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Community Corner

Catholic Archdiocese to Release Pedophile Priest Documents

The 12,000-page clergy files include the names of priests, culminating years of legal wrangling over whether names should be redacted from the paperwork.

After a years-long legal battle, the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Thursday released personnel files of more than 100 clergy members as part of a 2007 settlement of a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by priests.

The clergy files included the names of priests, culminating years of legal wrangling over whether names should be redacted from the paperwork.

"The 2013 public release of the files of clergy who were subject of the
2007 global settlement concludes a sad and shameful chapter in the history of
our local church,'' according to a diocese statement announcing the release of
the files.

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"In the 2004 Report to the People of God and elsewhere, the archdiocese acknowledged and apologized for failing to treat victims of abuse with compassion, as well as for employing what we now know to be inadequate
standards for treatment and supervision of priests who were found to have
abused children and young people.''

According to the diocese's website, 124 files were released, with 82
containing information on allegations of childhood sexual abuse.

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The remaining files contain "proffers,'' which are summaries compiled in anticipation of litigation.

The files contain roughly 12,000 pages.

The files were made available online here.

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