FORT WORTH (TX)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas - A former church lawyer said his review of Fort Worth Catholic Diocese records revealed that church officials shielded eight priests accused of sexual abuse.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, a Roman Catholic priest, filed the sworn statement Wednesday in state district court as part of legal efforts to unseal diocese files on seven priests accused of sexual misconduct.
Doyle's statement also accused the diocese of not reporting victims' allegations to police and reassigning "known abusers."
"The Fort Worth Diocese has engaged in the patterned cover-up of clergy abuse by these eight priests," said Doyle, a critic of the church's handling of the national clergy sexual abuse crisis.
Doyle's statement was filed along with statements from eight alleged victims and another expert. A hearing is set for next week to determine whether the files should be opened, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on its Web site Wednesday.