Allegations of child sexual abuse against more than 500 Roman Catholic clergy members and priests in Illinois have never been publicized until recently.
In Illinois, a certain church made public the names of about 180 accused priests, 45 of whom were included after Lisa Madigan, the Attorney General, investigated.
Madigan and her team started her investigations into Catholic Churches after a certain panel of juries swept grand investigation in Pennsylvania. These investigations helped uncover approximately 300 predator predators who committed both morally and criminal reprehensive conduct.
The Extent of Sex Abuse in Illinois Catholic Churches
Unfortunately, sex abuses committed by clergy members and priests in Catholic Churches are no longer news. With the help of an Illinois clergy abuse attorney, many victims in Illinois have started to come forward to relay their disturbing stories of criminal and indecent behaviors. Parents who placed their faith in churches have to grapple with the reality that their trust was betrayed.
It is revealed that the involved churches are trying to cover the abuse and even go to the extent of silencing victims. Rather than addressing and responding to allegations, they cover up everything.
An Overview of Clergy Abuse in Illinois
Generations of Catholic members trusted their kids to the Archdiocese institutions in Chicago. Most didn’t know that their kids were getting abused by clergy members and Catholic priests in Illinois.
Catholic Churched has the moral responsibility to make sure the children entrusted to them are safe. But for many years, sexual abuse of minors got rampant in churches, resulting in a sordid chapter.
If you or someone you know was a victim of clergy sexual abuse in Illinois, you could be entitled to file a lawsuit and get compensation.
Sexual Abuse Lawsuits against Illinois Clergy Members
Countrywide, survivors and victims have filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Catholic priests and dioceses, which covered up the issue. As of now, many dioceses in Illinois are facing a lot of lawsuits over covering up sexual abuse behavior.
For instance, in 2018, one woman and three men filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against several dioceses, including:
- Peoria
- Rockford
- Springfield
The lawsuit names every diocese involved within the state while citing the role they took part in covering those abuses.
The Release of Catholic Clergy List
Some lawyers specializing in clergy sexual abuse in Illinois released a report detailing every priest alleged to have been abusing young adults and seminaries. The Archdiocese of Chicago officials argues that those priests have already been reported to the authorities or the compilations have unsubstantiated accusations.
The list that those lawyers released has a 180-page report, which includes work histories and background details of more than 350 priests. According to most people, this is the first time such a list of comprehensive details has been released.
In a Nutshell!
If the priest’s name or clergy member you are looking for doesn’t appear among the Catholic Church officials who have been accused, this doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no claim against that person. The list is always expanding as more details are brought forth to the authorities and dioceses.
