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Study reports clergy sex abuse

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A new study reports 4,392 priests have been charged with sexually abusing 10,667 victims from 1950 to 2002, meaning four percent of the Catholic clergy have been accused of sexual abuse of a minor.

The National Review Board, who was appointed by the Catholic bishops in 2002 to assist in solving the sexual abuse problem, commissioned the study.

?We?ve acknowledged it is a shameful time in the Church?s history,? William Brophy, director of communications for the Madison Diocese, said.

The study also stated the cost to the Church for legal representation, compensation to victims, counseling and medical treatment has totaled more than $499 million.

The study characterized the Church as failing to directly help victims, saying they were ?marginalized and, in effect, re-victimized.?

?Far too few bishops grasped the severity of the harm experienced by victims,? the study said, adding several victims have struggled with depression, drug dependency, sexual dysfunction and even suicide since their abuse.

Brophy, however, is confident the Church is successfully remedying the issue.

?The Church has been very proactive in fighting this,? he said.

According to Brophy, four priests in the history of the Madison diocese have been accused of abuse, all of whose faculties have been removed. Two more priests are currently under investigation. The local diocese has paid over a million dollars in compensation for the 19 victims.

Brophy also said any priest from the Madison diocese potentially in contact with children must undergo Virtus, a training program for dealing with children and preventing abuse.

Many Catholic students are grappling with the sexual abuse scandals that have shaken the Church.

?Lots of people made poor choices, and a lot more should be done for the people abused,? fifth-year UW senior Paul Wagner said.

UW sophomore David Haushalter shared similar concerns.

?My faith hasn?t changed, but it has definitely changed the way I look at the church,? he said, adding it is difficult to correctly deal with the issue. ?The Catholic Church spends $500 million on this that could have been spent on missionaries or dealing with societal problems. There need to be more effective ways of dealing with it.?

Wagner agreed, saying the money spent ?compromises the purpose of the Church.?

The National Review Board offered recommendations to the Church including increased accountability for bishops and other church leaders, a greater degree of interaction with civil authorities and greater effort to help victims, among others.

?Seeing to the welfare of victims of abuse must be the primary duty of the Church when confronted with evidence of abuse,? the study said.

For now, Brophy remains concerned but confident in the Church?s efforts.

?The Church stands by the numbers,? Brophy said. ?It has said the abuse is a horrible thing and it won?t be repeated.?