Cardinal Reveals that Catholic Church Destroyed Clergy Abuse Files
During the Vatican summit, the German Cardinal Reinhard Marx revealed that the Catholic church destroyed important clergy abuse files. They also did not compile records that would have proved vital in the prosecution of potentially abusive clergy members. Marx stated that some files detailing sex abuse cases were not even created when they were reported. The destruction of the clergy abuse files dismissed the trauma that victims and survivors experienced, ignored their rights, and kept the crimes hidden to all but those directly involved.
The first step in eradicating the rampant cases of sex abuse against minors by clergy members is in publicizing the past accounts of abuse and holding the abusive priests accountable for their criminal actions. Unfortunately, if the records do not exist, survivors will not receive the justice they deserve and will never be able to properly engage in the healing process. The destruction of the clergy abuse files is damaging to the credibility of the church and to the many abuse survivors who live every day suffering the effects of the abuse they endured as children.
If you or someone you love faced clergy abuse in their childhood, our New Jersey clergy abuse lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr will assist you in filing a claim. Call us today at 732-537-8570 or toll-free at 877-249-4600 or contact us online to schedule a free case review. We proudly represent clients throughout New Jersey and the municipalities of New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia from our offices in Highland Park, New Jersey.
