Step 1: When someone in the church learns that a priest is being or has been accused of any sort of abuse, that someone in the church calls the police. Not someone higher in the church. Not another priest. Not a monsignor or a bishop or archbishop or someone else in the hierarchy. They call the police and report the abuse.
Step 2: After the police are called, the person accused of the abuse is removed from his position until the police investigation is concluded.
Step 3a: If the accused is tried for the alleged crime and convicted. Regardless of the sentence, that person is removed from his position and excommunicated.
Step 3b: If the accused is tried and found not guilty, that person is removed from his position for one year - retreat, counseling, whatever - and returned to his position, with the approval of the regional archbishop. This approval cannot be delegated to anyone junior to the archbishop.
Step 3c: If there is insufficient grounds for a trial, the accused is removed from his position for three years - retreat, counseling, whatever - and returned to his position if deemed appropriate by the regional archbishop. This approval cannot be delegated to anyone junior to the archbishop.
Maybe these steps should be modified a bit depending on location. But in the US, sexual abuse is a crime and should be addressed first, but not exclusively, by the civil authorities. Internal actions are secondary, but no less important - thus the suggestions for internal responses.
Folks, this is not difficult. Sexual assault is bad. Sexual assault cover-up is bad. Doing the right thing, even if it took 2,000 years, should be pretty damned easy. If it isn't, then the church - or any religious organization - has no place in civil, or civilized, society.
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