Survivors' Voices: Since the Dallas Charter, Part 2
As I explained last week, the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, often called "the Dallas Charter," is the set of policies put in place by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002, in the wake of the attention brought to clergy sexual abuse by the Boston Spotlight investigations.
Twenty years later, some Catholics tend to think of sexual abuse and cover up in the Catholic Church as issues that were "fixed" by the Dallas Charter. While important improvements have been made, anyone who listens to abuse survivors knows there are still ongoing problems.
I am grateful for the panelists who shared their experiences to bring this complex reality to light. You can find the first set of reflections here: Survivors' Voices: Since the Dallas Charter.
My abuse happened in 2017 when I was 46 years old. Father had groomed my family for over a year before pursuing me. I remember very clearly that when I realized what was happening I thought, "This is exactly how I have read that sexual abuse happens to children." First I went to Father's religious superior and later wrote to my bishop. Everything happened exactly according to all the stories of corruption that we hear. My recounting of what happened was minimized and dismissed. Father was moved, suddenly and without explanation, to one of the biggest parishes in the diocese and made pastor there. The victim assistance coordinator actually said me, and this is a direct quote, "Why are you worried about what two consenting adults are doing? You need to see a therapist." Father has all the characteristics of a child predator that we are warned about in our "safe environment" training. I reported that too. Nothing meaningful has been done.
I feel like the Church has improved in some ways and made some progress, but mostly it feels like the lawyer mindset controls the Church now. It feels as if victims are viewed more as liabilities than wounded members of the Church. Many of the public apologies and statements put out by the bishops feel like empty words, given that there is still such a deep and prevalent issue. Many Catholics think this issue is a thing of the past, but abuse is still going on right now.
The chanceries are very careful to word their media releases to talk about minors only. Adults are called crazy or a consensual encounter. The real result of the Dallas Charter is that they have become more underhanded and better at covering their tracks. The PR and legal maneuvering is their focus. We are not safer.
My experience of abuse in 2014 led to me reporting the priest. The diocese sent him back to the church after a brief suspension of his faculties and a briefing on boundaries, but things only intensified upon his return. After he was transferred I reported him a second time, with serious allegations including sexual assault. The bishop pulled him from his newly assigned position and remanded him to his bishop in his country, where he was placed back in active ministry. The practice of transferring the credibly accused has not changed since 2002. I was banned from all ministry by the pastor of my church, and ten months later I filed a lawsuit. Many in the congregation took out their hurt and pain towards me. The pastor saw me as an equal in the “scandal.” The trauma I experienced was compounded by being ostracized and blamed for what happened. To this day the priest who abused me remains in active ministry in his country and is not listed on our diocesan list. Without survivors speaking up and attorneys and advocacy networks shining light on this, nothing would change.
My most recent interaction with the diocesan safe environment office was in spring 2022, decades after the abuse and years after filing a first report in 2005. Last spring I emailed safe environment, requesting to review my filed reports. I was never able to view what safe environment wrote about me. I also wanted accurate reports if ever the DOJ were to subpoena a review. Safe environment did not respond until someone intervened on my behalf. Two weeks after my initial request I received an email which CCed a diocesan attorney and included a long-winded policy that did not directly answer my request. Within the policy I found this: "The Diocese takes its obligations of confidentiality to victims seriously and will not disclose names or identifying information unless requested by the victim or required by a court order." When I asked, "Can I give the diocese permission to disclose my reports to myself for review?" I was basically told no, they would not disclose anything about what they had written about me to me. When asked why the diocese could disclose my personal information without my consent to this CCed attorney and to other diocesan attorneys, affiliates, or employees, I was told that the diocese, under their discretion and without my permission, could share my personal information/reports to anyone they chose to disclose it to. The Dallas Charter was designed, written, and is implemented by church hierarchy and their attorneys. Safe environment and victim assistants are employed by the church, work under the bishop, and have little to no authority. Forever I give the church the benefit of the doubt. Forever I am startled by their response and by my own naïveté.
I was abused from 2014 to 2016 by a predator priest who left a trail of multiple victims throughout two dioceses in his wake. The details of the spiritual abuse he inflicted upon me are diabolical and highly disturbing, and I will spend the rest of my life with the holy images and prayers he desecrated burnt into my mind. Though I was treated well by my diocese - who acted immediately to remove him from ministry and begin a canonical investigation, which led to beginning the process to have him dismissed from the clerical state - my abuser used the loophole of voluntary laicization to avoid canonical court and being forcibly removed from the clerical state. This enabled him to avoid accountability and also to create a narrative that suits him. The diocese has remained silent about the canonical accusations, and parishioners have no idea. I firmly believe that the Dallas Charter is grossly lacking in justice when priests accused of sexual abuse are able to choose to walk away from canonical proceedings.
Having just celebrated the Third Sunday of Advent, Rejoice Sunday, I wish we were able to rejoice that clergy sexual abuse was a thing of the past. Unfortunately, it is not. I do believe that there is some progress in recognizing and responding to the crisis. Because of “the Charter,” when I reported my abuse several years ago a process was in place. I believe they tried to be open and supportive during their investigation. They did try. But work needs to continue toward transparency and true honesty about the volume and depth of the crisis. I do believe and hope that requiring the workshop on Protecting God’s Children has helped in raising awareness and opening up the conversation. I have conducted PGC sessions for the past eighteen years. The response in conversations has changed from shock and anger to “let’s work toward prevention.” I hope and pray that one day we can truly rejoice that this crisis is a thing of the dark past.
Thank you for reading and for caring about these survivors and their stories.
~ Sara
PS: If you have experienced sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, I would be grateful to include your perspective in future posts. You can find more information here: An Invitation for Survivors.