Investigative series on fugitives finds at least 32 priests have fled country

May 08, 2012

In April, Gary Marx and David Jackson of the Chicago Tribune were named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative journalism “for their exposure of a neglectful state justice system that allowed dozens of brutal criminals to evade punishment by fleeing the country, sparking moves for corrective change.”

While their series (“Across the Border, Beyond the Law”) did not focus on the clerical abuse scandal, Marx and Jackson found that at least 32 priests facing allegations of sexual abuse have fled the United States since 1985.

In the newest article in the series, Marx and Jackson report that the alleged victim of Sleeva Raju Policetti, an accused priest who fled to India in 2002 and was laicized in 2008, no longer desires to pursue her case.

 

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Further information:

• Across the Border, Beyond the Law (Chicago Tribune)
• Fugitive ex-priest in child sex case to remain free (Chicago Tribune)
• Ex-priest on the run (Chicago Tribune)
• Fugitives from justice: Roman Catholic priests (Chicago Tribune)
• The Pulitzer Prizes