It is the most extensive investigation of Catholic clergy abuse ever undertaken in the US. The grand jury’s probe took in six of Pennsylvania’s eight diocese – Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton, which are home to 1.6million Catholics. They added: ‘it is too early to close the book on the Catholic Church sex scandal, ‘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.’
Writing in their report, the grand jury said: ‘Despite some institutional reform, individual leaders of the church have largely escaped public accountability. He was molested by one such clergyman 35 years ago (Picture: AP)īut in almost every case the statute of limitations had run out, meaning too long had elapsed between the crimes taking place and them being reported for any action to be taken. Abuse victi Robert Mizic, 47, cried as he watched a press conerence on the grand jury report into widespread abuse of children by Catholic priests.
