The Kansas City Star has just reported that Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City has been found guilty of failing to report suspicions of child abuse in the case of Father Shawn Ratigan. Finn is the highest-ranking Catholic official in the U.S. to be convicted under laws that criminalize failures to protect the safety of children and report suspected child abuse.
Until the criminal justice system and the legal system begin to pursue religious authority figures who cover up cases of child abuse, we will not see forward movement in cleaning up this serious problem within many religious institutions--and, in particular, the Catholic church, where denial, secrecy, and the refusal to be transparent and accountable are endemic in the hierarchy.
No comments:
Post a Comment