Diocese, under fire, issues new data on progress against sex abuse

Published: 2006-04-24

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CNS) -- Just three weeks after coming under sharp criticism from the state attorney general, the Catholic Diocese of Manchester released a new report saying all its priests and deacons and most of its employees have had criminal background checks and training in child protection. All clergy and all employees and volunteers who work regularly with children have been checked against the sex offender public registry, and none appears on the registry, the diocese said in a news release April 20. It also announced the appointment of Mary Ellen D'Intino, a licensed social worker with long experience investigating child abuse, as diocesan compliance coordinator. In that newly established post, she is to assist Catholic parishes and schools in reaching full compliance with all aspects of the diocese's child protection and sex abuse prevention policies. In 2002 the diocese acknowledged that past lax practices with regard to clergy sexual abuse of minors were possible grounds for criminal charges. The state agreed not to press charges in return for the diocese publicly releasing thousands of pages of files and agreeing to five years of annual audits on its sex abuse and child protection practices, conducted by a state-chosen independent auditor.

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