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  Archdiocese Hit with Lawsuit
Illinois: Suit Filed over St. Agatha Abuse Case; Another Priest's Conviction Upheld

By Lindsay Claiborn
The Times [Chicago IL]
February 15, 2006

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/02/15/news/illiana/0809aa80da5bb91486257116001102bd.txt

A $10 million lawsuit has been filed against the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago claiming the archdiocese did not take steps to prevent sexual abuse at St. Agatha Catholic Church in Chicago. The suit alleges the Rev. Daniel McCormack abused a young boy while pastor at the church.

The suit filed last Friday in Cook County Circuit Court is the second leveled against the archdiocese in connection with McCormack, who has been criminally charged with abusing three boys. It is the first to name McCormack as a defendant.

On Monday in another court the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 20-year sentence of a former Calumet City Catholic priest convicted of possessing child pornography. The priest, Vincent McCaffrey, had been assigned to several parishes, including St. Victor in Calumet City and St. Joseph the Worker on the South Side of Chicago.

McCaffrey who was removed in 1993 amid abuse allegations admitted to more than 100 instances of sexual contact with boys. The federal appeals court found that the sentence was appropriate under federal law.

The civil suit filed against the archdiocese regarding McCormack said that abuse happened between 2001 and 2005 when the boy, now 13, was on the basketball team at the school run by St. Agatha Parish.

Steven Dicker, the attorney who filed the suit, said the $10 million was for punitive damages.

"$10 million is enough to get the other side's attention," Dicker said.

The archdiocese declined to comment on the latest civil lawsuit but indicated it may release a statement today about policy changes related to sexual misconduct and abuse.

 
 

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