Deceptive Dubuque & its “List of accused priests”

IOWA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY DAVID CLOHESSY ON SEPTEMBER 03, 2013

Smart, brave victims of Dubuque area predator priests have forced Catholic officials there – as part of lawsuit settlements – to post names of child molesting clerics on the archdiocesan website. We’re always thrilled when survivors use lawsuits to pry information from the church hierarchy and use that information to warn parents about pedophiles.

But there is helpful information that illuminates and less helpful information that obfuscates.

The Dubuque Archdiocese seems committed to less helpful information that obfuscates.

Let’s carefully look at the details on the archdiocesan website about child molesting clerics.

First, Archbishop Michael Jackels calls the list a “Table of Accused Priests.” The implication is, of course, that every person listed is merely “accused.”

[Dubuque archdiocese]

But of course, this isn’t true. At least two of them have pled guilty to child sex crimes in criminal court. At least one has been defrocked. (See footnotes below.)

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