CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times
October 18, 2018
By Sam Charles
Four survivors of sexual abuse by priests filed a public nuisance and conspiracy lawsuit against every diocese in the state Thursday, asking a judge to order the release of all records related to every abusive priest in Illinois.
Jeff Anderson, one of the attorneys who filed the suit, said the goal was to expose “a conspiracy of silence, a conspiracy of secrecy, a conspiracy of self-protection and scandal-avoidance that is causing a hazard and a danger in real time today.”
Anderson said the dioceses have long maintained records of abusive priests who no longer are involved in ministry, as well as records of top church officials “complicit” in covering up abuses.
Three plaintiffs chose to identify themselves; the fourth opted to remain anonymous. None of the alleged attacks occurred within the Archdiocese of Chicago, though Cardinal Blase Cupich heads the Illinois Catholic Conference, which is a defendant in the lawsuit.
Plaintiff Darin Buckman said he was sexually assaulted by a priest in the Peoria Diocese between the late ’70s and early ’80s; he was 8 to 14 years old at the time.
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.