October 18, 2022

Bishop releases statement on upcoming departure of victim assistance director

REGIONAL
Staff report

Jeffrey Trant, Ph.D., director of the Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance (Catholic Communications file photo)

SPRINGFIELD- Bishop William D. Byrne has released a statement regarding the upcoming departure of Jeffrey Trant, Ph.D., as the director of the diocesan Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance (OSEVA). Trant has been named executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, effective Feb. 1, 2023. 

“On behalf of our diocesan community, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Jeffrey Trant for his skilled and thoughtful leadership of our Safe Environment and Victim Assistance Office. While his departure is going to be a loss for our diocese, we congratulate him on his new position as executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin. They are indeed fortunate to have someone of his caliber to lead them in their important work,” Bishop Byrne stated.

Trant has led OSEVA since 2019 and has overhauled the way the Diocese of Springfield handles and responds to allegations of sexual abuse. Trant was instrumental in securing a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the three district attorneys’ offices whose jurisdictions cover western Massachusetts. The MOU dictates that allegations of sexual abuse are first investigated by law enforcement, before the diocese conducts an investigation.

Under Trant’s tenure, the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse Within the Diocese of Springfield completed its work, outlining a strategic plan to bolster safe environment policies and to ensure transparency, accountability, and safety.

Trant also led efforts to update the list of credibly accused priests to include the names of priests who were deceased at the time of abuse allegations, along with religious order members, clergy from other dioceses, and lay employees.

“Since his arrival in 2019, Dr. Trant has undertaken the tireless process of rebuilding, from the ground up, our child protection and victim advocacy efforts,” Bishop Byrne wrote in his statement. “His diligent work, including assisting the Independent Task Force on the Response to Sexual Abuse within the Diocese of Springfield, contributing to the development of a Memorandum of Understanding in concert with local district of attorneys’ offices, and leading the process to expand the diocesan list of persons credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor have ensured that we have set a course to be better prepared to respond, in a trauma informed manner, to victims and survivors of abuse by clergy and other church personnel, and to provide safer environments for our children and young adults.

“Many survivors and advocates have spoken of the great strides our diocese has made under Dr. Trant’s tenure,” the bishop continued.

A national search is now underway to fill his position.

“Leading the OSEVA and working with many victims/survivors and families has been a tremendous privilege,” said Trant.

“When I came to the Diocese of Springfield, I heard loud and clear that the longstanding actions of the diocese were re-victimizing and re-traumatizing. During my time at the OSEVA, we have been focused on implementing reforms to improve how the church engages with victim/survivors through a respectful approach while ensuring that allegations of sexual abuse are first and foremost reported to law enforcement and critical services and supports are offered and provided,” Trant said.

Trant will remain in his position through the new year.

Both Bishop Byrne and Trant encourage any victims of sexual abuse by a representative of the church to first contact law enforcement and to report their abuse to the diocese by calling 800-842-9055 or sending an email to reportabuse@diospringfield.org.