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200 priests suspected of abuse living in California, victims' lawyer says
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of MSNBC
Posted: February 28th, 2012
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/12/10386205-200-pr...
Some 200 Catholic priests suspected of sexual abuse are living undetected in communities across California, according to an attorney who represents hundreds of plaintiffs who sued the LA Archdiocese. Ray Boucher has mapped 60 locations where suspect priests live, in cities and towns from northern to southern California. Many if not all these priests have admitted to sexual abuse, Boucher said. They live within a mile of 1,500 playgrounds, schools and daycare centers. Since none of the priests has actually been convicted of sex abuse, none can be identified under Megans Law, or their whereabouts revealed in related public databases. What the issue is here, is how you weigh the right of the people, said Boucher, who is also one of the attorneys representing students in the Miramonte Elementary School sex abuse scandal. In 2007 the LA Archdiocese reached an unprecedented $660 million settlement with many of the plaintiffs without admitting any wrong-doing. It also agreed to let the courts decide which of the case-related church files should be made public, including those identifying alleged and admitted predators. But according to Boucher and court documents, the Catholic Church has since engaged in a cover-up. By Bouchers account, church officials allowed priests suspected of sexually abusing children to retire, flee the country or hide in rehab clinics until the statute of limitations on prosecution ran out.
Note: For lots more on sexual abuse scandals from reliable sources, click here.
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