January 05, 2006

Don't let Michigan courts bury priest sex abuse cases

MICHIGAN
The Detroit News

Justin C. Ravitz /

Four years ago a Massachusetts judge ruled Catholic Church documents about clergy sex abuse were relevant to public safety and authorized their release. A month later, a Boston Globe series launched the on-going scandal about the church's cover-ups of horrific child sex crimes committed by Catholic clergy.

In response, judges and lawmakers from coast to coast have issued rulings and enacted laws slowly to bring sorely needed sunlight to these deeply held secrets.

But Michigan judges, by providing a stilted interpretation of the state's statute of limitation laws, have kept the cover-up of clergy sex crimes shrouded in secrecy.

Posted by kshaw at January 5, 2006 08:44 AM