Pa. Attorney General lashes out at Republican leaders and Catholic officials over lack of child sex abuse reforms

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro had harsh words for Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers and Catholic church leaders for what he views as their role in delaying reforms intended to prevent child sex abuse and help victims.

The reforms resulted from the Shapiro-led grand jury investigation which revealed sexual abuse by more than 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania.

They would eliminate the statute of limitations for prosecuting child sex abuse cases, create a window to enable older victims to sue for damages and prevent use of confidentially agreements to hide abuse, among other things.

The state House approved the reforms this spring, but the Senate has thus far failed to hold a vote.

Shapiro contends the lack of a vote is the result of lobbying on the part of the Catholic church and insurance companies, which would likely have to pay more victims.

“I am profoundly disappointed in the state Senate in Pennsylvania and particularly the Republican leadership of the state Senate in Pennsylvania, who seemingly continue to take their direction from the insurance lobbyists and the Catholic church lobbyists who have spent millions of dollars lobbying against the four grand jury recommendations,” said Shapiro, a Democrat. “That is unconscionable to me.”

Shapiro was speaking to the editorial board of PennLive/The Patriot-News and responding to questions about the grand jury investigation and the aftermath. The reforms were recommended by the grand jury involved with the two-year investigation which also revealed more than 1,000 victims of abuse by priests.

He said no Catholic bishops in Pennsylvania have pushed for passage of the reforms, which he said “proves they have not changed and proves they cannot police themselves.”

In light of that, the solution must come from Catholic parishioners pressuring Catholic leaders and Republican lawmakers to pass the reforms.

Moreover, Shapiro called the Harrisburg diocese “one of the most problematic dioceses to deal with.”

“This bishop has stood in the way of progress. He tried to stop our investigation. He tried to stop the report from ever coming out … This is outrageous conduct for someone who purports to be a spiritual leader and to care about people,” Shapiro said.

In a written response to Shapiro, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, who will decide whether to hold a vote, said he supports the reform bills passed by the House and forwarded to the Senate. The judiciary committee held a hearing on the issue this month, he said.

“We plan to move these bills through the Senate this fall. I have been influenced by my oath of office to uphold the Constitution and I remain hopeful that all parties involved can come together to move these important reforms forward in the near future,” Scarnati said.

The Harrisburg Diocese said in a written statement that Bishop Ronald Gainer fully cooperated with the investigation and supports three of the grand jury recommendations, including revising the criminal statute of limitations and eliminating nondisclosure agreements. The diocese said it has paid out $12.7 million to abuse victims. The full statement can be read at the end of this article.

Shapiro said a victims’ hotline established as a result of the investigation has generated 1,940 calls, which he called an “extraordinary” amount. He said his office has followed up on each, with some resulting in local investigations.

Shapiro said Pennsylvania’s investigation of abuse by Catholic priests and tactics used to cover it up has prompted similar investigations around the country, and he said there will be a federal probe also.

“There will be a lot more to come … They are finding the same patterns and practices as we had here in Pennsylvania,” he said.

Shapiro was asked about criticism that he has targeted the Catholic church and priests even though sexual abuse of children also involves other institutions and professions.

He said he rejects “what aboutism” as a reason not to investigate abuse, and noted his office has prosecuted people including physicians, police chiefs and leaders of other denominations for crimes related to abuse of children. He noted the recommended reforms would apply to institutions including schools and churches.

“We are going after predators wherever they are,” he said.

Here’s the full statement from the Harrisburg Diocese:

“The Diocese of Harrisburg and Bishop Gainer fully cooperated with the Attorney General’s Office and the Grand Jury Investigation throughout the entire process. Furthermore, Bishop Gainer has also stated publicly that he fully supports three of the Grand Jury recommendations, including revising the criminal statute of limitations and eliminating nondisclosure agreements. The Diocese has not engaged in any nondisclosure agreements since 2002. Any agreements that were entered into before that time have since been waived by Bishop Gainer. As has also previously been reported, the Diocese recently completed its Survivor Compensation Program, which was managed by a private mediation firm. One-hundred fifteen survivors participated in this Program, with 111 accepting an offer. The Program generated $12.7 million in total payments to survivors. The Diocese and Bishop Gainer continue to offer our heartfelt apologies to all survivors of clergy abuse, to the Catholic faithful and to the public.”

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