Pa. Supreme Court Oks Release of Interim Report Naming 300 "Predator Priests"
By Ivey DeJesus
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that large portions of a grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania will be released to the public. In an order issued Friday afternoon, the court states that an interim report on the findings of the 40th Statewide Grand Jury investigation will be released in August. The interim report, with redactions, will be released by Aug. 14, according to the order written by Chief Justice Thomas Saylor. The court found that the long-awaited report could be released to the public without compromising the rights of petitioners who have challenged the report. Dozens of priests have challenged the release of the report and said it would violate their rights to due process. The court conceded sufficient measures should be taken to protect their identities and called for a redacted version of the report. The order also indicates the scope of the grand jury's investigation of clergy sex abuse. More than 300 people identified by name are alleged to have committed criminal or morally reprehensible conduct in the grand jury report, the court's opinion states. The grand jury report describes more than 300 clergymen as "predator priests," according to the court opinion released Friday. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro called the court's order authorizing the release of the report a "victory" for victims. Shapiro has been fighting to have the report released since the state's highest court sealed it amidst legal challenges. "Our fear throughout this process has been that the entire Grand Jury report would be shelved and victims' truth would be silenced," Shapiro said in a statement. "Today's Order ensures that will not be the case -- the redacted report on widespread sexual abuse and cover up within the Catholic Church will be released." The court directed the Commonwealth to prepare a redacted version of the report, ordering it to remove "specific and contextual references to any petitioner who has an appellate challenge pending before this Court." While the order said some identities may be protected, the court states that it intends "to make the bulk" of the grand jury report available to the public as soon as possible. The report remains under seal but the state Supreme Court sets out a timetable for the release of the interim, redacted report. The high court ordered the Commonwealth to complete its redaction process on or before 2 p.m. Aug. 3. By Aug. 7, petitioners must file any challenge to the redaction order. Those challenges shall be limited to identifying with particularity any errors in redaction, the court said. If there are no challenges, the interim report could be released no later than 2 p.m. Aug. 8. If there are challenges, a special master will "promptly resolve all such challenges, making any necessary additional redactions." The court does not identify the special master but will appoint one, the order states. The court order states that if there are challenges, the special master will resolve the challenges, make additional redactions and release the redacted report by Aug. 14. The court will not entertain motions to postpone the release of the report or change the schedule, the order states. Spokesman Mike Barley offered these sentiments early Friday evening to news of the court's decision: The Diocese of Harrisburg has fully cooperated with the Office of the Attorney General. The Diocese and Bishop Gainer strongly support the release of the Grand Jury report and have not filed anything to cause the stay ordered. Ensuring that this Report is accurate is paramount to its integrity and we are pleased that the Supreme Court has shown the leadership to make certain that the information being released to the public is correct." Earlier this week, Shapiro wrote a letter to Pope Francis and pleaded with the leader of the Catholic Church to bring abuses to light. The Catholic League, an advocacy group, blasted Shapiro for that. "For the record, there has been no attempt to silence alleged victims, but there certainly has been a well-orchestrated attempt, led by Shapiro, to silence his critics," the league wrote on its website. "In fact, that is what his letter is designed to do. Does he really think the Holy Father is going to accept his unsubstantiated criticisms of Pennsylvania priests and bishops? Shapiro said in his statement that he intends to hold church officials accountable. "Today is a victory for the survivors but our work is not yet done," Shapiro said. Victims are anxious to see the report released to the public to document decades of abuse of children. They also are hoping the report will be a mechanism to trigger changes in state law to extend the statutes of limitation for victims to pursue justice in court. Tim Lennon, volunteer president of the Board of Directors of SNAP, the Survivors Network, said in a statement Friday evening that the organization was "extremely grateful" for the decision to make a redacted version of the report public next month and remains hopeful the judges "will ultimately decide to allow the entire report to see the light of day." The statement continued: "Those of us who have worked with SNAP for years know that it is not easy to go up against the Catholic Church, with its great power and wealth. We are thankful to the attorney general for working so hard to have the bulk of the grand jury report released. Once again, the rule of law has prevailed, at least for the most part, over opposition from within the Church." The grand jury in 2016 began an investigation into allegations of child sex crimes by Catholic priests across the dioceses of Harrisburg, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Erie, Scranton and Greensburg. Friday's opinion gives Shapiro's office, which conducted the investigation, the go-ahead to release the revised report.
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