PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By Steve Marroni | smarroni@pennlive.com
As the state attorney general released a grand-jury report detailing four decades of sexual abuse at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, local church officials say they are “sad and shocked” and are asking for prayers for all of the victims.
“The sexual abuse of minors is an appalling sin and a crime,” Diocese of Harrisburg spokesman Joseph Aponick said Tuesday. “That is why the Diocese of Harrisburg has made strong and aggressive steps to combat it.”
And at the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, church officials are saying they cooperated fully with the investigation and will continue to do their part to protect children.
Hundreds of children were sexually abused over a period of 40 years by priests or church leaders in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, a grand jury investigation has concluded.
“This is a painful and difficult time in our Diocesan Church,” Bishop Mark L. Bartchak said in a statement released Tuesday. “I deeply regret any harm that has come to children, and I urge the faithful to join me in praying for the victims of abuse.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane on Tuesday released a grand jury report containing information about many cases of children being sexually abused and raped by more than 50 Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown priests and religious leaders over 40 years.
The report calls for reforms, such as abolishing the statute of limitations for sexual offenses against minors and urging the state General Assembly to suspend the civil statute of limitations on sexual-abuse claims.
In the press release issued by the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, spokesman Tony DeGol said the diocese’s youth protection policy calls for mandatory reporting for all abuse allegations to civil authorities. It also requires criminal background checks and education for clergy, employees and volunteers who work with children.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.