Editorial: in Church Files, a Pattern of Abuse and Cover-Ups

Ventura County Star
January 27, 2013

www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jan/27/editorial-in-church-files-a-pattern-of-abuse-and/?opinion=1

Church personnel records made public last week reveal how badly some officials with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles bungled the response to priests accused of molestation.

And the decades-old records, totaling about 3,000 pages, are just the tip of the iceberg. Roughly 30,000 pages of documents are expected to be released in the near future as part of the Los Angeles archdiocese's $660 million settlement in 2007 with clergy-abuse victims.

The newly released documents show church officials expressed great concern about keeping alleged molesters from facing criminal and civil charges. Deliberate steps were taken to keep them beyond the reach of prosecutors.

But, with only a few exceptions, the records contain scant evidence of official concern about the victims of abuse or taking steps to help them deal with the psychological and emotional scars from abuse.

It is shocking and disappointing that an institution with such benevolent purposes could have reacted in such a coldblooded manner to credible cases of serious crimes, which should have led to felony prosecutions.

Sadly, this is part of an utterly unacceptable pattern of cover-ups and irresponsibility that has been brought out into the open in other institutions, large and small, including religious, youth and athletic organizations. Abusive predators were active for years while higher-ups botched their responsibilities as leaders and managers.

The deeds described in the church personnel documents show the importance of policies the archdiocese put into place in recent years to take a hard line against potential abusers and stay vigilant to prevent abuse and report it. Other organizations also have clamped down by adopting comparable policies.

Those who experienced abuse forced the adoption of these reforms through their efforts at publicizing the criminal behavior they suffered and seeking justice through the courts and other means.

By securing the release of church records that detail the names and roles of the individuals involved in the initial crimes and the resulting cover-ups, it may be possible for victims of abuse to take another step forward toward healing their wounds.