Studies show 11,000 abuse claims made in US

Two unprecedented studies that document pervasive sex abuse by US Roman Catholic clergy found nearly 11,000 young people have claimed they were molested since 1950, and that bishops bear much of the responsibility for the crisis.

One document says their failure to stop predators let the “smoke of Satan” into the church.

The studies – commissioned by America’s bishops – found that 80% of the alleged victims were male and that just over half said they were between ages 11 and 14 when they were assaulted, a source who has seen the reports said.

The abuse claims were filed against 4,392 of the 109,694 clergy who served over the last half-century – or about 4% of all clerics.

The National Review Board, a lay watchdog panel formed by the bishops, was to formally release the reports in Washington later today.

One is the church’s first national accounting of molestation claims was conducted by John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The other is the board’s own investigation into how the crisis developed.

The John Jay findings are based on information provided by most of the 195 American dioceses.

Victims said any study by the church is bound to underestimate the number of abuse cases and that many of those who were hurt still have not come forward.

Dioceses nationwide received 10,667 abuse claims since 1950, according to a news release from the Diocese of Yakima, Washington.

Of those, claims by approximately 6,700 were substantiated. About 3,300 were not investigated because the accused clergymen were dead.

Another 1,000 or so claims were unsubstantiated, the diocese said.

The Review Board report said celibacy was not a cause of the scandal, but that the celibacy requirement may have attracted candidates for the priesthood who were seeking an escape from their sexual problems.