An independent review of records of alleged abuse by clergy in the Roman Catholic Church in Colorado since 1950 will be performed by former U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer with the cooperation of the state’s three dioceses, Colorado Attorney General Phil Wesier announced Tuesday.

The joint initiative was announced by Weiser and Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, who spoke “on behalf of the bishops of all three dioceses of the Catholic church in Colorado,” according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Denver.

“The sexual abuse of minors is a societal problem that demands attention and action,” Weiser said in the release. “I am pleased the church has recognized the need for transparency and reparations for victims.”

The review is intended to “provide a recognition of past wrongdoing and offer an opportunity for healing” for any victims of sexual abuse, Weiser added.

Aquila called the damage done by sexual abuse “profound,” especially when “committed by a trusted person like a priest.”

“We also acknowledge that the bright light of transparency needs to shine on the church’s history related to the sexual abuse of minors,” Aquila said in the release.

Survivors “deserve to be believed and supported on their road to healing,” said former state Attorney General Cynthia Coffman in the release.

Coffman – who was present at Tuesday’s announcement, according to Colorado Public Radio – hopes the review helps “the church and its faithful move forward from a place of truth and vigilance.”

Although the church does not believe there has been any significant cases of abuse since 2002, Coffman said it would be surprising if that is what the review found.

“That would be great. But we would be different from any other state if that was the outcome,” she said.

Jeb Barrett, of the local chapter of the victims’ advocacy group SNAP, said he was pleased there would be a review. But he said the group would watch to see if the final report includes the priests it has found to have abused children in the past.

Troyer, an Obama administration appointee who stepped down from his temporary position as the state’s top federal prosecutor last year, will “examine the records and policies of the three dioceses about the sexual abuse of minors and draft a public report,” according to the statement.

Troyer’s work will be funded in half by the dioceses; the remainder will be paid for by private donors, according to the release.

Witnesses will be interviewed as needed. But the investigation is not criminal, and “we are not aware of any previously unreported criminal conduct,” the archdiocese said in the release. “If the review discovers any criminal conduct, it will be immediately reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities and included in the public report.”

The dioceses “will fund an independent, voluntary program that will compensate victims of abuse, regardless of when the abuse occurred,” the release stated.

The program, “wholly independent of the Colorado dioceses,” will be developed and administered by “two nationally recognized claims administrations experts,” who will review cases, “including cases that are barred by the statute of limitations,” according to the release.

It will be overseen by an independent committee chaired by former U.S. Senator Hank Brown, who served in Colorado’s state Senate in the ’70s before serving in the U.S. House in the ’80s and U.S. Senate in the ’90s.

“A separate victims’ support service will be created to assist victims/survivors with the reparations program and connect them with resources for future care,” the release added.

As for the report, it’s expected to be released this fall.

It’s expected to include, according to the release:

• “the names of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors.”
• “details of the substantiated allegations of abuse, including the assignments of abusive priests and the years during which abuse is alleged to have occurred.”
• “a review of the historic response of the three Dioceses to allegations of abuse.”
• “a review of the Dioceses’ current policies and procedures for preventing abuse and responding to allegations of abuse.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.