WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Service
February 14, 2019
By Marnie McAllister
A report by an independent investigator into the Archdiocese of Louisville’s handling of clergy sexual abuse in the course of 80-plus years begins as a story of failure followed by what the report calls “a sea change” in the past 17 years.
Attorney Mark Miller penned the report — that includes a list of 34 credibly accused priests of the Archdiocese of Louisville — after spending three months poring over 400 files and thousands of pages of documents.
He described his process and findings during a news conference Feb. 8 at the Archdiocese of Louisville Pastoral Center, formally presenting his report to the media and John Laun, chair of the archdiocese’s Sexual Abuse Review Board.
The board had requested the third-party investigation last fall, according to Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville.
Miller is a former U.S. attorney, former commissioner of the Kentucky State Police and retired judge advocate general.
During the news conference, Kurtz repeatedly indicated that the report is meant to be preliminary — a beginning, not an end, of a larger effort to bring healing to victims and transparency to the archdiocese’s handling of sexual abuse by clergy.
“Our primary purpose today is healing — healing of people who are victim survivors, many of whom I’ve spoken directly to and who have told me that having a report and a list of credibly accused priests will provide validation for something that has been part of their life, often for many decades.
“And secondly,” he said. “There is the thought that it will inspire others who have not come forward to come forward now for the healing that they truly deserve.”
He urged people who want to report abuse to contact police and the archdiocese, adding, “Do not delay in that.”
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