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According to a new report from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in all, 43 clerics and religious brothers in the Diocese of Belleville sexually abused children or adults since 1950.
The report showed examples of bishops and archbishops transferring accused child abusers to other parishes or other dioceses while failing to make the public.
Father Frederick Lenczycki (left) admitted to abusing more than 30 children in three states; Bishop Joseph Imesch of the Diocese of Joliet had recommended him for a transfer without disclosing allegations against the priest. / Credit: Illinois Department of Corrections; Diocese of JolietWashington D.C., May 26, 2023 / 07:50 am (CNA).The Illinois attorney general s "Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois," released Tuesday, found nearly 2,000 substantiated claims of child sex abuse from 541 Catholic clerics over 70 years and alleged numerous examples of intentional cover-ups and inadequate responses from bishops. "Decades of Catholic leadership decisions and policies have allowed known child sex abusers to hide, often in plain sight," Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. The report showed examples of bishops and archbishops transferring accused child abusers to other parishes or other dioceses while failing to make the