Posts Tagged Pennsylvania diocese

Pennsylvania diocese leaders knew of sex abuse for decades, grand jury says / The New York Times

Over four decades, at least 50 priests and other church employees molested hundreds of children in a small Roman Catholic diocese in central Pennsylvania, and in many cases their superiors knew of the abuses but did not remove the priests or notify law enforcement, according to a grand jury report released on Tuesday (Mar. 1).

“But none of the findings will result in prosecution, according to State Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane, whose office led the investigation, because the statutes of limitations on all alleged crimes have expired.

“The report names a dozen priests who admitted — to church officials, to the grand jury or both — that they had molested children, and other cases where church records made clear that their superiors believed they were guilty. None were taken to law enforcement, and in cases where police or prosecutors learned of allegations, the report says, church officials worked to hush them up.”

By Richard Perez-Pena and Laurie Goodstein, The New New York Times — Click here to read the rest of this story.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a comment

Two Pennsylvania bishops singled out for sex abuse cover-up / CBS News

Two Roman Catholic bishops who led a central Pennsylvania diocese helped cover up the sexual abuse of hundreds of children by over 50 priests or religious leaders over a 40-year period, according to a grand jury report issued Tuesday (Mar. 1).

“The 147-page report on sexual abuse in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese was based partly on evidence from a secret diocesan archive uncovered through a search warrant executed in August, said Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who announced the findings.

“‘These predators desecrated a sacred trust and preyed upon their victims in the very places where they should have felt most safe,’ Kane said in a statement. ‘Just as troubling is the cover-up perpetrated by clergy leaders that allowed this abuse to continue for decades.’

By Associated Press on CBSNews.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a comment