I’m sure they’re still in the L.A. Times archives, although the Times downplayed the recantations at the time, they were covered a lot on our local news.
“Priest Abuse Story Recanted Oneida County DA Finds an Allegation against Monsignor False after Investigation
By Renee K. Gadoua
Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)
June 7, 2002
The Oneida County district attorney may file charges against a person who fabricated a story alleging a retired Utica priest sexually abused him.
Michael Arcuri, Oneida County district attorney, said someone came forward about two weeks ago and reported Monsignor H. Charles Sewall had recently sexually abused him. The district attorney's office investigated, found inconsistencies in the story and the person recanted, he said.
Three $20 million lawsuits filed Tuesday accuse Sewall of sexually abusing three teen-age boys in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the plaintiffs in the new lawsuits accepted an undisclosed amount of money from the diocese in 1988 to settle a lawsuit against Sewall. The lawyer for the three men said the false accusation does not involve any of his clients.” (quoted from www.bishop-accountability)
but even a recanting of an accusation is not the same as saying the accused was innocent. Usually there is more than just one victim and one incident.
Those that do make false accusations show suffer some consequences but keeping the accusations in the news is hardly what the bishops want.