Over 1,000 children molested by priests

PENNSYLVANIA CHURCH SHOCK

AROUND 300 Roman Catholic priests have molested more than 1,000 children – and possibly many more – in Pennsylvania since the 1940s, a US grand jury report has revealed.

The report also accused senior church officials of covering up complaints in the state.

The “real number” of abused children and abusive priests might be higher, since some secret church records were lost and some victims never came forward, the grand jury said.

US bishops adopted sweeping reforms in 2002 when abuse by clergymen became a national crisis for the church. These changes included stricter requirements for reporting accusations to law enforcement and a streamlined process for removing clerics who abuse children.

However, the grand jury said more changes are needed.

In its 900-page report, the grand jury wrote: “Despite some institutional reform, individual leaders of the church have largely escaped public accountability.

“Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all.”

Top church officials have mostly been protected and many promoted, the grand jury said. In nearly every case, prosecutors found that the statute of limitations has run out, meaning that criminal charges cannot be filed.