PEORIA, Ill. – The Catholic Diocese of Peoria wants sex abuse to end just as much as anyone else.
That’s according to a statement put out by the diocese Tuesday, after Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s report suggesting as many as two thousand children in Illinois were abused by priests between 1950 and 2019, far more often than thought.
The diocese calls the report one that highlights behavior that historically has always been present, but, “all the more shocking when perpetrated by those who have publicly committed themselves to serving God….”
The diocese says to its knowledge, there isn’t a single priest currently with what it calls a “substantial allegation” that’s currently ministering, or who hasn’t been reported to the authorities.
The new statement comes less than a week after Illinois’ Catholic Churches put out a combined statement about processes put in place for the reporting and investigation of sex abuse cases.
CLICK HERE to read the full statement (PDF). (NOTE: You may need to zoom in on the document in order to read it.)
