CHICAGO (AP) — Advocates for clergy abuse victims say their list of 395 priests or lay people in Illinois who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing children is far more extensive than the names already released by the state's six dioceses.
Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Marc Pearlman say the disparity shows church leaders continue to conceal the scope of the clergy abuse crisis.
They say that of the 395 names on the list being released Wednesday, only one is a priest still in active ministry.
Dioceses throughout the state say they have taken major steps to address clergy abuse, including publishing the names of all credibly accused members of the clergy and reporting every allegation they receive to police. The new list pulls names from lawsuits, news articles and other public sources.
The Diocese of Springfield provided a response, which you can read by clicking here.
