LA Diocese Must Release Names of Church Leaders In Abuse Files
Los Angeles- (AP) The Archdiocese of Los Angeles must release the names of church leaders and priests identified in thousands of pages of documents recounting sexual abuse allegations dating back decades. The ruling came down Monday.Superior Court Judge Emilie Elias overturned much of a 2011 order by another judge that would have allowed the archdiocese to black out the names of church higher-ups. Judge Elias said she weighed the privacy rights of priests and others – including those who are mentioned in the documents but were not accused of any wrongdoing – versus the public’s interest in learning details of the child abuse that prompted the archdiocese to agree to a record $660 million settlement with victims in 2007.The documents include letters and memos between top church officials and their attorneys, medical and psychological records, complaints from parents and, in some cases, correspondence with the Vatican about abusive priests. The release of the records is set for the coming weeks, and if there’s no appeal, this will be the final step in the settlement proceedings. KEY News Reporter Shirin Rajaee reports.