Every priest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York who has a substantial sex-abuse accusation against him has been removed from ministry, according to a report released today.
That finding was revealed in a report by former federal judge and prosecutor Barbara Jones, who was tasked by Cardinal Timothy Dolan with studying the archdiocese’s handling of sex-abuse complaints.
Her findings show a near stop to all abuse in the archdiocese since the early 2000s.
“Almost all the complainants received over the last several years are not complaints of current conduct, but rather they are complaints about conduct which occurred sometimes decades ago,” Jones said.
Jones, who is serving as special counsel and independent investigator for the archdiocese, looked at its policies, procedures, and protocols related to the problem. She shared her findings and recommendations at a news conference at the Catholic Center in New York City.
Jones said the current processes for dealing with sex-abuse complaints are “working very well.”
“There have only been two substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor since 2002,” Jones said.
The archdiocese – which covers Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties, along with parts of New York City and the Hudson Valley – faces a bevy of lawsuits amid accusations of sexual abuse.