The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) has disclosed findings from an audit of compliance with its “Guidelines for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults,” revealing three allegations of sexual abuse in two dioceses during the fiscal year 2023.
The audit, conducted between March and Sept. 2024, was part of the CBCJ’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults in line with Church law, Holy See documents, and national child welfare legislation.
The guidelines, established in February 2021 and supplemented with detailed audit regulations in February 2022, require annual assessments of diocesan adherence to protective measures.
In March 2024, all 16 dioceses in Japan were instructed to investigate their compliance with the guidelines and submit confirmation letters to the CBCJ president.
Two auditors, appointed as per the detailed regulations, reviewed the submissions.
The audit report highlighted that “there were three allegations of sexual abuse in two dioceses between April 2022 and March 2023.”
The dioceses implicated were notified of the findings and advised to take further action in accordance with the guidelines, the CBCJ said.
The report also noted proactive efforts across dioceses to address abuse prevention and healing. Seven dioceses organized training sessions for clergy and religious members, while 14 dioceses held prayers and Masses of penance for survivors of sexual abuse.
Additionally, six dioceses conducted events and workshops focused on abuse prevention.
The CBCJ emphasized its commitment to transparency and accountability, affirming that dioceses where abuse allegations were made are required to follow up with measures aligned with the guidelines.
