Portland paper seeks files on dead priests

PORTLAND – The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram has asked a judge for information that prosecutors declined to release about 18 deceased priests accused of molesting children.

Prosecutors refused to divulge the information that had been provided by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland when the newspaper filed a request in June and another in July under the state’s Freedom of Access law.

Attorney General Steven Rowe said the information is exempt from the state’s public records law because it could interfere with law enforcement proceedings, constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy, or interfere with the state’s efforts to impanel a jury once the investigation is complete.

“We think this is a case that really ought to be decided by a judge – not us unilaterally releasing that type of information,” said Deputy Attorney General William Stokes, head of the department’s criminal division.

The newspaper, in a lawsuit in Kennebec County Superior Court, said there is “no law enforcement proceeding with which to interfere,” no jury to impanel and a diminished privacy concern because the priests are dead.

Jeannine A. Guttman, executive editor and vice president, said the newspaper owes it to readers to examine the material because the abuse scandal has prompted concern and debate in Maine and elsewhere.

“If we prevail in this case, and we are given access to the files, we will examine the contents and use our journalistic judgment to determine what material, if any, we will publish in our news pages. We will make that determination in a thoughtful, deliberative fashion,” she said.

The information sought by the newspaper includes a list of deceased priests who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

Sue Bernard, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Portland, said the church opposes public disclosure of the allegations against deceased priests because the charges weren’t necessarily proved.

“We’re talking about the possibility of really hurting someone’s reputation and maybe surviving families’ reputation without any chance of having them defend themselves,” Bernard said.

Months ago, the diocese decided to turn over its personnel records to prosecutors for review.

Investigators for Rowe and Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson reviewed church records, contacted victims and conducted preliminary inquiries into the allegations contained in the files.

Anderson announced in May that the review had yielded allegations of sexual misconduct by 51 priests, 33 living and 18 who are dead.

The newspaper has not asked for information about priests who are still alive because those cases are under investigation.