Suit and Counter-Suit In Illinois Priest Sex Abuse Case

In state court in Chicago last month, a priest accused of sexually abusing two boys over 20 years ago while he was serving in a Burbank, IL church filed a defamation action against his accusers. The priest denies the abuse charges and claims his accusers had a vendetta against him. Even though a review board found reasonable cause to believe that the abuse occurred, Fr. Robert Stepek is suing for over $1 million in damages. Renew America reports the story and sets out the full text of the complaint in the suit. In response to the defamation suit, the two alleged victims have filed a counter-suit according to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times on Dec. 14. The complaint in that suit (full text published yesterday by Renew America) seeks to hold the Chicago Archdiocese liable for any damage suffered by the accused priest. The complaint says that victims' reports of alleged abuse were supposed to be held in confidence and not made public by the Archdiocese, and that Stepek himself, as well as another priest, disclosed the charges.