NewsPressNOW.com: The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph failed to follow its own procedures and polices when reporting allegations of child sex abuse against the Rev. Shawn F. Ratigan, an independent investigation found.
Conducted by former United States Attorney Todd Graves and his team, the 141-page review concluded Msgr. Robert Murphy, vicar general of the diocese, waited too long to advise the Independent Review Board of allegations against Rev. Ratigan, which allowed him to continue to abuse children and defy child protective boundaries set forth by Bishop Robert Finn.
Those allegations included hearing individual confessions of minors, hosting an Easter party where he allegedly took photos aimed up a young girl’s shorts, attending a track meet at Bishop LeBlond High School, and having contact with at least one family from St. Joseph’s Parish in Easton, Mo.
According to the report and a statement released by the diocese, the mishandling of the case was identified under four primary diocesan shortcomings: