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Survivors Launch “Fight for 500” at Press Event in Chicago

By Mike Finnegan January 3, 2019

Survivors and Advocates Launch “Fight for 500” Initiative to Expose Staggering Number of Predator Priests in Illinois

Illinois Bishops Continue to Protect and Conceal Over 500 Alleged Sexual Abusers; Attorneys Admit Their Efforts to Force Disclosure Have Fallen Short


 

(Chicago, IL) – At a news conference on Thursday in Chicago, sexual abuse survivors and their attorneys and advocates will:

  • Launch a statewide initiative, “Fight for 500,” which seeks to uncover the identities and information about the more than 500 alleged predator priests the Illinois Attorney General recently reported are being hidden by Illinois Bishops;
  • Plaintiffs and survivors who have joined the fight will discuss the alarming preliminary findings of the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation into clergy sexual abuse and how these findings expand the lawsuit filed in October 2018 against all Illinois Bishops;
  • Demand all the Illinois Catholic Bishops come clean by disclosing all the identities of all priests accused of sexually abusing minors and those who have been credibly accused;
  • Attorney Jeff Anderson will candidly and soberly admit that efforts to force the Illinois Dioceses to disclose offenders have fallen short despite nearly 20 years of representing dozens of survivors in the State;
  • Demand the release of the files pertinent to the histories of each priest so the public, police and parishioners know who was complicit in the ongoing concealment of this hazard;
  • Demand full disclosure of all the credibly accused offenders in the Dioceses of Springfield, Rockford and Belleville where no disclosures were made until forced by the Attorney General;
  • Invite all Illinois Dioceses to release a complete disclosure of all religious order and deceased priests who have offended in their dioceses.

When
Thursday, January 3, 2019 at 11:00 AM (CT)

Where
Marriott Residence Inn Chicago (Downtown/Loop)
3rd Floor: Daley 1 and  2
11 South LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60603

The news conference will be live-streamed on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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