Deal allows identities and numbers of suspected sex abusers within Catholic Church to remain secret

Deal allows secrets to remain

By John Stucke
Staff writer
May 4, 2007

The public may never know how many Catholic priests sexually abused children in Eastern Washington. Nor will parishioners know how their money is being spent, despite being asked to contribute $10 million to settle sex-abuse claims.

Perhaps most alarming, however, is that priests accused of sexual abuse remain within the diocese ministry.

Because of sealed court records and an unusual arrangement that one lawyer touted as an “alternative judicial system,” the full disclosure long demanded by victims in the Spokane Catholic Diocese’s long-running bankruptcy case may never happen.

All sides in the case — including Bishop William Skylstad, committees representing sex abuse victims, and parish representatives — agreed to this unique set-up, which allows victims to present accusations of abuse to an independent claims reviewer who will decide if an accusation has merit and how much money should be paid. No information about those payouts, including the names of priests on whom claims were paid, will be made public in court filings, attorneys involved in the settlement agreement say.

<snip>

Yet a review of approximately half of the confidential claims filed in the case, which were obtained by The Spokesman-Review, show at least 38 priests and others associated with the church have been accused. Besides the eight priests named by the diocese, the list includes at least three priests still active in the ministry. Some on the list are outside the parish or are Jesuits and thus outside the jurisdiction of the diocese.

More:
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=9766

Alternative judicial system???? Come ON!