Lawyer: George, Other Cardinals "Complicit" in Deceiving Public about Priest Sex Abuse
By Manya Brachear Pashman, Christy Gutowski and Todd Lighty
A lawyer for victims of priest sex abuse charged Tuesday that Cardinal Francis George and his predecessors were “complicit” in deceiving the public, parishioners and law enforcement about child-molesting priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Jeffrey Anderson, a nationally known victims-rights lawyer, said conscious choices were made by the archdiocese’s top leadership to protect priests. Anderson’s comments came at an emotional news conference attended by two victims of Chicago archdiocesan priests during which the attorney formally released more than 6,000 pages of church documents detailing child abuse accusations against some 30 priests. He represented the victims in cases against the 30 priests, and the documents were released as part of a court settlement. The documents show that abusive priests were quietly transferred from parish to parish and that church leaders failed to alert police about allegations of child molestation. The files, Anderson said, show the archdiocese’s actions were not mistakes but something more sinister. “The files speak for themselves,” he said. “What the documents demonstrate to us is that all the cardinals, including George, were complicit.” Anderson said the church’s goal was to convince the public and others that these were not child molesters but trustworthy men. One abuse victim, Angel Santiago, 48, of Wood Dale, said he still carries the burden of being abused. "We are an army,” Santiago said of those abused. “As survivors we will get stronger." Contact: mbrachear@tribune.com Contact: cmgutowski@tribune.com Contact: tlighty@tribune.com
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