Filmmaker Amy Berg tells a harrowing tale of child abuse and how a serial pederast was free for most of two decades in this documentary. Oliver O’Grady was a Catholic priest who served in several parishes in Southern California during the 1970′s and 80′s. O’Grady was also a pederast who abused dozens of young people were usually entrusted to their care, while his superiors in the Church knew about O’Grady’s crimes in 1973, we chose to simply move from one congregation to another rather than surrender to authorities or strip him of his ordination.
In Deliver Us From Evil, a number of O’Grady’s victims and their families talk about their crimes and the repercussions are felt to this day. O’Grady also appears in the film, speaking candidly about his career as a sexual predator and recounting his misdeeds in detail. (After being convicted of child sexual abuse, O’Grady time in prison and now lives in Ireland, where it is still run by the Catholic clergy.)
Berg also offers a look at the history of the Catholic Church and how its leadership has often protected those within the hierarchy, at the expense of their worshipers. Deliver Us From Evil was named Best Documentary Film Festival 2006 in Los Angeles.
