PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NPR
[with audio]
May 24, 2012
Monsignor William Lynn, the highest ranking Catholic official to be criminally tried for covering up child sex abuse by priests, faced fierce questioning in a Philadelphia courtroom on Thursday. Lynn handled the sex abuse claims when he was secretary for clergy for more than a decade.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I’m Robert Siegel.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
And I’m Audie Cornish.
And we go next to the trial of Monsignor William Lynn. He’s the highest ranking Catholic official in the U.S. to be criminally tried for covering up child sex abuse by priests. His case is being heard right now in Philadelphia, and today, he faced fierce questioning. Monsignor Lynn handled sex abuse claims when he was secretary for clergy in Philadelphia’s archdiocese. He’s been charged with conspiracy and child endangerment.
NPR’s Barbara Bradley Hagerty was in the courtroom today and joins us now. And, Barbara, to start, remind us the background of this case.
BARBARA BRADLEY HAGERTY, BYLINE: Sure, Audie. This stems from a grand jury report – actually a couple of them that found that many priests who are accused of abuse were still in ministry. And so prosecutors looked into it, and it turned out that only two of those cases of priests were fresh enough, that hadn’t passed the statute of limitations. And so, this case is about those sex abuse cases.
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