What’s Inside The Colorado Attorney General’s Special Report On Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse
The independent review of Colorado church records from the dioceses of Colorado, Denver and Pueblo was announced in February by Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila and Attorney General Phil Weiser. The goal was to determine which priests had credible allegations of sexual abuse against them.
The report, released Wednesday, found that more than 160 children were sexually victimized by 43 priests over 70 years and that the state's three dioceses spent decades trying to cover that abuse up.
Colorado’s Catholic churches voluntarily participated in the review conducted by former U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. No allegations that arose in the records review or investigation were referred to any Colorado District Attorney’s Office.
Select Highlights From The Report:
- “It is more likely than not that from 1950 to the present there have been at least 127 children victimized by 22 Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Denver, at least 3 children victimized by 2 Roman Catholic priests in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, and at least 36 children victimized by 19 Roman Catholic priests in the Diocese of Pueblo. Thus, over the last 70 years in Colorado, a total of at least 166 children have been victimized by 43 Roman Catholic priests.”
- “Just 5 of those Colorado priests sexually abused 102 of those 166 Children.”
- “97 of Colorado’s 166 child victims were sexually abused after the Colorado Dioceses were on notice that the priests wer...