Grand Jury for Abuse Cases

It has finally come to this: A grand jury needs to investigate Catholic priests’ abuse of minors in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

Whenever an adult molests a child, it’s a matter for law enforcement and civil society--whether the crime occurs at a soccer field, a school or a seminary. Anyone who can help in the investigation has a moral and legal responsibility to cooperate promptly and fully.

Unfortunately, neither Catholic parishioners nor the police nor the public can trust that the information drip, drip, dripping out of Cardinal Roger Mahony’s office is accurate or complete. The Los Angeles County Grand Jury could compel Mahony and other officials in the Los Angeles Archdiocese to disclose the names of every last priest accused of molestation and to detail the allegations under oath, except when the information was divulged in the confessional.

By requiring the church to turn over documents, including personnel files, the jury could cut through the archdiocese’s apparent stalling and obfuscation. In doing so, it should be able to find out how many children were hurt by church officials’ reassignment of accused offenders to other parishes.

In an April 8 letter, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley asked for Mahony’s “personal assurance” that all known or reasonably suspected instances of child abuse had been reported to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. In another letter, sent Thursday, Cooley added this warning: “Nothing short of a full accounting with written documentation is acceptable. If it is not forthcoming, the grand jury will be utilized to obtain it.”

In Thursday’s Times, staff writer Glenn F. Bunting detailed the story of a priest accused of abusing at least nine children over the years. Mahony first heard of the case in 1986, knew that the abuse continued over the years and arranged for a secret $1.3-million payout to victims and the priest’s retirement in 2000. But he reported the incident to police only weeks ago, in March, as public and law enforcement pressure mounted.

At this point, even if Mahony satisfies the district attorney’s office that the archdiocese has been straightforward, the public will harbor doubts. A grand jury investigation is the best way to assure that the archdiocese has stopped stonewalling.