Summary of bishops' survey
of abuse victims made public
Full report not yet available

Dear Reader of NCRonline.org, We need your help. We are pleased to make available NCR reporting and analysis. But we cannot do all we need to do without your financial assistance. Please take a moment to consider contributing to our annual appeal and join the ranks of readers who give to the Friends of NCR campaign. National Catholic Reporter is a nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible in the United States. Contributions may be sent to: National Catholic Reporter 115 E. Armour Blvd. Kansas City, MO   64111 USA Make checks out to: NCR If you wish, you may print a form for submitting your donation. You may also use this form for credit card donations. Print a Contribution Form OR Donate Now Online P.S.: Everyone who donates will receive the fourth in a series of specially designed NCR Christmas ornaments connecting us in a special way to the gospel of peace on earth. Thank you. By Joe Feuerherd NCR Washington correspondent A 245-page study meant to help diocesan leaders respond to victims of clergy sex abuse has not been made publicly available, and it was unclear at press time how many bishops have seen it, though the report was provided by the author to the bishops' Washington-based Office of Child and Youth Protection in early August. An executive summary of the study was finally posted in plain view on the bishops' Web site Nov. 30, a day after NCR first inquired about the status of the report. The summary was previously on the bishops' Web site, though apparently not for public consumption. There was no visible notice of the summary on the opening page of the Web site, so happening upon it occurred either by accident or by a search conducted by someone who already knew about the report. Teresa Kettelkamp, director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection, did not respond to NCR's request for comment. Based on four focus groups of victims, conducted in the spring of 2004, and a Web-based survey that received more than 1,300 responses, the "Response and Prevention Project" sought victim input to guide diocesan responses to accusations of abuse. A key issue identified by participants was the initial response of church officials when an allegation of abuse is made. The survey respondents "emphasized the failure of church officials to believe the victims/survivors when the report was made and the lack of prompt response to victims'/survivors' needs." Among the recommendations noted in the summary: Diocesan officials should acknowledge "that the victim/survivor is not at fault" and the church should pay for mental health services for victims. Project director Mary Lentz, an attorney who authored Preventing Child Sexual Abuse - A Parent's Guide, said it is important that the full report be made public because it would "be a source of great information for all individuals who work with survivors and their families." Lentz said she is "hopeful that the full report will be made available because that is where the substance is." She declined to provide NCR with a copy of the report, citing her contractual agreement with the bishops' conference. "The horrific experience of being sexually abused is best understood by the survivors of this crime," St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop Harry Flynn, chairman of the bishops' clergy sex abuse committee, said earlier this year in announcing the online questionnaire component of the study. "With the help of these survivors, the bishops can better reach out to those who have been hurt and can develop prevention programs to assure as much as is humanly possible that this crime never occurs again," said Flynn. The Response and Prevention Project Report is available on the bishops' Web site under "What's New" in the Office of Child and Youth Protection section. Joe Feuerherd's e-mail address is jfeuerherd@natcath.org. December 2, 2005, National Catholic Reporter