Discovery Key to Fighting Clergy Sex Abuse
As a trial attorney dedicated to helping survivors reclaim their lives and attain justice, it's absolutely crucial that we are able to gain access to church files containing information about priest sex abusers. Church files document the lives and secrecy of the abuse as well as how the Church has dealt with perpetrators and survivors. If reform is to happen and the scourge of sexual abuse is to be stopped, we have to get to the source of the problem. The Church fights tooth and nail to keep these documents out of the public eye. It even goes so far as to deny the existence of secret or confidential files such as those mandated by canon law in the secret archives. These sub secreto files contain evidence of abuse and coverup at the highest levels. One need only look at documents produced in Los Angeles or Boston to see the extent of the damage and the coverup. The discovery and publication of these secret files led to the resignation of Cardinal Law and Boston as well as the settlement with Cardinal Mahony in Los Angeles. More importantly, the publication of such secret files has led to some important reforms in some states. This is a good trend for public safety and the protection of our children.