Deliver Us from Evil (2006 film)

Deliver Us from Evil (2006) is a documentary film directed by Amy Berg which tells the true story of Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady, who sexually abused potentially hundreds of children between the late 1970s and early 1990s. The film won the Best Documentary Award at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival. The title refers to a line in the Lord's Prayer, or the "Our Father."

Synopsis

The film chronicles O'Grady's years as a priest in Northern California, where he committed his crimes. After being convicted and serving seven years in prison, O'Grady was deported to his native Ireland, where Berg interviewed him in 2005. Additionally, the film presents trial documents, videotaped depositions, and interviews with activists, theologians, psychologists and lawyers which suggest that not only were Church officials aware of O'Grady's crimes, they actively took steps to conceal them.

Reception

The Irish Independent criticized Berg for filming children in Ireland without their knowledge.

The film was very well received by critics, earning a 100 percent 'fresh' review from RottenTomatoes.com. As of December 2007, the film ranks 4th on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the best reviewed movies of all time.

Movie Claims

Over 100,000 victims of clergy sexual abuse have come forward in the United States alone. This claim is contradicted, however, by the John Jay Report (2004), commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was based on surveys completed by the Catholic dioceses in the United States. The study revealed that 10,667 people reported that they had been abused by priests as minors between 1950 and 2002. The report found accusations against 4,392 priests in the U.S., about four percent of all priests who served during that same time period.

Experts say more than 80 percent of sexual abuse victims never report their abuse.

Most countries are just beginning to report clergy abuse.

Since 1950, sexual abuse has cost the US Catholic Church over one billion dollars in legal settlements and expenses (not including the Los Angeles settlement).

Pope Benedict XVI was accused of conspiracy to cover up sexual abuse in the United States. At the Vatican's request, President George W. Bush granted the pope immunity from prosecution.

See also

• Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
• Roger Cardinal Mahony#Controversy
• Twist of Faith
• Roman Catholic priests accused of sex offenses
• Ferns Report, on sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns, Ireland
• Crimen sollicitationis
• Pontifical Secret
• Sex Crimes and the Vatican (Panorama Documentary Episode)
• Barbara Blaine, founder of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
• List of films portraying paedophilia or sexual abuse of minors

References

External links

• Official Site
• Interview with director Amy Berg - /Film
• 
• Official website for Editor / Producer Matthew Cooke
• Most Controversial Highlights in the 1962 Ottaviani Directive (English)