MIAMI (FL)
The Miami New Times
August 16, 2018
By Jerry Iannelli
The utterly bizarre and horrid tale of Pennsylvania-turned-Florida-turned-Cuban priest George Zirwas has taken an even darker turn this week. More than 15 years ago, New Times published a meticulously reported feature delving into Zirwas’ 2001 murder in Havana, where he was injected in the neck with an overdose of muscle relaxant. The story noted that some people claimed he was involved in a child pornography ring and that boys had accused him of molestation. But in 2003, when the story was published, Zirwas’ defenders denied the allegations.
But now, an explosive Pennsylvania grand jury report into rampant rape and pedophilia inside that state’s Catholic churches has confirmed the rumors: The report, released earlier this week, outlines how Zirwas and a group of other Pennsylvania priests “used whips, violence, and sadism in raping their victims” and routinely filmed and photographed child pornography with boys on church property.
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