Clergy Sex Victims Applaud New Judge's Ruling on Records

By Barbara Blaine
SNAP
January 7, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ca_clergy_sex_victims_applaud_new_judge_s_ruling_on_records

We're thrilled and grateful that a California judge is refusing to protect corrupt Catholic officials by keeping long-secret and long-promised church abuse records hidden any longer.

For decades, the Los Angeles Catholic hierarchy has successfully kept under wraps thousands of pages of incriminating documents. Because of the courage and tenacity of hundreds of victims, that will soon end. And children will be safer as a result.

We are confident this disclosure will help achieve three goals. First, it will help bring some measure of healing and closure to the hundreds of LA area clergy sex abuse victims who demanded and fought for these records. Second, it will help protect kids by letting the public know which current and former Catholic staff chose to side with predators and against kids. And third, it will help prevent future child sex crimes and cover ups by showing officials in many institutions that it's increasingly difficult to intimidate victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers into staying silent about known and suspected child sex crimes.