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Clergy sex abuse report to be released Tuesday -- now what?

PITTSBURGH — On Tuesday, a grand jury report on sexual abuse in six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania will be released, but many questions remain about what will happen after that.

The grand jury report is said to contain the names of as many as 300 clergy members involved in the abuse and potential coverups.

"It sounds like it's going to be very big. It sounds like it's going to be a tidal wave of reporting concerning sexual abuse," Boston attorney Mitchel Garabedian said.

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Garabedian has represented more than a thousand victims of clergy sex abuse in over 14 countries and still gets calls from alleged victims looking for help.

He was featured in the 2015 movie "Spotlight" which told the story of the Boston Globe investigation into widespread child sex abuse in the Boston Catholic Diocese.

"You can expect shock, horror, and surprise," he said.

The release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report into six catholic dioceses will have a powerful impact on the church, its members and the victims.

"To some victims it's going to be very painful. Some victims will transform themselves from victims to survivors and they'll finally have a voice," Garabedian said. "Other victims will be proud and stand tall and state, 'See, I told ya. I wasn't the only one.'"

Meanwhile -- the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, is asking why Attorney General Josh Shapiro has never convened a grand jury to investigate child sex abuse in public schools saying "This is a scam. It is not about justice - it is about singling out the Catholic Church and letting every other institution off the hook. It smacks of bigotry."

Garabedian believes the report will offer a long overdue glimpse into widespread abuse and coverups.

"Maybe they'll be some criminal actions brought against the perpetrators and supervisors if the statute of limitations allow," he said.

 

Cox Media Group

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