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September 2, 2003
Contact: Joanne Ward
732-562-1990 ext. 1525
Email:
jward@diometuchen.org
BISHOP BOOTKOSKI
ESTABLISHES OFFICE OF CHILD AND YOUTH PROTECTION
Former Supervisor of Sex Abuse Crimes Unit to Head Office
The Most Reverend Paul Gregory Bootkoski, Bishop of Metuchen,
announced today the formation of the Office of Child and Youth
Protection. The Office will be headed by Lawrence V. Nagle, until
recently Lieutenant of County Investigators and Supervisor of the Sex
Crimes, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence and Megan’s Law Units of The
Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. Mr. Nagle was appointed director
of the Office.
The Office of Child and
Youth Protection will serve several functions, including investigating
all claims of sexual abuse, implementing the Diocese’s Protecting
God’s Children program which is designed to educate people on
identifying and preventing abuse, and assisting Church officials in
canonical or Church disciplinary proceedings involving clergy charged
with committing sexual abuse.
Lieutenant Nagle will work
with Monsignor William Benwell, the Diocese’s Vicar General and chair
of the Diocesan Review Board. As part of his responsibilities,
Lieutenant Nagle will serve as the diocesan response officer under the
Diocese’s Policy in Response to Complaints of Sexual Abuse. That
policy was developed under the Essential Norms for Diocesan Policies
Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or
Deacons adopted last year by the Nations’ bishops. The Diocese filed
that policy in early July with the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
As diocesan response
officer, Lieutenant Nagle will receive complaints of sexual abuse,
notify diocesan authorities and the diocesan liaison to law
enforcement of the complaints, and investigate those complaints.
Ronald C. Rak, the diocese’s general secretary, will continue to serve
as the diocesan liaison to county prosecutors, pursuant to the
Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the Diocese and the
State Attorney General last December.
In announcing the
appointment, Bishop Bootkoski explained: “Protecting the members of
our diocese from sexual crimes has been, and continues to be, my
highest priority. The Office of Child and Youth Protection will bring
together under the leadership of one individual many of our
initiatives to address the problem. Lieutenant Nagle has worked with
us over the past year in his capacity as supervisor of sex crime units
at the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office. I am very pleased that he
has agreed to join our diocesan family and work with us in combating
and preventing sexual abuse.”
Responding to his
appointment, Lieutenant Nagle commented: “Since being installed,
Bishop Bootkoski has taken many positive steps to address the clergy
sex abuse scandal and has implemented programs to protect our
children. I look forward to utilizing my law enforcement background
and to working closely with the Bishop and diocesan officials to
create a safe environment for our families.”
A resident of South Amboy,
Lieutenant Nagle has over 28 years experience in law enforcement. A
graduate of the Burlington County Police Academy and the New Jersey
Chief of Police, West Point Command and Leadership Program, he served
for 25 years in the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office as
investigator, Sergeant of Investigators, and most recently Lieutenant
of County Investigators. As Lieutenant, he focused on sex crimes,
child abuse, and domestic violence.
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