Pennsylvania Judicial Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church

A priest raped a 7-year-old girl who was hospitalized for a tonsil operation. Another priest forced a 9-year-old boy to perform oral sex on him and then washed the boy's mouth with holy water. Another boy was forced to confess to the priest who had sexually abused him. According to the Associated Press, these children are among the victims of about 300 Catholic priests who have sexually abused over a thousand children or more in Pennsylvania since the 1940s. A report released on Tuesday by Pennsylvania judicial authorities accuses several senior officials of the Catholic Church in the United States, including the current Archbishop of Washington, of systematically covering up victims' complaints. The report notes that the number of abused children and the priests who abused them may be much higher, as some church records have been destroyed and some victims have never filed complaints. In 2002, when sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the U.S. became a nationwide crisis, bishops implemented extensive reforms, including stricter regulations for reporting allegations to law enforcement and faster removal of priests who abuse children. However, Pennsylvania authorities say more changes are necessary. In a section of the approximately 900-page report, it states, 'Despite some structural reforms, church leaders have evaded accountability to the public. Young girls and boys were raped, and the clergy responsible for them not only did nothing but also covered it up.' Another part of the report indicates that senior church officials have always been protected and promoted, concluding that 'it is still too early to close the book on the Catholic Church's sexual scandals.' The prosecutor's office has concluded that in all recorded cases of sexual abuse, the statute of limitations for filing charges against the accused has expired. More than 100 of these priests have died, and many others have retired or been dismissed. According to the evidence in this report, the prosecutor's office has only been able to file charges against two priests. Victim advocacy groups say that the Pennsylvania judicial investigation is the most extensive legal investigation that U.S. states have conducted regarding abuses and sexual assaults by Catholic priests.