WISN
December 18, 2010
http://www.wisn.com/r/26178418/detail.html
The victims of sex abuse in Milwaukee want the release of all the archdiocese's records relating to sexual abuse by priests.
The archdiocese said it's released all relevant records, but the plaintiffs said it's not enough. On Friday, one of the archdiocese's highest-ranking officials broke ranks to support the plaintiffs.
"It is an action that I'm personally appalled by. As a priest, as a Catholic, as a bishop that even any of this ever happened," Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said of the sexual abuse.
Listecki said the archdiocese can't come to terms with a dozen sexual abuse victims who claim church officials shuffled pedophile priests from church to church and destroyed evidence to hide their actions.
"How did it get this bad?" 12 News reporter Colleen Henry asked.
"What we know today had we known back then, certainly there would have been a different response from ourselves, but (also) others in civil authorities," Listecki said.
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Listecki said the plaintiffs refused the archdiocese's $4.6 million settlement offer. The plaintiffs said they wanted the release of all records related to priest abuse. The archbishop said the archdiocese has already released all relevant records.
"Those are the records which are pertinent to the cases and protecting children, because really it's all about protecting children and creating a safe environment," Listecki said.
Friday afternoon, the archdiocese's own vice chancellor joined victims to ask the archbishop to to release all records."How much worse can the actual truth be compared to what our imaginations are bringing us to think at this point," Milwaukee Archdiocese Vice Chancellor Rev. James Connell said.
Connell called on the archbishop and the plaintiffs to return to the bargaining table.
"I'm convinced that it is only from truth that justice can come about, and as a result of that, there can be healing," Connell said.
Listecki said he'll go back to the archdiocese's committees to look at their options, including allowing the lawsuits to proceed.
Meanwhile, the lawsuits proceed with depositions of high-ranking church officials.
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