Seattle Archdiocese plans to reorganize its abuse review boards

Published: 2005-01-10

SEATTLE (CNS) -- The Seattle Archdiocese plans to reorganize its two existing review boards dealing with clergy sex abuse issues and create one board, despite criticism of the action from several members of one of the boards. Some board members say a new entity would lack independence from archdiocesan control. The planned changes would eliminate the current Case Review Board, which advises Seattle Archbishop Alex J. Brunett on the credibility of accusations of child sex abuse made against clergy, and the Policy Review Board, which advises on policies needed to prevent abuse. Greg Magnoni, archdiocesan spokesman, said a unified board would be formed sometime after Jan. 30. He spoke with Catholic News Service Jan. 5 after seven members of the Case Review Board sent a letter to the archbishop criticizing his reorganization plan. The letter, dated Dec. 20, was later made public by several Seattle news organizations. It was signed by seven members of the 11-member board. It questioned whether a future board would be sufficiently independent, saying that the independence exercised by the Case Review Board "was troubling to the archdiocese." It also criticized the archdiocesan policy of not releasing the names of priests until the Vatican has taken final action on their cases.

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