Map: Exploring the Priest Abuse Scandal in L.A.

By Brian Frank
KCET
March 22, 2013

http://www.kcet.org/shows/socal_connected/rawfeed/infographics/map-tracking-accused-priests-in-la-archdiocese.html

As we revealed in an exclusive investigation, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for years responded to some of the sexual abuse allegations against priests by moving them around from one parish to another. We wanted to find out just how many churches the accused men had lived at or worked at. In other words, we wanted to know how extensive the scandal had really become in our own back yard.

We created the following map to give people another way of engaging with the records released by the archdiocese in January 2013. Where possible, we got assignment information directly from those priest files, but we also relied on information from bishop-accountability.org, a site that tracks and archives records pertaining to clergy abuse.

The numbers on the map pins indicate how many accused priests worked at that parish at one time or another. They do not mean an incident of abuse occurred there. It's likely that some of the numbers are lower than they should be, because in some cases names and locations were redacted from the records. Consider these numbers to be estimates.

You can use the controls below the map to find specific priests or parishes. Click on a priest name to load and read his file. Click a parish to see which accused priests worked there.

NOTE: The map displays information on all 128 priests whose files were released in January 2013. These priests have had their names associated with allegations of sexual abuse but were not necessarily charged or convicted of any crime. The church maintains that the allegations against some of the priests were false. We chose to include all of them in order to give the public the ability to explore the documents and draw their own conclusions.