Bridgeport Diocese Releases Priest Sexual Abuse Records

On Tuesday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport (CT) announced that it had complied with the heavily contested court order requiring it to release previously sealed documents relating to 23 now-settled sexual abuse lawsuits against seven priests. Four newspapers had sought release of the documents. Both the Hartford Courant and the New York Times summarized some of the 12,000 pages of memos, records and testimony, focusing particularly on depositions by then-Bishop Edward Eagan. The Harford Courant, which has links to the full text of a number of the documents, says: "the Bishop showed little compassion for the alleged victims and instead argued with attorneys that only a 'remarkably small number' of priests have ever been accused of wrongdoing."