Key takeaways:
- The report found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019.
- Church leadership had covered up the abuse.
- The report is a “call to action” for the Catholic Church to take responsibility for its past and to ensure that such abuse never happens again.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a report Tuesday revealing that more than 450 Catholic clergy have sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in the state since 1950.
Raoul said at a news conference that the investigation found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019. He noted that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases, meaning that those abusers “will never see justice in a legal sense.”
The report also found that church leadership had covered up the abuse, and Raoul said it was his hope that the report would “shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse.”
The report comes after a wave of similar investigations in other states, including Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. It is the latest in a series of scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church in recent years, leading to calls for greater transparency and accountability.
Raoul said that the report was a “call to action” for the Catholic Church to take responsibility for its past and to ensure that such abuse never happens again. He also urged victims of abuse to come forward and seek help, noting that the state has resources available to provide support.
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