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	Editorial Ensuring Abuse Wont Be Repeated Connecticut Post December 4, 2009 http://www.connpost.com/ci_13901980 CONNECTICUT--The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport has long known this day was coming. As one court after another rejected its arguments over the years, diocesan officials have had time to prepare for its deepest secrets to be made public. That day is here. On Tuesday, after taking its argument all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the diocese unsealed papers dealing with three decades of accusations of child molestation against diocesan priests. It is, at long last, a chance to finally stop keeping secrets and to help the wounded heal. Supporters of the diocese have argued the release is unfair because it deals with decades-old claims, and decisions made by officials who have long since left town. They have a point. Current leadership, including Bishop William E. Lori, has received and deserved widespread praise for its handling of the problem. Soon after taking his position, Lori took steps to address the controversy by meeting with abuse victims, suspending priests accused of abuse, and announcing those suspensions publicly. He also instituted, in writing, an anti-abuse policy in the diocese. The actions of Bishop Lori are not in question. As for his predecessor, Edward M. Egan, who went on to serve as Archbishop of New York, the portrait is less flattering. The true outrage is the abuse itself. Nothing can repair the wound to a child from a trusted adult, in any scenario, who abuses that trust. Nearly as offensive, though, are the actions of people in power, including Egan, that helped enable further abuse. By moving accused priests around without taking any action to solve the problem or enforcing any discipline, more children were put in danger. The records show Egan failed to investigate some allegations and hid knowledge of other abuse. He repeatedly belittled its importance. It is a record that ought to shame anyone associated with the case. Detailing these actions can help ensure they never happen again. For today's diocese, fighting the records' release initially made sense. There is a risk in tarnishing the reputation of current priests, and there are people who may not take the time to differentiate between old cases and the present. For all the good the Bridgeport Diocese does in the community every day -- for children and seniors, women and families, the homeless and the hungry, and more -- the lingering abuse case threatens to derail its standing. Officials naturally decided to fight that perception. But the case for privacy over the last seven years turned into an argument for secrecy. Since May 2002, when Waterbury Superior Court Judge Robert McWeeney ordered the documents unsealed, the diocese has fought its way up the chain. When the U.S. Supreme Court this year refused to block the release, the fight was over. Now, everything is public. Though the scars of the abused will never truly heal, today there are no more court cases to argue or legal battles to fight. The truth is no longer hidden. For those hoping for some sort of closure, and for everyone looking for a way to ensure such abuse never happens again, this is the best outcome they could hope for.
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