Chicago Archdiocese denies existence of "secret files"

[Cathoholic]

Chicago Archdiocese denies existence of “secret files”​

Chuck Goudie and the I-Team talk with an Illinois Supreme Court justice who says “secret files” were likely hidden from her investigation of clergy sex abuse years ago.​

By Chuck Goudie and Christine Tressel, Ross Weidner and Barb Markoff ABC7

Friday, August 24, 2018 06:54PM

CHICAGO (WLS) –

Despite decades of internal investigations and pledges of transparency by the Archdiocese of Chicago, “secret files” on clergy sex abuse cases may still be hidden by Church officials here, according to a former member of a national review board that investigated the Archdiocese.

That ex-review board member is Anne Burke, now a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. . . .

. . . Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich is attending a conference in Dublin, Ireland this weekend but a spokesperson for the Archdiocese here offered a denial on Friday when asked about the alleged existence of secret files that were kept from investigators. . . .

Chicago Archdiocese denies existence of "secret files" - ABC7 Chicago

.

Whatever is going on here, it is triggering a state-wide government investigation.

Concerns from someone of the stature of Anne Burke with regards to “secret files” deserve a hearing from the public. (This is a credible concern to at least consider.)

That ex-review board member is Anne Burke, now a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court

.

See also . . .

. . . Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Thursday said she would open what amounts to a statewide inquiry of the six dioceses in Illinois. . . .

Illinois attorney general will begin look at Roman Catholic dioceses in state - ABC7 Chicago

.

This will probably result in a grand jury being convened in Illinois eventually with proceeding as indicated based on those findings.

 

[anikins]

Chicago, just like every diocese, has a secret archive. A state-wide government investigation may indeed be necessary.

 

[JimG]

Most company personnel files are “secret,” in the sense that they are not available to the public. This probably applies to the attorney general’s office as well. Even when I worked for the government, most files were available to the public, but not personnel files.