Just more BS from the Church. The only solution is to arrest,
prosecute and imprison the predators. Victims have to go to law enforcement and not allow the Church to “investigate”.
The Dallas Charter for the protection of children already requires each diocese to make referral to law enforcement for any complaint of clergy abuse against a minor. Both the individual reporting the abuse and the one taking the report have this duty, although one cannot make the reporter of the abuse do this.
The Church’s investigation has to do with establishing credibility of the accusation in order to deal with the alleged perpetrator from a canonical standpoint. The investgation by civil authorities follows a separate process looking at the criminal implications. And, of course, action in civil proceedings is always possible.
What I’ve described is what takes place since the charter was adopted nation wide in 2002. Much of the reprehensible cover up took place prior to that.
While it is possible that a Diocese might not follow the charter, it’s no longer likely. The USCCB has an office that can conduct Diocesan reviews on how the charter has been implemented and how to improve it in each diocese.
To me, the biggest problem historically has been the bishops’ passivity about pursuing aggressive measures.
In the cases where civil laws are being broken, this is absolutely what should be done, and what should have been done all along.
However, the Church still needs to investigate -- it has its own laws and procedures -- because it is not enough that a molester is put in prison; he also needs to be removed from the priesthood.
There are also many cases that are serious violations of moral and canon laws, but (perhaps regrettably) not violations of civil law. One grownup propositioning another to commit a sin of unchastity is an example. Those can only be investigated and punished by the church.