Bridgeport diocese loses another appeal on release of sex-abuse documents

November 02, 2009

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, from a state court's ruling that the diocese must release about 12,000 pages of information about handling of sex-abuse cases. The diocese had twice sought an emergency stay from Supreme Court justices, without success. Now the full court has declined to hear the case, letting the lower court's ruling stand.

The Bridgeport diocese has spent several years fighting against release of the documents, which will provide a fuller picture of how the diocese handled sex-abuse complaints against priests in past years-- including the years when the diocese was headed by Cardinal Edward Egan, who later became Archbishop of New York, retiring from that post last year. A hearing has been scheduled next week in a Connecticut court to discuss procedures for releasing the documents.

 

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Further information:

• Court won't stop release of church documents (AP)
• US Supreme Court rejects appeal from Bridgeport diocese; sex-abuse files must be disclosed (CWN, 10/05)