Ex-prosecutor to examine New York archdiocese sex abuse policies

Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks with a reporter after a news conference in Manhattan, New York September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan named a former federal judge and prosecutor on Thursday to independently review how the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has handled allegations of sexual abuse, after what Dolan said was the "Summer of Hell."

Barbara Jones, who retired as a U.S. district judge in 2013, said she and a team of lawyers would have unfettered access to all materials as they reviewed sex abuse claim policies and procedures in the country's second largest archdiocese.