Illinois investigation alleges Catholic clergy under-reported child abuse

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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul speaks on the findings of his office’s investigation into Catholic clergy child sex abuse in Chicago, on Tuesday. Associated Press/Photo by Eileen T. Meslar, Chicago Tribune

Illinois investigation alleges Catholic clergy under-reported child abuse

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Tuesday released the results of a five-year investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in the state. According to the report, investigators found that 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers abused nearly 2,000 children between 1950 and 2019. At the beginning of the investigation in 2018, the church publicly named 103 individuals who were credibly accused of abuse, Raoul said.

How has the church responded? Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said Tuesday that the church did not intentionally cover up abuse allegations. He noted that the archdiocese reports all child abuse claims to civil authorities, including accusations about deceased church leaders.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson and Lynde Langdon’s report in Relations on the Guidepost Solutions investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.