Excerpt of Egan Deposition

Hartford Courant
March 20, 2002

http://www.ctnow.com/news/specials/hc-egan-depo,1,279497.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

[See also Egan Protected Abusive Priests for links to related articles.]

Excerpt from Egan's 1999 deposition, under questioning by attorneys for plaintiffs who claimed they have been sexually abused by priests in the Bridgeport Diocese, where Egan was bishop from 1988 to 2000:

QUESTION: "Okay. So let me ask you this question. Do you know of any instance since you have been bishop, that anyone on your behalf or any official within the diocese has made a report to the authorities because of a suspicion that a Bridgeport Diocesan priest sexually abused a minor?"

EGAN: "I have no such knowledge. However, I could imagine that a case could go to somewhere else, to a hospital or something of that sort, and somebody else could report it. But I have no such case."

QUESTION: "If someone within the diocese were to have reported to the authorities that a priest within the diocese ..."

EGAN:"Uh-huh."

QUESTION: "... was suspected of committing an offense against a child, would that be something you would have to be made aware of?"

EGAN: "You said a priest?"

QUESTION: "Correct."

EGAN: "Yes, it would"

QUESTION: "Okay. As you sit here today, you know of no instance in which anybody within the diocese has made such a report to the police or the authorities?"

EGAN: "You're correct."

QUESTION: "What is your understanding as to when such a report has to be made to the authorities?"

EGAN: "I believe it should be made immediately."

QUESTION: "In other words, under what circumstances? Any time that someone hears about ..."

EGAN: "Oh, I see."

QUESTION: "... a suspected clergy sexual abuse instance against a child?"

EGAN: "That's right."

QUESTION: "So any time that a person within the diocese, personnel, official, et cetera, learns of that, pursuant to both the written policy of the diocese and Connecticut state law, they would have to go to the authorities with that information?"

EGAN: "You are correct."