Statistics Of Sexual Abuse Of A Minor

In September 2003, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee reported that between 250 and 300 individuals had contacted and used the services of the Office for Sexual Abuse Prevention and Response Services, formerly known as Project Benjamin, from as far back as our records indicate through June 30, 2003. Not every one of these contacts was necessarily a victim. This number includes all contacts, reports and services for individuals, including those allegations against religious order priests; those involving lay people; allegations that proved to be false; reports of suspicious behavior; and contacts by families of victims, etc. These are all valid contacts with the sexual abuse prevention and response services office. Naturally, a common question is how many victims have there been in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

At the end of February 2004, a national study, commissioned by the National Review Board, will release information for the whole country regarding the number of victims and clergy-perpetrators during the time from 1950 through June 30, 2002.

This data was compiled across the country in recent months as the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York conducted a national study, mandated by the United States bishops, as a sign of their commitment to fulfilling their pledge in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, adopted in Dallas in 2002. This study examines the nature and scope of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy from 1950 to the end of 2002 and is the most comprehensive study of this topic by any institution in the United States.

Although this survey data will be released as a total number, without individual figures for each diocese, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee believes it is important in the interest of accountability and transparency to provide the statistics for our Archdiocese.

From 1950 through 2002, the archdiocesan records indicate that there have been 131 victims of sexual abuse of a minor by diocesan clergy. This number includes individuals who have come forward and those who have not come forward, but were identified by a perpetrator during a confrontation and subsequent investigation.

Overall, there have been 45 diocesan priests or deacons with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. In addition, allegations against 10 other diocesan clerics proved to be false. During the time frame of the survey (1950 through 2002), 1,245 active and retired diocesan priests and 234 diocesan deacons served in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Based upon the 45 clerics with substantiated allegations, that equates to approximately three percent of total clerics serving the Archdiocese during that time frame.

Of all sexual abuse allegations brought forth, only two people have reported allegations of sexual abuse of a minor that occurred after 1990. All of the remaining reports deal with allegations of incidents that occurred before 1990 (see graph).