Safe environment programs: Safe for predators, not so much for kids

It’s like having a public swimming pool without a life preserver …

A story out of St. Paul, MN, is a latest example of why so-called “Safe Environment” programs create a false sense of security and may even protect child predators.

The predator in this case was Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, a now-convicted child offender who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for abusing the children of a parish employee. The victims have now filed civil suits, exposing that Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis church officials actually knew soon after Wehmeyer’s ordination in 2001 that he was a threat to kids. They cite police reports from 2004 and 2008 involving Wehmeyer and boys.

The mother of the boys has pursued the civil suit because church knew Wehmeyer was a risk and did nothing, both boys are in intensive (and expensive) counseling, and the parish where she is working has cut her hours.

But here’s the clincher:

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

The mother said part of her job at Blessed Sacrament was to administer the parish’s Protection of Children and Youth Initiative, including doing background checks on volunteers. She said she allowed her boys to go camping with Wehmeyer and hang out with him because she hoped at least one of them would take an interest in becoming a priest. (emphasis mine)

As would be expected, the Archdiocese is fighting back, saying that the abuse was all the fault of the mother. They say that she should have done more to protect the boys from the priest.

Before everyone piles on about how the mother “should have known better,” we need to look at the reality of child sex abuse in institutions:

• Her Archbishop (her “spiritual father”) told her that her boys were safe,
• Her Archbishop told her there were no predators in ministry,
• Her Archbishop was also her boss, and
• She administered the safety program and assumed that Wehmeyer had never been arrested or suspected of abuse.

And then there is this reality: Most predators are never arrested, never caught, and, therefore, never in fingerprint databases.

The Protection of Children and Youth Initiative and other programs like it are a good FIRST step. But in this case, they are nothing more than a safety net for predators. Parents must not fall into a malaise of implied protection.

What should parents do? Well, the first things are education, using your gut, and being vigilant. A healthy distrust of the “safety” of institutions is another good step.

As Instapundit and law professor Glenn Reynolds often says: Someone should write a book about that.