Illinois report highlighting clergy abuse unlikely to lead to criminal charges against church

IL lawmakers passed a series of laws eliminating all statute of limits on child sex abuse

Published May 25, 2023 7:49am EDT

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a report highlighting Catholic clergy abuse in the state. It found that nearly 2,000 children have been abused by clergy in the state since 1950.

Raoul's office referred cases that could lead to potential criminal charges to local prosecutors, but he was not aware of any charges being filed.

Illinois statute of limitations on child sex crimes was eliminated, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Illinois' attorney general has ended a five-year investigation into sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy in the state, releasing a nearly 700-page report that revealed the problem was far worse than the church acknowledged in 2018 at the start of the state's review.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Tuesday that state investigators found that more than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois had sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950.

But Raoul and other experts say the finding is unlikely to lead to criminal charges.

That follows a familiar pattern— no rush of criminal charges followed the 2018 release of a bombshell grand jury report on clergy abuse in Pennsylvania or last month’s report on abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Advocates say they believe the report will help more people feel safe to discuss what happened to them with family, friends, support groups and law enforcement. They also say it could prompt people to file civil lawsuits, even for abuse long ago. They hope legislatures take further steps enabling prosecutors to charge older sex abuse cases and toughen standards for mandatory reporting.

"I’m proud of the attorney general and what he’s done, but there’s more we can all do together," said Larry Antonsen, a leader of the Chicago chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Raoul said that his office referred cases with potential for criminal charges to local prosecutors but he did not know of any charges being filed.

The attorney general’s report acknowledges that Illinois limitation statutes are, despite legal changes, insurmountable hurdles to prosecuting nearly all clergy who abused children decades ago. Such statutes limiting how long after a crime a suspect can be charged are meant to ensure fairness and avoid issues such as witnesses forgetting over time and evidence going missing.

"Because the statute of limitations has frequently expired, many survivors of child sex abuse at the hands of Catholic clerics will never see justice in a legal sense," the report says.

Into the 2000s, the Illinois limitation statute on child sex abuse was 20 years. State lawmakers passed a series of laws eliminating all statutory limits on child sex abuse, effective Jan. 1 2020, though it is not retroactive for older acts of abuse, with a few rare exceptions. Similar changes were made to filing civil claims. The push to scratch the limitation statutes on child sexual abuse was driven partially by the 2015 case of U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Prosecutors said time had run out to charge him with abusing boys while he was a wrestling coach decades ago, but they did pursue a case against him on banking violations tied to the abuse.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-report-highlighting-clergy-abuse-unlikely-lead-criminal-charges-against-church

>>18911701

Illinois report highlighting clergy abuse unlikely to lead to criminal charges against church Part II

IL lawmakers passed a series of laws eliminating all statute of limits on child sex abuse

Published May 25, 2023 7:49am EDT

There are also practical obstacles, even when older cases might be prosecutable. Many of the priests accused of abuse in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s are dead. So, too, are many potential corroborating witnesses.

The report also says diocese evidence files — which would form the core of any criminal case — are often woefully incomplete, disorganized and sometimes include illegible handwriting. The report says churches typically don't investigate with criminal prosecutions in mind.

"Child sex abuse investigation files from all six dioceses sometimes reveal a bias in favor of protecting the institution over searching for truth," according to the report.

There’s also little possibility of criminal charges against church officials who helped conceal abuse, said David Clohessy, former abuse survivors network national director. Without enforcing reforms to how churches handle these cases, "external forces have been and remain the only effective way to bring even a modicum of change we’ve seen," he said.

In a Pennsylvania case against church officials' handling of abuse complaints, a 20-year effort to convict Monsignor William Lynn of felony child endangerment ended in December with a misdemeanor no contest plea.

Lynn was the first U.S. church official to face criminal charges but his 2012 conviction was overturned twice in the next 10 years.

Civil claims, however, can move forward in Illinois if a child was sexually abused in 2014 or later. But earlier abuse falls under the law at the time.

Attorneys who have handled civil lawsuits on child sex abuse said it can be worthwhile for survivors to sue, even for older abuse not covered by state law.

Marc Pearlman, a Chicago attorney who frequently handles such cases, said attorneys can often negotiate for therapy or counseling at the church's expense. Filing suit at least gives clients an opportunity to discuss what happened to them for the first time and be believed, he said.

Michael Mertz, another attorney who concentrates on child sex abuse cases, also encouraged people who experienced abuse to get legal help and evaluate whether exceptions to the statue of limitations may apply to their case.

"Illinois law currently allows victims of childhood sexual abuse to come forward where the church fraudulently concealed involvement in the abuse," Mertz said. "As this report shows, the church has been concealing the identities of hundreds of abusers."

In statements released Tuesday, dioceses leaders apologized to victims and said they have made substantial changes, ensuring allegations are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

The archdiocese of Chicago said in its statement that it offers "care, compassion … and even compensation to all who come forward, regardless of the statute of limitations."

Some states have created "lookback windows" allowing people to sue no matter how long ago they say they were abused.

But in Illinois, it would take a constitutional amendment, according to a 2009 state Supreme Court decision in a lawsuit against three Catholic dioceses. The lawsuit said a priest acting as a school's guest speaker sexually abused a 14-year-old boy decades earlier.

Pearlman, though, said the Illinois investigation's release could create the chance to push a constitutional change through the Legislature and then win voters' support.

"The way to make progress is to continue to make small and medium and big changes when we have the opportunity," he said. " Something like the reports in Pennsylvania, in Maryland, here in Illinois, it creates an opportunity."

https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-report-highlighting-clergy-abuse-unlikely-lead-criminal-charges-against-church

NEARLY 2,000 ILLINOIS CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY CATHOLIC CLERGY SINCE 1950, ACCORDING TO AG'S INVESTIGATIONhttps://www.foxnews.com/us/2000-illinois-children-abused-catholic-clergy-1950-according-ags-investigation

Published May 24, 2023 12:42pm EDT IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan began the investigation in 2018, Raul pushed the investigation forward

ILLINOIS AG PLANS TO DISCUSS FINDINGS FROM 4-YEAR INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE BY CATHOLIC CLERGYhttps://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-ag-plans-discuss-findings-4-year-investigation-alleged-sexual-abuse-catholic-clergy

Published May 23, 2023 12:22pm EDT Preliminary reports indicate the catholic church's 6 diocese did a bad job at investigating allegations

Attorney general releases investigation into abuse between 1950 and 2019 and hails survivors ‘who have long suffered in silence’

Associated Press and Guardian staff Tue 23 May 2023 14.27 EDT Last modified on Tue 23 May 2023 14.57 EDT

An Illinois attorney general’s office investigation released on Tuesday found that 451 Catholic clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in the state over a nearly 70-year period, which was more than four times the 103 individuals the church named when the state began its review in 2018.

The attorney general Kwame Raoul said at a news conference that investigators found that Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019.

“It is my hope that this report willshine lightboth 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.”

The lengthy report describes Illinois church leaders as woefully slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse.

It also accuses them of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy and of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes even decades after allegations emerged about a clergy member – all of which echoes known facts about other dioceses in the US.

The review began in 2018 under Raoul’s predecessor, Lisa Madigan, who released a blistering report as she prepared to leave office.

Raoul committed to continuing the investigation and reported on Tuesday that 25 staff members reviewed more than 100,000 pages of diocesan documents and engaged in more than 600 confidential interactions with contacts.

Among those cited in the report are accusers who contemplated suicide after being abused, and who turned to drugs or alcohol in a bid to cope with “anxiety and feelings of unworthiness”.

“Survivors spoke of years, and often decades, struggling with challenges including insomnia, anxiety, trust issues, nightmares, suicidal ideation, guilt, addiction, alcoholism, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, issues creating and maintaining relationships, and sexual side effects,” according to the report.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap) called the report “stunning” but emphasized that the numbers of victims and abusers cited by state investigators are likelyundercounted.

“There is no questioning the facts of the report – until 2018 when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them,” the group said. “It is to us, in a word, disgusting that these supposed shepherds would lie so blatantly.”

In a joint statement issued on Friday ahead of Raoul’s announcement, the state’s Catholic dioceses released summaries of their current process following an accusation of abuse and said the attorney general’s review prompted a review of their policies and unspecified changes.

“At this time, working with the office of the attorney general of Illinois, the leaders of all six Illinois dioceses endeavored to make clear and update our approach, mindful of our lived experience and best practices in this field,” the archbishop of Chicago, Blase Cupich, said in the statement.

“Our common goals in doing so are to ensure we offer pastoral support to those affected by this tragedy and to work diligently to prevent it from occurring again.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/23/illinois-children-catholic-clergy-abuse

>>18911719

Attorney general releases investigation into abuse between 1950 and 2019 and hails survivors ‘who have long suffered in silence’

Associated Press and Guardian staff Tue 23 May 2023 14.27 EDT Last modified on Tue 23 May 2023 14.57 EDT

The preliminary report conducted under Madigan found that the dioceses had done a woefully inadequate job of investigating allegations. Raoul, too, accused Catholic leaders of making decisions and policies that “allowed known child sex abusers to hide, often in plain sight”.

He added that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers “will never see justice in a legal sense”.

Similar government-led investigations detailing reports of clergy sexual abuse and church leaders’ failure to hold perpetrators accountable have rocked archdioceses in other states, including Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Governments in other states – including Louisiana – have refused to launch similar investigations.

That remains the case even asLouisiana’slargest archdiocese – in New Orleans – has had to expand its roster of clerics whom it considers to be credibly suspected of child molestation repeatedly after its initial release in 2018 amid reports from media and victims highlighting offenders who should have been included but were omitted.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020, putting an indefinite halt to abuse-related litigation against the New Orleans church and minimizing the chances of embarrassing disclosures about its handling of clerical predators.

In its statement on Tuesday, Snap also called on other attorneys general and prosecutors to initiate similar investigations of Catholic dioceses under their authority.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois says 3.5 million Catholics make up approximately 27% of Illinois’ total population.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/23/illinois-children-catholic-clergy-abuse

In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453.

In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000.

The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331.

In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International

Pope Francis says situation at U.S.-Mexico border is 'serious problem'

Vatican City — May 26, 2023

Pope Francis called the migration crisis between Mexico and the United States a "serious problem" and praised a U.S. bishop working along the border during an interview with Telemundo journalist Julio Vaqueiro.

In the interview, broadcast May 25, the pope was shown photos of a baby wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a suitcase to be taken across the Rio Grande into the United States.

"It's a serious problem there," the pope said in response. "On the other side (of the border) there is a great man, Bishop Seitz" of El Paso, Texas.

"This bishop feels (the problem)," Francis said. "The problem of migrants is serious, it's serious there and it's serious here," he said about Europe, particularly "along the Libyan coast."

Speaking about his own experience as a child of immigrants, and now as an immigrant in Rome, the pope said that every person who leaves his or her homeland "misses the air of their birthplace."

"The mate you make in a thermos yourself is not the same as the mate your mom or your aunt makes for you," he said, referring to the caffeinated herbal drink popular in Argentina.

Vaqueiro asked Francis about his meeting May 13 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The pope said Zelenskyy asked for his help inreturning Ukrainian childrenwho have been taken into Russia and told the pope to "not dream much about mediations."

https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/pope-francis-says-situation-us-mexico-border-serious-problem

FYI - A small list of links concerning the Reality of Catholic Charities

https://www.heritage.org/immigration/commentary/whos-really-facilitating-americas-border-crisis-biden-isnt-acting-alone

https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2022/12/15/border-crisis-republicans-catholic-charities-244359

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/dec/19/migrants-using-catholic-charities-to-shield-themse/

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/catholic-charities-under-siegeCatholic Charities Under SiegeHouse Republicans and TX bearing down hard

https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/catholic-charities-san-antonio-title-42-18082221.php

https://www.wilx.com/2023/05/08/st-vincent-catholic-charities-helps-lansing-refugees/

http://www.thexradio.com/news/78-local-news/60497-catholic-charities-launches-the-agape-project

12/25/22 (Sun) Christmas Day

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump

On this very cold but beautiful Christmas Day, look at our Nation NOW on the Southern Border compared to only a short time ago during the Trump Administration.

We had the most SECURE Border in our history, versus the “horror show” that that is happening now, with record setting numbers of people, many of them hardened Criminals (including Killers, Human Traffickers and Drug Dealers), POURING INTO OUR COUNTRY at a rate the likes of which we have never seen before. The USA is dyingfrom within!!!

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/109574657347743432

'That's A Ridiculous And Silly Question!': Reporter Incurs Ted Cruz's Explosive Wrath At BorderPart I

Yesterday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) snapped at a reporter during a press briefing on the southern border.

Forbes Breaking News 1.78M subscribers 55,740 views May 12, 2023

https://youtu.be/e0ky7bGgVKk

TED CRUZ "Our NGO's are overwhelmed" "the situation is unsustainable"

REPORTER#1 "and how long have you been in Office?"

REPORTER#2 "Come on, man. This has been going on for 20 years."

Q !!mG7VJxZNCI No.153 📁 1881

Aug 15 2018 00:10:19 (EST)

Q !!mG7VJxZNCI No.152 📁

Aug 15 2018 00:01:13 (EST)

Haiti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvTqqYCb-e8📁

[Read very carefully]

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/sunday-nights-matt-doran-goes-undercover-with-operation-underground-railroad-to-bring-down-haiti-child-sex-ring/news-story/dcecf5950ca5b6d501c48ed927127bc3📁

"Child trafficking victims who’ve spent their formative years servicing the carnal desires of men, often foreigners, who are three, four, five or six times their age. Their madam tells me that many of theircustomers are western humanitarian workerswho’ve come here to help rebuild Haiti after the recent run of natural disasters."

The more you know…

Q

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization

Russia had about 277,000 NGOs in 2008.[15] India is estimated to have had about 2 million NGOs in 2009 (approximately one per 600 Indians), many more than the number of the country's primary schools and health centers.[16][17]

The United States, by comparison, has approximately 1.5 million NGOs.[18]

>>18911728

>>152

"This is far from a ‘vigilante group’; leading the team is ex-Department of Homeland Security special agent Tim Ballard, perhaps America’s foremost human trafficking expert. "The problem in Haiti is an international crisis,” Ballard explains. “With so many children displaced or orphaned during the recent earthquake and hurricane, recruiters moved quickly to sweep these children up. And the worst part of it all is that in many cases the clients are the foreigners who’ve come here to help, theNGO workers and the so-called humanitarians.”

PURE EVIL.

[[[[HUNTERS]]]] BECOME THE HUNTED.

THE MORE YOU KNOW!!!!!

Q

Illinois survivor of clergy child sex abuse reacts to bombshell Attorney General's report

CBS Chicago

It took five years for the state Attorney General's Office to compile the bombshell report on Catholic church sex abuse in Illinois.

Illinois clergy sex abuse survivor speaks out after AG report: 'I was scared to do anything'

18K views 2 days ago

WGN News

451 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children, AG probe finds

2 days ago

WQAD News 8

At a news conference announcing his office's findings, Attorney General Kwame Raoul credited accusers for making the review .

Nearly 2,000 children abused by Illinois priests, AG report finds

2 days ago

ABC 7 Chicago

A long-awaited five year investigation has turned up hundreds of new horror stories of child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic .

News Wrap: Illinois investigation finds clergy sexually abused thousands of children

15K views 2 days ago

PBS NewsHour

In our news wrap Tuesday, the Illinois attorney general says the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy in the state …

Illinois clergy abuse claims higher than church reported: AG probe

10K views 3 days ago

FOX 32 Chicago

FOX 32 Chicago delivers breaking news, live events, investigations, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from …

Child sex abuse by IL Catholic clergy spans state and decades: AG

9.7K views 3 days ago

ABC 7 Chicago

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's report on Catholic priest child sexual abuse details hundreds of cases across the state.

>>18911773

So you believe that the VATICAN, CIA and MOSSAD are separate enitites? Monolithic?

With no problem at all anon can demonstrate a very tight bond and the other is quite doable…

Anon opines: Estimates: 100,000 predator priests in America alone over a 70 year period. Potentially millions of victims. Most are drug addicts or already dead.

NO CHARGES WILL BE FILED AGAINST THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Why?

Can you imagine another "RELIGIOUS" group with Diplomatic Immunity running around molesting America's children and getting away with it?

"Religious" group… not Planned Parenthood etc etc as no one was TAUGHT TO TRUST THEM THE MOST.

Those you were taught to trust the most is a reoccurring Q theme.

Q uses it in "RELIGIOUS" drops primarily.

Drag shows though!

Bud Light though!

Ron satan though!

The Roman Catholic Church in America, most dioceses, have declared bankruptcy because of paying out for Abuse victim claims.

The Roman Catholic Church in America fought the Child Victims Act which helped bring about this cascade of additional lawsuits. That's right, the RCC fought the Child Victims Act via litigation for years. Timothy Dolan and Republican lawmakers lead the charge.

The Roman Catholic Church in America lobbied the Whitehouse Trump admin to change the small business PPP loan rules so they would qualify for PPP loans. Molest children, get caught, go broke, beg for money , force the taxpayer to reimburse you for the molestation. Thank you America!

The Roman Catholic Church in America received more PPP loans than any other recipient. 12,000+ loans, approx. 4 billion U.S. taxpayer dollars. Broke only because they molested our children yet they blame it on COVID.

Here is the Silent war.

Bannon, Poso, Flynn, Jones and many many more "Catholic Crusaders" who know full well that Q knows and yet they cannot help themselves. The mind control is too strong.

Oh! You thought Jones was Mossad because thats where the money flows from! tippy top kek!

So just get an Israeli to manage my Vatican funds and you would be none the wiser!

Now… the real shocker is that you are indeed surrounded by evil and traitors are indeed everywhere.

They cannot help themselves.

Muh Church!

Muh Mother!

They identify with the church and their fear is strong and once you read the drops… very well founded!

So right out the rip they pretended to be your friends.

[injected] themselves and started to [decode]

Which is where this anon comes in. Read the drops. Study the drops. Its not that hard. Once you are done… you will SEE.

You will SEE right through [them]

Welcome and Enjoy!