Well, of course, Mary. The trouble is, it's not all that simple. Many of the incidents happened years before they were reported. Sometimes, the reports weren't believed because the priests who received the reports had no training in how to tell fact from fiction. Other time, the child molestors charmed their way out of accusations. As a federal investigator, I sometimes had to confront child molestors who had applied for a law enforcement job or security clearance, and I know first-hand that they can be very charming and convincing. That how they get the kids to go along with them in the first place.

The Boy Scouts had a similar problem in the early 1980's with accusations against adult leaders, and it took the Scouts time to come up with solutions, too. Child molestation is not something that normal people are equipped to deal with - and often it goes on undetected, right under their noses.

After news of the child molestation scandal broke in the U.S., it took quite some time for the U.S. bishops to convince Rome of the seriousness of the problem. The old guys in Rome just didn't seem to understand, seeming to want to wish the problem away.

No, the problem was not handled well at all - but there are reasons to explain those failings. Rather than nailing blame on somebody, it might be wise for us to look into ourselves and see how we might have bungled in a similar situation.

-Joe Offer-