clergy abuse declining in America

While news of Catholic clergy sex abuse is popping up all around Europe, and allegations that Pope Benedict didn't do enough when he was a Vatican official in a case involving a now-deceased American priest, I'm looking for a silver lining. Here's one:

While the Church in Europe is being hit by a wave of sex abuse allegations and investigations, similar complaints in the US are tapering off.

The number of abuse victims, allegations and offending clergy in the United States dropped in 2009 to the lowest figures since data started being collected in 2004, said an Associated Press report in the New York Times.

The New York Times report quoted the latest annual report from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which said the financial burden to the church has fallen too. Dioceses and their insurers paid US$104 million in settlements, attorneys' fees and other abuse-related costs in 2009, down from US$376 million in 2008.

The report identifies 398 allegations of abuse involving clergy from Catholic dioceses in 2009, which is a 36 percent decline from 2008. Most cases involved preteen or teen males and incidents that were decades old, in keeping with past patterns.

The number of offenders dropped 32 percent, to 286. Of the allegations reported in 2009, six involved children under the age of 18 in 2009.

The Holy Father and the Vatican have come under fire in recent days. See here, here, here, and here.

But there are many who are defending him. See here, here, here, here, and here.

I think the best defense I've seen is from Westminster Archbishop Vincent Nichols:

What of the role of Pope Benedict? When he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he led important changes made in church law: the inclusion in canon law of internet offences against children, the extension of child abuse offences to include the sexual abuse of all under 18, the case by case waiving of the statue of limitation and the establishment of a fast-track dismissal from the clerical state for offenders. He is not an idle observer. His actions speak as well as his words.

Every year since 2002 the Catholic Church in England and Wales has made public the exact number of allegations made within the Church, the number reported to the police, the action taken and the outcome. As far as I know, no other organisation in this country does this. It is not a cover-up; it is clear and total disclosure. The purpose of doing so is not to defend the Church. It is to make plain that in the Catholic Church in England and Wales there is no hiding place for those who seek to harm children. On this we are determined.

One more fact. In the past 40 years, less than half of 1 per cent of Catholic priests in England and Wales (0.4 per cent) have faced allegations of child abuse. Fewer have been found guilty. Do not misunderstand me. One is too many. One broken child is a tragedy and a disgrace. One case alone is enough to justify anger and outrage. The work of safeguarding, within any organisation and within our society as a whole, is demanding but absolutely necessary. The Catholic Church here is committed to safeguarding children and all vulnerable people.