On this edition of Your Call, we’ll discuss efforts to bring justice to victims of clergy sexual abuse. Prosecutors across the nation say they are returning their focus to the issue by raiding offices, setting up victims tip lines, and investigating decades-old allegations.
For decades, the Catholic Church's powerful influence has allowed it to escape scrutiny. A new report from the Intercept reveals that survivors of clergy sexual abuse felt stonewalled by presidential candidate Kamala Harris when she was San Francisco’s district attorney. A local advocacy network is calling on the Arhcdiocese of San Francisco to release its list of accused priests. What will it take to hold clergy and church leaders accountable?
Guests:
Melanie Sakoda, board member and East Bay leader of SNAP: Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, and cofounder of Pokrov.org
Lee Fang, investigative reporter for The Intercept
Web Resources:
The Intercept: As San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala Harris’s Office Stopped Cooperating With Victims of Catholic Church Child Abuse
The AP: As bishops gather, prosecutors step up scrutiny of church
Patch: Newly Released File Shows Making of 'Sexually Violent' Priest
NBC: Catholic Church spent $10 million on lobbyists in fight to stymie priest sex abuse suits