Prosecutors fight Cincinnati archdiocese over records

National Catholic Reporter, June 6, 2003

Prosecutors in CinCinnati have complained that Catholic officials have not cooperated with a court mandate to release internal documents related to sexual abuse by priests.

In briefs submitted to the 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals, Prosecutor Mike Allen said, "Representations made by the archdiocese [of Cincinnati] with respect to this matter are at best seriously misleading, and in fact appear to be outright false."

Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk has wrestled with prosecutors over the release of church files, which he says are private. Last year he said he would not release documents until he saw a subpoena; he was one of the first to be called in front of a criminal grand jury investigating the scandal.

As part of a compromise last year, the church agreed to the appointment of a "special master" who would determine which files should be released. Allen complained that the church has not granted the mediator access to all the files. "Any suggestion along those lines is absolutely false," church lawyer Mark VanderLaan said.