Diocese now fully compliant with abuse protection charter

PORTLAND – The Diocese of Portland was one of 11 Roman Catholic dioceses across the country found to be in full compliance with protocols set in motion in 2002 to safeguard children as a clergy sex abuse crisis battered the church.

After falling short last year, the Portland diocese is 100 percent compliant in all 13 areas included in the Catholic Church’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, commonly known as the Dallas Charter, said Bishop Richard Malone.

According to the audit, which reviewed the period from mid-December 2005 to August, all 4,926 clergy, employees and volunteers in the diocese have undergone background checks.

A total of 11,071 children, representing 79 percent of all children in Catholic schools and religious education training programs, have participated in sexual abuse prevention classes. The other 21 percent opted out of the classes.

“Our stepped-up efforts to complete the background checks and training will undoubtedly ensure a safer environment for our children, and I pledge we will continue to work diligently to make sure safeguards are in place to prevent future abuse,” Malone said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted the Dallas Charter in the wake of the church’s priest sexual abuse scandal. Each year, an outside company audits Catholic dioceses around the country to assess compliance.

In Maine, allegations of clergy sexual abuse against minors fell from 16 claims in 2005 to one last year. The one newly reported claim identified an offender who was already removed from ministry because of previous allegations.

The total allegation-related expenses by the Portland Diocese dropped by 31 percent. Those expenses include settlements paid to victims, payments for victims’ therapy, child protection efforts, and attorney fees, among other things.

“The expenses related to this issue have been very high, but it would be a lot more costly not to heal and reconcile,” said spokeswoman Sue Bernard.