The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland says an independent audit has found it to be in full compliance with the so-called Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter is a set of procedures established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002, in the wake of church sex abuse scandals.
Diocese spokeswoman Sue Bernard says the audit was conducted by the Gavin Group, and independent company. The on-site audit evaluated the effectiveness of the Diocese's child protection policies and practices, Bernard says. She says investigators found that the Diocese is complying with guidelines for reporting abuse to civil authorities, victim outreach, removing offending priests, and ensuring children's safety.
Parishes and schools were examined to verify that adults working with children are properly trained and have undergone background checks. The Portland Diocese has required background checks since 2003 for all clergy and employees, as well as volunteers who work with children, Bernard says. In addition, all clergy, seminarians and educators, as well as nearly all voluteers received special training in the so-called Protecting God's Children Program, aimed at preventing child sex abuse.
Bernard says the audit covered the period from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.
The audit results are drawing fire from critics of the Diocese. Members of an organization called the Ignatius Group have blasted the Diocese for what they say is a failure to protect children from abusive priests.
The group says abuse victims of five living and four dead priests are still coming forward, but the Diocese has still not identified the priests involved. "This information may help other victims to feel strong enough to reach out for help," the group says in a statement.