Survivors of Catholic Priest Abuse Brace for Scathing Grand Jury Report

By Ivey DeJesus
PennLive.com
July 20, 2018

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/07/survivors_of_catholic_priest_a.html

This story has been updated with comment from the Diocese of Harrisburg.

Four men who were abused as children by their Catholic priests on Friday expressed warnings to individuals trying to block the release of an upcoming report on a grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse.

The men have either testified before a grand jury or have provided information to investigators on predatory priests. They said that the significant pushback to revise or block what is expected to be a scathing report into church mishandling or cover-up of child sex abuse signals that the grand jury's findings must be stunning.

"There was no backlash after Altoona-Johnstown. No Supreme Court stay," said Shaun Dougherty, who was molested by his priest from the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese. "What and who is in this report that is so powerful? We already had Philadelphia and Altoona. What is in the report, it's gotta be damning.

"We don't know what's in the report. They know what's in report. They've seen what is in the report but I know as a person with common sense that they are throwing everything at us and the kitchen sink to block this report."

The report from the 18-month-long investigation remains under seal and under a stay order from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which is considering the petitions of individuals named - but not charged - in the report claiming violations of their constitutional rights. The report is expected to expose decades of abuse and cover up of child sex crimes by priests across six dioceses in Pennsylvania.