By Charissa M. Carroll
Head Staff Writer

As part of the diocese’s ongoing effort to ensure the safety of children, Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski announced Sept. 2 the formation of the Office of Child and Youth Protection. The office will be headed by Lawrence V. Nagle, a lifelong member of the diocese who served until recently as the 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.

In announcing the appointment, the bishop stated, "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 Prosecutor’s Office. I am very pleased that he has agreed to join our diocesan family and work with us in combating and preventing sexual abuse."

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.

Nagle, who is a member of St. Bernadette Parish, Parlin, will work closely with Msgr. William Benwell, who is vicar general and moderator of the curia, as well as chair of the Diocesan Review Board.

In response to Nagle’s appointment, Msgr. Benwell said, "I’m pleased that the diocese has made the commitment to bring Larry on board. These are issues that are not pleasant to deal with, but we need to address them head on."

Among Nagle’s responsibilities will be serving 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, 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, general secretary for administrative and legal services, 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.

According to Rak, the creation of the new office is significant because it centralizes all of the functions previously performed by various diocesan offices and employees, none of whom has formalized law enforcement training.

"[Nagle] comes to us with 28 years of law enforcement experience," he said. "We have consistently said that we, in the diocese, are not the most capable to investigate these crimes because it’s not our background. It is therefore incumbent upon us to bring in someone who has this type of expertise."

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