The state grand jury in Pennsylvania has reported hundreds of children that were sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests. This crime against these children was committed for over four decades with bishops allegedly covering up the actions.
Attorney General Kathleen Kane said reports of former Altoona-Johnstown Diocese Bishop James Hogan and his successor Joseph Adamec were the ones behind the cover ups of these pedophile priests. The report also said that local law enforcement avoided investigating the said abuses, as per Reuters.
Attorney Kane said the crimes committed against these children are shocking. She added that the priests took advantage of these children considering the fact that they feel safe with them.
A particular case involving Joseph Gaborek who was assigned at St. Michael's Church and St. Mary's Church in the early 1980's was also found to have sexually violated a boy after recruiting the child to work at the parish, as reported by WJACTV.
In 2002, the Boston Globe reported that priests in the Boston Archdiocese constantly abuse children and bishops systematically cover up those crimes until it was revealed in the same year. These abuses were also made into a film called the Spotlight which set off a global concern and was followed by a rampant investigation of the matter.
It outmost led to a series of lawsuits and has somehow destroyed the church's moral authority. Kane, however, clarified that there were no cases filed against the assailants due to the fact that it is a very old case and prosecution is impossible. According to Fox 43, the investigation of the Attorney General was also aided by the behavioral experts of the Federal of Bureau of Investigation, Critical Incident Response Group, and the Behavioral Analysis Unit.
According to the present Altoona-Johnstown Bishop Mark Bartchak, this is both a painful and difficult time for them. He stressed he deeply regrets the harm that these children went through.
David Clohessy, the director of the Survivors Network of those abused by the priests, said he is saddened but not surprised with the result of the investigation. He added that bishops continue to cover these incidents and are only deceiving the public and its parishioners in order to hide the truth.
