Church files on pedophilia accusations may be made public, judge rules

[n2doc]

Church files on pedophilia accusations may be made public, judge rules
By John Spano, Times Staff Writer
3:03 PM PDT, June 18, 2007

Confidential church files of Roman Catholic priests accused of pedophilia may be made public, even if the clerics were never charged criminally and lawsuits over the alleged abuse were settled out of court, a judge ruled today.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Peter D. Lichtman, in a significant decision, ruled that the state's interest in protecting children from abuse outweighs a priest's right to privacy.

Although the decision touches only a handful of Franciscan friars in Santa Barbara County and is likely to be appealed, it could have a dramatic impact in Los Angeles, where hundreds of people have alleged they were sexually victimized over the last 60 years by priests.

Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony has resisted opening files that could show how the church handled priests who had been accused of sexual abuse. The church turned over a limited number of documents to a county grand jury only after losing a court battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mahony earlier this year settled 45 claims against the Los Angeles archdiocese, but more than 500 were pending. Significantly, Lichtman said a settlement cannot stop disclosure of the files.

Lichtman, in his 22-page ruling, stated flatly that California's "compelling interest in protecting children from harm is present regardless of the stage of the litigation."

To allow a settlement to forever seal the documents "would provide the alleged perpetrators and enablers with a safe haven for settlement," Lichtman wrote. "The defendant's conduct would be forever hidden and safe from scrutiny."
more:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-priest19jun19,0,5491216.story

[MichiganVote]

1. Still crazy after all these years...Oh still crazy after all these years...