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  Church's Stand on Subpoena Power Examined
Letter to the Editor

Hartford Courant
June 7, 2003

AAs a victim of abuse by a Catholic priest, I find it disgusting that the church is fighting state prosecutors' subpoena power. The church says it wants to protect the confidentiality of clergy and parishioners. But what about sexual abuse victims? Victims are shunned and ignored; in effect, labeled as liars. Meanwhile, the church hierarchy shuffled priests around having full knowledge of their crimes.

Transparency and disclosure? I think not. The victims have had to live with this torture for years. We would love to have the confidentiality threatened.

If a lay social worker were accused of molesting a client, wouldn't files be reviewed? Shouldn't those same rules apply to the church? Whose job is it to decide what is relevant and what is not? In the case of Catholic Church, it seems to be the accused.

Andre P. Tessier

West Hartford



 
 

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