While there remain numerous serious problems with the church's handling of sexual abuse (of children and of adults), it is important to recognize that the scale of the problem has at least been declining in recent years. The diocesan administrator in Cardiff, Monsignor Robert Rearodon, says this is a sign of "how strongly the church was tackling the problem".
This is illustrated, for example, in this report from the UK:
Fall in Catholic child abuse claims
CHILD abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales fell in 2009, according to a new report.
And a senior Catholic priest in Wales said the figures, released in the annual report of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission, showed the church was dealing robustly with issues of safeguarding young people.
The Catholic church received 41 allegations of abuse relating to 43 alleged abusers and 52 victims in 2009.
The claims made in 2009 have so far resulted in one police caution or warning and one jail sentence.
There are investigations under way in 17 cases, while no action has been taken by the authorities in relation to 24 allegations.
Monsignor Robert Reardon, the administrator of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, said the report was evidence of how strongly the church was tackling allegations of child abuse, though he admitted there was still work to be done.
Full report at Wales Online
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