The Boy Scouts of America defended itself Wednesday against allegations that it has for years kept secret the names of abusers and the volume of abuse in its popular programs.
Despite the financial pressure of lawsuits from child sexual assault victims, leaders from the venerable youth organization said the rate of incidents of reported abuse in its organization is less than society as a whole.
And, the much-ballyhooed "perversion files" that lawyers claim lists more than 7,000 sexually abusive Boy Scout leaders across the country is really a database the organization has used for decades to weed out potential predators.
Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh said its database has been "mischaracterized," and is actually a cutting-edge tool that has kept children safe.
"We steadfastly believe even one instance of abuse is too many," Surbaugh said in a conference call with news reporters. "We do not keep any reports of suspected abusers hidden from law enforcement."
A day earlier, a lawyer for alleged victims accused the scout group of covering up the scope of abuse in the organization.
Jeff Anderson, whose Manhattan law firm specializes in child sexual abuse cases, said the Boy Scouts have files on pedophiles within their ranks dating back to the 1940s. He said the records include the names of more than 12,000 victims.
Surbaugh acknowledged that looming lawsuits against the Boy Scouts have threatened the 109-year-old organization's financial stability.
Sexual abuse settlements have already strained the Boy Scouts' finances to the point where the organization is exploring "all available options," including Chapter 11 bankruptcy, he said.
And new laws, like New York's Child Victims Act, adjust statute-of-limitations timelines so that victims of long-ago sexual abuse can sue for damages.
The law goes into effect in August.
