A prominent lawyer for Boston-area clergy sex abuse victims on Wednesday released a new list of accused abusers, saying it was time to "end the secrecy." The list includes previously undisclosed names of 19 Catholic priests, brothers and one deacon who attorney Mitchell Garabedian said were among those accused in the scores of cases his firm settled with the church for "tens of millions" of dollars. None of the newly disclosed people on the list have been tried or convicted of a crime, and at least 16 of the 19 are dead, including all who were priests of the Boston Archdiocese. Garabedian said he released the names to protect the public, help victims heal and end what he says is a culture of secrecy in the church that enabled abusers to get away with their crimes for years. Garabedian said he grew tired of waiting for Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley to release a similar list. "We've been waiting for O'Malley to come forward," he said. "I thought it was his obligation to come forward, and we gave him time to come forward. ... It's time to end the secrecy." The list included 117 names of those accused in cases settled by Garabedian's firm in roughly the last 15 years. |