Illinois sex abuse investigation finds Catholic Church withheld names of at least 500 accused priests
Preliminary findings of an ongoing investigation by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan released Wednesday are the most scathing assessment yet of how the state's six Roman Catholic dioceses have handled sexual abuse allegations against priests and other clergy.
Madigan's highly critical report states that the Church has "failed in its moral obligation to provide survivors, parishioners and the public a complete and accurate accounting of all sexually inappropriate behavior involving priests in Illinois." The attorney general's statement comes even as Catholic Church officials have touted their renewed transparency and freshly updated lists of priests credibly accused of sexual misconduct.
Madigan's preliminary report found that Illinois' six Roman Catholic dioceses "often disregarded allegations by not investigating the allegations, or finding reasons not to substantiate the allegations." The Attorney General's investigators wrote that the "dioceses also often found reasons to discredit survivors' stories of abuse by focusing on the survivors' personal lives" and that "based upon its review, the Office believes that additional allegations" of clergy sexual abuse "should be deemed 'credible' or 'substantiated' by the Illinois Dioceses."
The investigation also uncovered "multiple examples where the Illinois Dioceses failed to notify law enforcement or DCFS of allegations they received related to clergy sexual abuse against of minors."
Click here for a copy of Madigan's status report.
Madigan's harsh assessment of their transparency paints a far different picture of Church openness and suggests that the public was not informed of hundreds of potentially dangerous predators.
The state investigation began in Aug...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director