The Ombudsman for the Kansas City Catholic Diocese says she checked into 79 cases of abuse, or suspected abuse in the Diocese in its first year of her operation, Ombudsman Jenifer Valenti was appointed to the newly created post a year ago by Bishop Robert Finn.
Finn created the position after the Fr. Shawn Ratigan sex abuse scandal rocked the Kansas City Diocese and led to calls for its Bishop Finn to step down. He remain at his post.
“This report shows my commitment to being open and honest”, Valenti told KMBC 9 news.
Valenti’s report says they looked at 20 claims of sexual abuse by priests, diocese employees or church volunteers.
Seven cases were ‘substantiated”, according to the report.
Those seven cases involved five people, said Valenti.. Three of the people are dead, according to the report..
More than half of the 79 claims, 40, were described as ‘referrals”.
She describes “referrals’ as being incidents when suspected abuse was reported to the diocese, but did not involve priests of other church workers of volunteers.
Valenti used the example of a report being made to the diocese because someone suspected a child may be being abused at home. She says those were referred to the Missouri child safety authorities.
The Survivor’s Network for Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), dismissed the report.
“They’re just numbers” said Michael Hunter of the Kansas City SNAP chapter. He believes the diocese should have named the people involved in the seven substantiated claims.
“Catholic parents need to know who to protect their kids from,” Hunter said.
Valenti says when a priest or someone else associated with the diocese is removed because of a credible claim it is announced in a press release.
Some Church critics think all the names should be posted on a website somewhere. They think that would be better than isolated news releases.
The editor of the independent National Catholic Reporter says the Kansas City Diocese report is a good step.
Denis Coday, however, says the diocese here, and in other parts of the Church, are being pushed into transparency. Coday believes it’s a combination of the priest abuse lawsuits the Church is facing and increased public attention.
“The media, lay persons and other organizations have pressured the bishops to make these advances,”Coday said.
“The changes we’ve seen here would not have happened without that pressure.”
KC Diocese Priest Abuse Watchdog Issues 1st Annual Report
August 9, 2012
KC Priest Sex Scandal: Change of Plea Hearing Set
August 1, 2012
A change of plea hearing was scheduled Thursday in federal court for a Kansas City Catholic priest accused in a child pornography case.
The Rev. Shawn Ratigan was charged last year with 13 federal child pornography counts and three in Clay County after a computer technician discovered hundreds of troubling images on the 46-year-old priest’s laptop in December 2010.
He pleaded not guilty, but a plea hearing was scheduled Thursday at 2 p.m.
Jackson County prosecutors charged Bishop Robert Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph with failing to report suspected child abuse to the state, a misdemeanor.
KC Diocese Wins Court Battles in Abuse Cases
May 4, 2012
Judges in state and federal court this week dismissed parties and allegations from three civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
In each case, the rulings were a victory for lawyers representing either the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph or an accused priest.
In Jackson County, Circuit Judge Peggy Stevens McGraw on Monday threw out all allegations against the diocese in a suit filed last year by David Tate of Kansas City, who alleged that the Rev. Michael Tierney abused him at Tierney’s mother’s home and at a hotel swimming pool in the early 1970s.
The judge also dismissed eight counts against Tierney, though he still faces civil allegations of childhood sexual abuse and battery.
Tierney has denied all wrongdoing. His lawyer declined comment, citing a gag order in another case against the priest.
In dismissing a childhood sexual abuse claim against the diocese, McGraw found that the church only would be liable if Tierney was engaged in activities within the scope of his employment
More: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/03/3592553/judges-dismiss-allegations-from.html
KC Diocese Sex Abuse Investigator Says the Rules Are Changing
January 30, 2012
The new ombudsman of the Kansas City Diocese of the Catholic Church says the rules for investigating sex abuse by priests and other members under diocesan control are changing.
In an interview with KMBC TV, Ombudsman Jenifier Valenti says now, the Church will investigate suspicions of abuse, as well as reports of abuse.
“The Diocese is taking the position we want to look into things if they seem suspicious, before somebody has a report of abuse. because those behaviors may point to predators,” Valenti said.
She calls that a “pro-active approach”.
Valenti was involved in last week’s announcement of a decision to suspend a Sugar Creek priest, Mathew Bartulica, according to a news release. She would not discuss the details of that case.
Valenti, however, made it clear she will prefer not to deal with anonymous tips.
“There is no reason for an anonymous report”, she said.
“If an anonymous report comes to me, that report will be forwarded to law enforcement. But there will not be an internal investigation (by the diocese) about that report.”
Valenti says each Catholic has a moral obligation to help protect children by stepping forward and reporting an abuse and taking responsibility for reporting it.
Valenti was appointed to the post last July. That was in the midst of the priest abuse scandal that is still rocking the local Catholic Church.
Valenti is a former Jackson County Assistant Prosecutor. In that role, she worked in the office’s domestic violence division.
Valenti maintains that she will have complete independence to pursue cases, even though she is a diocesan employee.
She says no one, including the Bishop, will be able to lean on her and her work.
“There is no way I will sacrifice my integrity, or my moral obligation to my children, my faith for, anyone” she proclaimed.
“I just won’t do it.”
The interview will be broadcast on the KMBC 9 News at 5pm
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