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Identifying Solutions for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas Amidst Child Sexual Abuse by Clergy

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Identifying Solutions for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas Amidst Child Sexual Abuse by Clergy OUT OF THE DARKNESS: IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS FOR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF DALLAS AMIDST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY CLERGY A Thesis by Alee Corrales Submitted to the the Honors College Texas A&M University-Commerce In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Graduation May 2020 OUT OF THE DARKNESS: IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS FOR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF DALLAS AMIDST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY CLERGY A Thesis by Alee Corrales Advisor: Jeffrey Herndon Committee: Raymond Green Jeffrey Herndon Ozum Yesiltas iii ABSTRACT OUT OF THE DARKNESS: IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS FOR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF DALLAS AMIDST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY CLERGY Alee Corrales, BS Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2020 Advisor: Jeffrey Herndon PhD Based on a lack of reporting allegations to law enforcement, the concealment of documents pertaining to allegations, the continued service of clergy accused of child sexual abuse, and the poor treatment of survivors, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas has demonstrated an inability to internally handle allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy. The main objective of this research is to identify solutions to the problems that plague the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and their current allegation review protocols. Therefore, the research question is: What are the current protocols used by the Catholic Diocese of Dallas to review allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy, where are these protocols failing, and how can these protocols be improved? Using interviews with subject matter experts, analysis of primary source documents produced by the Dallas Police Department, and examination of relevant Catholic Canon Laws, a comprehensive list of recommendations for individuals, Bishop Edward Burns, the Texas Legislature, The Texas Department of Public Safety, and Vatican level officials influencing Canon Law was developed. Each of these recommendations is intended to improve the allegation review process in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and raise awareness about its current flaws. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS KEY TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 7 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 9 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 15 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................... 19 Interview With Tahira Merritt ....................................................................................... 19 Merritt Interview Analysis and Conclusions ....................................................... 25 Interview With Lisa Kendzior ....................................................................................... 26 Kendzior Interview Analysis and Conclusions ................................................... 41 Primary Source Document 1: “Affidavit for Arrest Warrant” ....................................... 42 “Affidavit for Arrest Warrant” Analysis and Conclusions ................................. 44 Primary Source Document 2: “Affidavit Supporting Search Warrants” ....................... 45 “Affidavit Supporting Search Warrants” Analysis and Conclusions ................. 60 Canon Law ..................................................................................................................... 61 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................... 63 The Vatican and Canon Law Influencers ........................................................................ 66 Texas Department of Public Safety ................................................................................ 68 Texas Legislature ............................................................................................................ 69 Bishop Edward Burns and Other Dallas Diocese Officials ............................................ 70 Individuals ....................................................................................................................... 72 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................. 73 5 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 76 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 81 Appendix A - Institutional Review Board Materials .................................................... 81 Appendix B - Full Transcript of Interview With Tahira Merritt .................................... 86 Appendix C - SNAP List of Recommendations for Bishop Burns ................................. 95 Appendix D - Full Transcript of Interview With Lisa Kendzior ................................... 99 6 KEY TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BishopAccountability.Org An online repository of all public records regarding Catholic clergy accused of sexual abuse. CPS Child Protective Services CYCP Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People The Charter Document produced in 2002 by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops in response to the child sexual abuse by clergy crisis. DPD Dallas Police Department Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report The documentation of the investigation of six dioceses in Pennsylvania, which uncovered widespread child sexual abuse and systematic cover up. Published in August 2018. SNAP Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests Spotlight Movie produced in 2015 documenting the child sex abuse scandal cover-up in the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. USCCB United States Council of Catholic Bishops 7 INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem This very day two years ago, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas knew of a former priest named Richard Thomas Brown who had several internal allegations of child sexual abuse made against him. The first allegation was made in 1987 - over thirty years ago. The Catholic Diocese of Dallas did not publicly speak about the accusations against Richard Brown until the list of credibly accused priests was released in January 2019 (Catholic Diocese of Dallas, 2020). The Dallas Diocese did not settle civilly with survivors, nor did they send their complete files on Brown to the Dallas Police Department. Due to public pressure to disclose a list of credibly accused priests, the Catholic Diocese finally complied. It was then that Detective David Clark of the Dallas Police Department tracked down Richard Brown in Dittmer, Missouri. Brown admitted to Detective Clark he had abused multiple children while serving as a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas (Branham, Tarrant, and Steele, 2020). This is one example of a case in which the Catholic Diocese of Dallas acted negligently regarding a child sex predator and did not pursue the safety of children. Purpose of Research The purpose of this research is to identify the current review process of allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Identifying the specifics of the allegation review process could help pinpoint problem areas that allow someone like Richard Brown to live freely with scarce penalties for the abuse he committed. Once the problems in the current allegation review process are identified, solutions can be formulated to remedy these problems and help protect children in the present and future. 8 Research Questions What are the current protocols used by the Catholic Diocese of Dallas to review allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy, where are these protocols failing, and how can these protocols be improved? Hypotheses Implementing Canon Laws mandating that documents regarding criminal activity of clergy be hidden in a secret vault, other Canon Laws that empower bishops to act with little to no oversight, the Diocesan Review Board’s lack of investigatory power and lack of independence from Bishop Burns, the Catholic Diocese of Dallas is demonstrating an inability to internally handle allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy. Significance of Research If problems in the allegation review process can be identified, then solutions can also be identified. This research is important because the chronic problems identified place children in harm’s way and negatively impact people’s livelihood. If the recommendations given at the conclusions of this thesis are implemented, the hope is that allegations would be reviewed more independently, law enforcement would be more involved, and lawmakers and individuals would be more informed on the topic of child sexual abuse by clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Method of Procedure This research utilizes a mixed-method approach comprised of interviews with subject matter experts, scrutinizing primary source documents produced by the Dallas Police Department regarding the investigation of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, reviewing Canon Law, and analyzing findings in academic literature concerning the allegation review process in the 9 Catholic Church. These methods were synthesized in order to collect data, form conclusions, and make recommendations. LITERATURE REVIEW According to Dr. Nanette Fuentes, a behavioral psychologist in California, the USCCB made several concerted efforts to redeem public
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