Working Group Reports

Protecting Our Children

Jetta Bernier, Member of the Victims' Rights Committee, to Address Winchester Area VOTF Affiliate Meeting, Monday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m., St. Eulalia's Church, 50 Ridge St., Winchester.

Recognized as a child advocate and child abuse prevention expert with over 25 years in the field, Jetta Bernier is Executive Director of the Massachusetts Citizens for Children, a statewide child advocacy organization and state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. She also chairs the MA Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership, a coalition of 23 private and state organizations working under a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to develop effective prevention programs.

The Victims' Rights Committee is an independent body of five advocates for children and mental health professionals with significant experience and expertise in child sexual abuse prevention, its treatment and related legal issues. Formed at the urging of over 150 Massachusetts human service professionals, its purpose is to provide, at the formal request of survivors of clergy sexual abuse, an opportunity for independent review of specific cases previously investigated and closed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB). The need for such a review had been urged by Attorney General Thomas Reilly. When formally asked, the Committee may review the process used by the RCAB to reach its conclusions in that specific case. The VR Committee's focus is limited to the formal policies and procedures used by the RCAB to conduct its investigation in order to determine whether those policies and procedures were followed.

The Committee's first review - and the first of its kind in the country -- evaluated the Archdiocese's handling of an allegation of sexual abuse against Msgr. Michael Smith Foster. The review was based on the Church's own policies in place at the time of the investigation. Paul Edwards, the alleged victim who was a young teen at the time, formally requested the review by the Committee.

Jetta's presentation to the Winchester Area VOTF will detail the results of the investigation, which was published June 16, 2004 in a 32-page "Report by the Victims' Rights Committee." The review concluded that the Archdiocese failed to follow its own policies, those of the US conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as Church canon law. It details the RCAB's failure to conduct an objective investigation, to protect the reputation of Paul Edwards, and to provide Mr. Edwards with timely information on relevant actions taken in the case.

For the Victims' Rights Committee's mission statement, annotated list of members, and "Report of the Victims Rights Committee," go to the VRC web site: http://www.vrcboston.org.

For directions to St. Eulalia's Church, email Marge Bean at Margebean@cs.com.

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