(Rome) – Today, the leaders of the Catholic religious orders admitted to what they refer to as, “errors in judgment” in handling child sexual abuse cases. Last week, five courageous sexual abuse survivors filed a lawsuit naming the Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men for hiding a dangerous public hazard by concealing the identities and files of all religious clerics who have been accused of child sexual abuse.
“These are not errors in judgement but calculated and conscious choices they have made for decades. This is a time for action and truth, not apologies and appeasement,” said Attorney Jeff Anderson.
On Friday, the Diocese of Brooklyn released a list of 108 names of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a minor, however no religious priests or brothers were on that list. To-date, only six religious orders have released lists of accused clergy.
“The survivors filed suit against all religious superiors seeking court intervention for them to come clean,” said Anderson. “This is a want of courage. It’s a demand for action. Apologies and promises don’t protect kids or help survivors heal.”