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  Group Complains Idaho Catholic Church Uses Lawyer to Counsel Abuse Victims

By John Miller
Associated Press, carried in Corvallis Gazette-Times [Boise ID]
August 2, 2005

BOISE, Idaho — An advocacy group for victims of sex abuse by Catholic clergy has criticized Idaho's bishop, saying he didn't adequately disclose that a church official responsible for helping potential victims is also a lawyer.

Bobbi Dominick, the lawyer, has worked as the Catholic Diocese of Boise's victim assistance coordinator for children, youth and adults, as well as being the diocese's human resources director, for two years, church officials said.

The group, Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said Bishop Michael Driscoll's decision to have a lawyer work with potential victims violates the trust of those seeking help because some fear she'd share what she learns with other church lawyers to help them defend the church against potentially costly lawsuits.

"Victims need and deserve to speak with a compassionate, pastoral person, not a defense lawyer, when they're first disclosing and dealing with horrific childhood abuse and potentially dangerous predators," said David Clohessy, SNAP national director in St. Louis. "When victims call expecting to talk with a counselor or social worker, and end up with an attorney, that makes already wounded victims feel hurt and betrayed again."

Boise Catholic leaders denied deceiving those seeking help, and accused Clohessy of inaccuracy in a letter from SNAP to the diocese dated Aug. 2.

For instance, church documents identify Dominick with a "JD" — for juris doctor — to identify her as a trained lawyer.

The Associated Press reported in June that costs to the U.S. Catholic church in the clergy sexual abuse scandal so far totaled slightly more than $1 billion for abuse cases that date back decades.

Last month, David Castaldi, chairman of the Catholic lay reform group Voice of the Faithful, predicted at a meeting in Indianapolis that the scandal will eventually cost U.S. dioceses $2 billion to $3 billion.

The Spokane, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Tucson, Ariz., dioceses have filed for bankruptcy protection.

"The accusations made by SNAP are simply not true," said the Rev. Ron Wekerle, the Diocese of Boise's vicar general. "Dominick was hired as assistance coordinator for sexual misconduct prevention and response efforts because of her expertise in cases involving sexual misconduct and investigating sexual harassment in the workplace.

"She does not work as an attorney for the diocese," he added.

The criticism of Driscoll comes after the bishop apologized in June for waiting nine months before informing members of a Boise parish that their deacon was under investigation for viewing child pornography. The bishop said the diocese had been worried about being sued over such allegations.

The deacon is serving an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty in November to felony possession of child pornography.

Driscoll also has been criticized for his handling of abusive priests more than two decades ago in the Diocese of Orange in California, after hundreds of pages of documents were released in May as part of a $100 million settlement with abuse victims in California.

Driscoll wasn't available for comment on Tuesday.

On the diocese's Web site, he advises members to call Dominick if they have concerns about sexual abuse within the church.

"This is an invitation to you, and anyone you know, to seek health and wholeness as we address the issue of sexual misconduct in today's world," Driscoll writes. "Help is only a phone call away."

Dominick was at a conference Tuesday and couldn't be reached, said Colette Cowman, a Boise church spokeswoman.