Joliet priest sex abuse files released

JOLIET (IL)
WLS

April 30, 2014 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — The files of 16 Joliet priests accused of sexually abusing children were released to the public Wednesday.

DOWNLOAD: Joliet Priest Files / Bishop Imesch Deposition

The priests’ files, made up of about 7,000 documents, were released by a Chicago law firm. Lawyer Jeff Anderson also announced that five lawsuits have been filed against the Diocese of Joliet because it “failed to do the right thing.”

David Rudofski and others allege church leaders at the Joliet Diocese knew about the abuse for years and did little about it. Rudofski sued to get the records, which attorneys say prove the diocese knew what was going on.

Rudofski, 38, said the day of his first confession was the day his abuse began. He was 8 years old.

“You can never really move forward in the future and protect children if you don’t realize what you’ve done in the past and how to correct those actions,” Rudofski said. “If I can just save one child in all of this, the long road I went through to get here today, every bit of that heartache will be worth it.”

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.