LOS ANGELES (CA)
CBS 5
(AP) LOS ANGELES After nearly three years of legal wrangling, the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese released information Tuesday from the confidential personnel files of 126 clergymen accused of sexual abuse.
The records, which summarize the files of the clergy, show that for more than 75 years the Archdiocese shipped priests accused of abuse between therapy and new assignments, often ignoring parishioners' complaints.
The confidential files were released as part of the settlement talks in a civil suit with lawyers for 560 accusers. Much of the information has already been published in various forms, but the documents offer details in a number of cases.
Archdiocese and plaintiff attorneys had agreed earlier to release the information, but earlier this year attorneys for the accused clergymen succeeded in blocking the publication of the information, arguing it would violate their clients' privacy rights.
An appellate court ordered the documents released last month.