When you get the game, they are easy to spot.
