Catholic groups scramble to protect children as Overland Park priest faces charges | FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A Wyandotte County priest now faces criminal charges. Father Scott Kallal is charged with two counts of aggravated indecent freedoms with a child, resulting from an incident involving a young girl at St. Patrick’s School in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2015.

Parishioners of St. Pat’s Catholic Church and Holy Spirit in Overland Park just learned of the allegations on the weekend of July 15-16, when it was announced during mass that Fr. Kallal had been dismissed. of its functions.

Although incidents like this are relatively rare, the church says it remains committed to ensuring that no child becomes a victim.

The interior of a Catholic church is often beautiful and a place where many find solace. But criminal allegations and charges against church leaders like Fr. Scott Kallal can tarnish his prestige.

“The mission of the church is to save souls and lead a spiritual life. They are experts in spirituality. But now they have brought in experts and worked with them to ensure that children’s safety is a top priority, ”said Carrie Cooper, director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection for the Archdiocese. of Kansas City, Missouri.

Cooper’s work was created out of controversy. Almost six years ago, the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Mo. established the Office of Child and Youth Welfare after Fr. Shawn Ratigan was sent to jail for child pornography. There is an office similar to KCK, which Cooper’s office often works with.

Cooper says a lot of good changes have taken place in recent years to prevent abuse and report it, which includes the immediate involvement of the police.

“Civilian authorities are the most important. It’s their job to sort these things out and do these investigations. So that’s definitely what we want to do first, ”Cooper said.

There are also more intensive background checks for every school and church employee and volunteer. These people also undergo intensive training on sexual abuse and children. This training is also given to children in parishes and Catholic schools.

“They get training in what a safe limit is, what grooming is, what predatory behavior is, and what I do to protect myself as a child,” Cooper said.

If someone crosses a line, children are encouraged to tell a trusted adult. And if that adult broke the rules, they should keep telling trusted adults until it is taken seriously.

“The point of all of these efforts is really to make sure the kids are safe. It’s absolutely the most important thing, ”Cooper said.

There is also an independent review committee, made up of non-religious members who review every allegation made against someone within the church. The Diocese of Kansas City, Missouri, also has an ombudsman – a former prosecutor who closely reviews each case.

As for Fr. Kallal, he would have been advised before his arrest in Maryland. He will be brought back to Kansas in the coming weeks to answer the charges here.

Anyone who may have been a victim of this or any other incident should call the police and the child abuse hotline.

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