‘300 Pennsylvania, USA, priests abused at least 1,000 children’

This 14 August 2018 CBS News video from the USA says about itself:

Live: Dioceses of Pennsylvania | Grand Jury Report on Catholic Church Priest Abuse Released

Pennsylvania officials have released a landmark grand jury report that identifies more than 300 “predator priests” who molested children in six dioceses. It also accuses church leaders of taking steps to cover up the abuse. The report emerged from one of the nation’s most exhaustive investigations of clergy sexual abuse. The report echoes the findings of many earlier investigations of the church around the country in its description of widespread sexual abuse by clergy and church officials’ concealment of it.

Read more here.

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

Report: 300 priests in Pennsylvania have abused over a thousand children

Authorities in Pennsylvania have published a court investigation revealing that 300 priests in six dioceses have abused more than a thousand children. It’s about victims who have been proven to be abused by clergymen. Probably there are many more cases.

The report, over the period since the mid-1950’s, also shows that church leaders have been busy covering up the crimes. It is seen as one of the most thorough investigations of criminal behaviour by clergy so far. It is about six dioceses, which account for about half of the more than 3 million Catholics in Pennsylvania.

“Major matches with past cases”

The report in Pennsylvania confirms previous findings of investigations in the United States about sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. It shows great similarities in the description of how the priests worked and of cover-ups by church authorities.

The investigation was ordered by a so-called grand jury. In the US, that usually consists of 16 to 23 citizens who can instruct to investigate a possible criminal offense that can lead to legal proceedings. The jury members can question people under oath. The investigation was led by the highest level prosecutor in Pennsylvania.