Catholic clergy sexually abused Illinois kids far more often than church acknowledged, state finds

CHICAGO - More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the state's attorney general found in an investigation released Tuesday, revealing that the problem was far worse than the church had let on.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference that investigators found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019, though he acknowledged that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers ''will never see justice in a legal sense.''

''It is my hope that this report will 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,'' Raoul said, crediting the accusers for making the review possible. ''These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.''

https://www.startribune.com/catholic-clergy-sexually-abused-illinois-kids-far-more-often-than-church-acknowledged-state-finds/600277095/