PENNSYLVANIA
We Are Central PA
By: Chris Miller
Posted: Mar 06, 2017
Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa – There has been a call for change and responsibility after a grand jury report revealed decades of child sex abuse inside the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese.
In that report, at least 50 priests and other church leaders were accused of sexually assaulting children in their parishes dating back four decades.
Monday, the U.S. District Attorney for Western Pennsylvania and the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown held a news conference to lay out new reforms within the church to better protect children.
Many victims and their supporters have criticized the diocese for what they call a lack of response. Bishop Mark Bartchak said the changes took time because he and other church leaders were committed to finding a detailed and comprehensive approach.
The reforms were detailed in what the Bishop called a “Memorandum of Understanding”.
Some of the key points include:
* The creation of an independent oversight board.
* A new reporting protocol that requires the diocese to report allegations of child sexual abuse to law enforcement within 12 hours of hearing about the accusation.
* Increased counseling and support services for victims by qualified and independent mental health professionals, that can be chosen by the victims.
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