SPRINGFIELD (IL)
SJ-R.com
By DAVE BAKKE
STAFF WRITER
Catholic Bishop George Lucas will announce today that he is creating an independent investigative board to look into allegations of misconduct by priests of the Springfield diocese.
The new board will be headed by former U.S. Attorney Bill Roberts of Springfield, The State Journal-Register has learned. Roberts, who is not Catholic, probably will select the other members of the panel.
Lucas will announce the board’s makeup and mission this morning at the Catholic Pastoral Center.
The diocese already has one investigative board, created in 1994, to review allegations of sexual abuse of minors. It added a victim assistance coordinator in 2002.
Roberts was U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois from 1986 to 1993. Since then, he has been in private practice in Springfield and active in Republican politics. Before becoming U.S. attorney, Roberts was Sangamon County state’s attorney.
Posted by kshaw at February 17, 2005 08:12 AM