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"Public claims made on Monday, May 4, by the advocacy group SNAP about the policies and practices of the Archdiocese of Detroit when handling complaints of clerical sexual misconduct are misleading and misinformed.

"The timetable does not support SNAP's claim of a 'slow response' regarding the most recent case brought to the archdiocese. When a complaint against Fr. Kenneth Kaucheck was made in late January, it was immediately turned over to civil authorities. The Archdiocesan Board of Review then met and commissioned an independent investigation of the allegation, which dates back to the early years of the priest's ministry. That process was careful, thorough and fair, and when it was concluded, the results were considered by the Review Board. The Board made a finding that the complaint was of sufficient substance (credibility) to make a recommendation to Archbishop Allen Vigneron. He, in turn, placed Fr. Kaucheck on administrative leave.

"Contrary to the claims made by SNAP, the information about Fr. Kaucheck was shared with all of the parishes where he has served. It was also distributed as a news release, as a letter to parishioners and school parents, posted on the archdiocesan Web site, published in The Michigan Catholic newspaper, offered to parish bulletins, and carried by several local media outlets. The archbishop's priest-delegate, along with personnel from our Parish Life & Services Department and Catholic Schools Office were on hand the last weekend in April to answer any questions and provide any clarifications which did not compromise the privacy of any of the parties involved.

"Further, the names of those priests against whom there have been credible allegations of sexual abuse are listed on the Archdiocese of Detroit Web site. Any suggestion of 'non-transparency' against the archdiocese is not supported by the facts. SNAP should be held accountable for its false claims, first and foremost by those who choose to publicize the misinformation without any effort to confirm its veracity.

"For over 20-years, the archdiocese has had a policy for dealing with complaints of sexual misconduct against priests and church personnel. It has been tested and it works. And it works well. SNAP has once again tried to mislead the public about what is available on the Internet from the archdiocese. Information about reporting complaints to church officials and civil authorities, about safe environment programs, about archdiocesan policy, and details about past cases is posted at www.AODonline.org/Protect&Heal. And it has been for over six years. Additionally, an item on 'How to Report' is published every week in The Michigan Catholic and provided to parish bulletins in English and Spanish."

- Ned McGrath
Director of Communications
May 4, 2009

Regarding Fr. Kenneth Kaucheck April 24, 2009