>>> IS AN EXPLOSIVE INVESTIGATION INTO CHILD ABUSE AMONG CATHOLIC CLERGY IN ILLINOIS, AND CHICAGO'S ARC SPECIAL ON THE DEFENSIVE.

THE COMPETENCE OF MULTIYEAR INVESTIGATION FROM THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL NAMED 451 CATHOLIC CLERICS AND RELIGIOUS BROTHERS WHO WERE REPORTEDLY ABUSED NEARLY 2000 CHILDREN.

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ILLINOIS HAD PUBLICLY LISTED ONLY 103 SUBSTANTIATED CHILD ABUSERS .

THE AG'S OFFICE SAYS IT INTERVIEWED SURVIVORS AND REVIEWED MORE THAN 100,000 DOCUMENTS HELD BY THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE AND RECEIVED MORE THAN 600 CONFIDENTIAL CONTACTS FROM SURVIVORS THROUGH EMAILS, LETTERS, INTERVIEWS, AND PHONE CALLS.

AND HERE TALK ABOUT HIS OFFICE'S FINDINGS IS ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL.

WE SHOULD NOTE THAT WE HAVE ALSO INVITED CARDINAL TO JOIN US FOR REACTION ON THIS REPORT.

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL, MAGGIE FOR BEING HERE.

SO WE MENTIONED THAT GAP AT THE TOP BETWEEN HOW MUCH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAD LISTED, AND HOW MANY ABUSERS THAT YOUR OFFICE FOUND.

WHY THE DISCREPANCY, DO YOU BELIEVE?

>> WELL, I THINK THE FACT THAT, FIRST OFF, MY PREDECESSOR HAD ANNOUNCED THE INTENT TO INVESTIGATE .

AS SOON AS THAT ANNOUNCEMENT LACE, THERE WAS AN ADDITION OF SOME 80 SOME NAMES THAT CAME OUT IN THE ENSUING COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THEN , AS WE ENGAGED IN THE INVESTIGATIONS AND BEGAN TO SPEAK TO SURVIVORS AND PUT FORTH EVIDENCE , THE DIOCESE ADDED TO THE INITIAL NUMBERS.

SO I , I CREDIT THE OUTREACH TO SURVIVORS .

THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THEM A VOICE, A TRUSTED RECIPIENT OF THEIR COMPLAINTS AND THEIR STORIES .

SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS.

THE FACT THAT IT WAS SOMEBODY OTHER THAN THE CHURCH GIVING THEM AN OUTLET TO REPORT THEIR EXPERIENCES , AS WELL AS , WE WERE INDEPENDENT.

>> WILL STILL COME AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOUGH, YOU MENTIONED THEY KEPT ADDING THEIR OWN NAMES AS YOUR INVESTIGATION PROCEEDED, BUT THERE WAS STILL A GAP AT THE END.

AND AS YOU KNOW, THE ARCHBISHOP, CARDINAL SEEPAGE, COMPLAINED THAT , THAT YOUR OFFICE HADN'T WORKED WITH THEM, THAT YOUR OFFICE DIDN'T LET THEM IN ON HOW YOU WERE SUBSTANTIATING THESE CLAIMS.

IS THERE TRUTH TO THAT?

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL , THERE'S NOT TRUTH TO THAT, BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, WE WERE PUTTING FORTH EVIDENCE BASED ON WHAT THE DOCUMENTS WE REVIEWED, AND THE INTERACTION WITH SURVIVORS.

WE LEFT IT TO THE RESPECTIVE DIOCESE TO SUBSTANTIATE , AND LEE, AND THE ORDERS TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT.

SO IT WASN'T OUR CALL IN THE END WHETHER WE WERE SUBSTANTIATING, WHETHER OR NOT THESE WERE ABUSIVE.

THAT, THAT WAS DONE ALL BY -- >> AND, IN FACT, YOU SEE A LOT OF THE ADDITIONAL NAMES THAT YOU FOUND CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE CHURCH'S -- >> YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, AND I DON'T TRY TO GET GET INTO FOR TAT WITH THE CHURCH, THE I THINK THIS IS ALL ENDANGERING SURVIVORS, BUT THEY, THE CARDINAL MENTIONED 125 NAMES .

62 OF THAT WAS -- 62 OF THOSE NAMES WERE PROVIDED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO ON A SPREADSHEET , SUBSTANTIATED ABUSERS.

THE OTHER 63, AND THESE WERE ALL OLDER CLERICS -- >> AND WE SHOULD CLARIFY, SO THOSE ARE CLERICS IN THE ORIGINAL DISORDERS OF THE CARDINAL HAS SAID HE DOESN'T HAVE DIRECT OVERSIGHT OVER.

>> CORRECT.

YEAH.

THEY, THEY -- WITHIN THE DIOCESE, THROUGH THE CHURCH'S ORDER.

>> IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THE CHURCH HIERARCHY KNOW ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.

>> CORRECT.

AND SO -- AND WE BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION, SO THERE'S A NOTION FOR THE 63 OTHERS THAT WEREN'T ON THE LIST THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY THE DIOCESE, THEY CERTAINLY WEREN'T INFORMED OF THOSE FOLK.

AND AGAIN, WE DIDN'T CALL.

THOSE WERE CLERICS WHO WERE SUBSTANTIATED BY THOSE RESPECTIVE DIOCESE, OR THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS.

>> HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE ARCHBISHOP SIGNS AND CLARIFIED ANYTHING?

>> NO.

I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNAMBIGUOUS .

WHAT HAPPENED.

AND WE, WE, WE HAD OUR MEETINGS DURING THE COURSE OF THINGS, BUT -- >> WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT THAT WAS HIS REACTION?

>> I WAS.

I WAS QUITE SURPRISED.

I WAS QUITE SURPRISED.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS WE PUT IT IN OUR REPORT, THERE WAS COOPERATION FROM THE RESPECTIVE DIOCESE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.

WE WEREN'T TRYING TO -- THIS WAS NOT AN EFFORT TO DO A GOTCHA.

AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET OF MY ANNOUNCEMENT , I WAS RAISED CATHOLIC.

MY MOM WAS A DEVOUT CATHOLIC THROUGHOUT HER 90 YOUR LIFE.

I SENT MY KIDS THROUGH CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, AND I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GIVE VOICE TO THE SURVIVORS WHO TRUSTED , WHO WERE VICTIMIZED AS A RESULT OF THAT TRUST.

>> AND CERTAINLY THEY SPOKE OUT TODAY, SOME OF THE SURVIVORS, REPRESENTATIVE BY THE SURVIVORS NETWORK.

THEY SPOKE DIRECTLY TO ELECTED OFFICIALS.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> REFORM THE ARCHAIC AND PREDATOR FRIENDLY LAWS IN THIS STATE THAT PROTECT THOSE WHO COMMIT AND THOSE WHO CONCEAL ABUSE.

>> I THINK WHAT THEY'RE GETTING AT THERE IS, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS HERE IN NAMING SOME OF THESE NAMES, BUT IS THERE JUSTICE IN THE WAY OF A CIVIL OR LEGAL CASES IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THE CHURCH HAS ALREADY LITIGATED?

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM IS THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, BOTH ON THE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL SIDE.

PRIOR TO -- WELL, I WAS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

WE AMENDED THE LAW PROSPECTIVELY TO, TO ELIMINATE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WITH CHILD SEX ABUSE.

>> SO THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS -- WE ARE OUT OF TIME, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU, SINCE THIS INVESTIGATION BEGAN, ARE YOU CONFIDENT THE CHURCH HAS PUT A SYSTEM IN PLACE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN CHICAGO, WHERE ABUSERS WILL NOT BE IN FRONT OF CHILDREN, AND THEY WILL BE SWIFTLY REMOVED IF THERE'S A CREDIBLE ALLEGATION?

>> WELL, I THINK IT IS IMPROVED, BUT I THINK IT'S A CONTINUOUS WORK IN PROGRESS.

WE PUT IN OUR REPORT ADDITIONAL