Harrisburg Diocese Tried to Stop Grand Jury Investigating Sex Abuse Claims, Court Documents Say

By Matt Barcaro
WGAL News 8
July 3, 2018

http://www.wgal.com/article/harrisburg-diocese-tried-to-stop-grand-jury-investigating-sex-abuse-claims-court-documents-say/22040083

Harrisburg - The Harrisburg Catholic Diocese tried to stop a grand jury from investigating sex abuse claims last year, newly released court documents show.

This is the first time WGAL has confirmed details of dioceses trying to halt the grand jury probe.

According to the documents, the Harrisburg and Greensburg dioceses asked the court to stop the grand jury investigating sex abuse allegations at six dioceses in Pennsylvania. They argued that a grand jury can only be convened to investigate allegations of organized crime and public corruption.

A judge rejected that argument in November.

WGAL also learned the prior grand jury investigation into the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese ended without finishing its work. The current grand jury was needed to pick up where the previous one left off.

A spokesman for the Harrisburg Diocese said Tuesday that the diocese has always supported the release of the grand jury report but believes the investigation should have been handled by local district attorneys instead of a statewide grand jury.