The head of a lay watchdog panel formed by Catholic bishops to investigate clerical sex abuse said Wednesday that young people are safer as a result of the panel's study that chronicled abuse claims made nationwide since 1950.
Anne Burke, an Illinois appellate judge, said Catholics should be encouraged because the church has taken steps to ensure future misconduct allegations are addressed quickly.
"Minors are safer today than they were before," Burke told the City Club of Chicago.
The National Review Board's survey, released last week, listed 10,667 abuse claims against Catholic priests nationwide since 1950. About 4 percent of all U.S. Catholic clerics who served during those years were accused of abuse.
Victim advocates have criticized the study, saying the numbers are too low because researchers relied on self-reporting by bishops.
Besides abuse victims, the scandal has also victimized the majority of priests who did no wrong, Burke said. "They suffered heartache and disparagement because of the actions of a few priests," she said.
Burke, 59, became interim chairwoman of the panel when former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating stepped down after likening some church leadership to the Mafia.
She said the church must do a better job screening candidates for the priesthood and urged church officials to be more sensitive to victims' needs. She also said allegations of abuse should be reported to civil authorities.