More than 300 “predator priests” from the American state of Pennsylvania have sexually abused at least a thousand children, and the Catholic Church in that state has covered it up, according to an investigation led by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.
The final report compiled by the grand jury to which the investigation’s findings were submitted states that “almost all cases” have now expired and cannot be prosecuted.
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However, two priests have been charged, one for repeatedly sexually abusing several children, the last incident occurring in 2010.
Although they cannot be prosecuted, the jurors decided to publish the names of about a dozen church officials accused of pedophilia based on the investigation’s findings.
The report mentions sexual abuse of some alleged victims who were younger than ten years old.
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Bishops and cardinals have “mostly been protected. Many, some of whose names are mentioned in the report, have been promoted. Until this changes, we believe it is premature to close the chapter on the sexual scandals of the Catholic Church.”
