Expert: Lawsuits Hold Clergy Accountable in Sex Crimes against Minors

By Chris Green
Rockford Register-Star
February 7, 2014

http://www.rrstar.com/article/20140207/NEWS/140209454


ROCKFORD - Sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy peaked in the '70s, said Timothy Lytton who cited a 2002 study commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Lytton, an Albany Law School professor and author of "Holding Bishops Accountable: How Lawsuits Helped the Catholic Church Confront Clergy Sexual Abuse" said a three-decade onslaught of lawsuits starting in 1984 has implicated countless dioceses across the U.S. and abroad.
"The vast majority of victims who brought claims brought them years later," he said.
One such person is Kathleen Gibbons, 46, of Rockford. She attended Holy Family Elementary School from 1972 to 1980.
A week ago, Gibbon's attorney, Rene Hernandez, filed a $5 million lawsuit against Holy Family Catholic Church, the Catholic Diocese of Rockford, and three clergy members: Monsignor Al Harte, Father Bob and Brother Allen. Harte died in 2002. The last names of Bob and Allen and their whereabouts are unknown.
Diocesan Attorney Ellen Lynch said in a news release, "The case is being investigated fully, but we have no information at this time to suggest that these allegations are credible."
Gibbons says the abuse took place between 1978 and 1980, when she was 11 to 13 years old.
The fact that the suit is coming decades later is "not rare," Lytton said, "but typical."
"Some weren't ready, some suppressed the memory, and others realized the problems they were having in life were traced back to the rape."
According to the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, most child victims are not ready to report sexual abuse until after a 20-year statute of limitations had expired.
While Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill in August eliminating the statute of limitations for prosecuting child sex abuse crimes, it is not clear if the amended law will apply to the Gibbons case.
Lytton said the days where clergy-affiliated child sex abusers who continue to abuse children for years because they are merely re-assigned to another church are fading.
He said the wave of public lawsuits against the Catholic church have accomplished three things:
"It's shining a light not only on the bad apples or bad priest, but on church officials who knew about the abuse and failed to protect children.
"It has uncovered information that was otherwise was hidden from the media and prosecutors
"And three, the Catholic church has placed this issue of child sex abuse at the very top of the agenda. Children are much safer, today."

Contact: cgreen@rrstar.com