AG: Cases of Catholic clerics sexually abusing Illinois children higher

A total of 451 members of Catholic clergy in Illinois, US, sexually abused 1,997 children since 1950, according to a report released by the State on Tuesday.

An investigation by Attorney General Kwame Raoul revealed claims by at least 1,997 survivors who were sexually abused by 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers who are now publicly disclosed in the State as substantiated child sex abusers, according to the “Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois.”

The numbers were far greater than those reported by a Pennsylvania grand jury in the late summer of 2018, the report said.

The investigation was started in late 2018 by Raoul’s predecessor, Lisa Madigan, and Raoul continued the probe after he took office in 2019.

Before the investigation, the Catholic dioceses of Illinois publicly acknowledged there were 103 substantiated child sex abusers.

According to the report, investigators examined thousands of diocesan child sex abuse claim files and more than 100,000 pages of diocesan documents, and conducted countless interviews and meetings with diocesan representatives and their attorneys.

Elusive justice

“The lengthy report describes Illinois church leaders as woefully slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse. It also accuses them of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy and of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes even decades after allegations emerged,” said an Associate Press report. 

At a news conference on Tuesday, Raoul acknowledged that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases, and that those abusers “will never see justice in a legal sense.” 

Raoul’s predecessor, Lisa Madigan, who released a blistering report as she prepared to leave office. Raoul continued the investigation, and he said Tuesday that 25 staff members reviewed more than 100,000 pages of diocesan documents and engaged in more than 600 confidential interactions with contacts.

The lengthy report describes Illinois church leaders as woefully slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse. It also accuses them of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy and of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes even decades after allegations emerged.

In a joint statement issued Friday ahead of Raoul’s announcement, the state’s Catholic dioceses said the attorney general’s investigation prompted a yearslong review of their policies and unspecified changes. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on Monday called abuse “repugnant” but said the church in 1992 began overhauling its policies and programs and cooperated fully with the state’s review.

“My hope is that the release of this report will be an occasion for the attorney general to issue a rallying cry to all adults to join in the work of safeguarding children, lest this moment be a lost opportunity,” Cupich said. “I stand ready to continue to do my part.”