Church Abuse Victims Want Diocese To Release Documents

NBC - September 12, 2007

SAN DIEGO -- Victims of clergy sex abuse want the San Diego Catholic diocese to release thousands of documents containing the details of the scandal.

More than 100 local victims will soon get their share of a $198 million legal settlement with the diocese, but some of them want more than money.

On Wednesday, a group representing sexual-abuse victims delivered a letter to Bishop Robert Brom, urging him to open church files on the abuse cases. The victims claim that the paperwork will reveal how the church protected the accused priests and moved them to other parishes, where they allegedly molested other victims.

"We want to see the lay Catholic in the community know exactly just what transpired and just why it's transpired here," said Paul Livingston of the Survivors Network of Those Abused By Priests.

As part of the settlement, the diocese agreed to release at least some of the records.

Attorneys for the victims said that those documents will be posted on a public Web site later this year but that some of the paperwork would remain confidential.

As of 4 p.m., the diocese had no comment.


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