Tulsa Diocese offers abuse prevention program

Tag: usa

By BILL SHERMAN

TULSA, Okla. (AP) More than 12,000 people in the Tulsa Diocese have gone through a training program aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse.

The diocese started the program in 2002 in the wake of the Roman Catholic church's clergy abuse scandal. Anyone who has contact with children in the diocese is required to go through the training.

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The diocese's chief financial officer, Tom Schadle, tells the Tulsa World the diocese has spent $68,600 for the training during the past eight years. He says the diocese also has spent $54,700 for counseling for victims and about $220,000 for background checks.

Tulsa Bishop Edward J. Slattery says the training program and other policies instituted in the wake of the scandal are "very expensive" but are necessary to protect children and maintain the diocese's credibility.


http://www.newsok.com/tulsa-diocese-o...z12nFlSxop