PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Republican
By Anne-Gerard Flynn | aflynn@repub.com
on April 28, 2015
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has reinstated the conviction on child endangerment charges of a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Monsignor William Lynn, the first U.S. church official ever prosecuted over his handling of sex abuse complaints, had been freed of those charges by a 2013 appeals court ruling that overturned an earlier conviction. Lynn had served half of a three- to six- year sentence, and remained under house arrest in a Philadelphia rectory.
The Supreme Court, voting 4 to 1, on Monday upheld the 2012 felony conviction for endangerment of an altar boy. The child had been abused in 1998 by a priest transferred to a parish by Lynn despite earlier complaints against the priest who is now serving prison time. Lynn’s lawyers argued that Lynn, who was secretary for the clergy in the diocese under two cardinals, including Anthony Bevilacqua from 1992 to 2004, was not responsible for the boy’s welfare under existing state law that they said applied to parents and caregivers. …
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests posted a response, from David Clohessy of St. Louis, to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in the Lynn case.
“We are grateful the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed the reversal of Monsignor Lynn’s conviction,” said Clohessy, director of SNAP.
“Punishing wrong doers deters wrong doing, especially in scandal ridden institutions. Like the catholic hierarchy. For decades complicit church officials have exploited legal technicalities to evade justice. It is a victory for parents, parishioners, church goers, wounded victims and innocent kids each time corrupt church staffers are disciplined.”
Lynn’s lawyers have 14 days to appeal.
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