21 Priests Accused of Sex Abuse
After a grand jury report was released last month, 21 priests were names for alleged sexual abuse.
According to Cardinal Justin Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia, the priests will not be working in their respective ministries while their cases are being reviewed. In a statement to the press Rigali said that "these have been difficult weeks since the release of the Grand Jury Report: difficult most of all for victims of sexual abuse, but also for all Catholics and for everyone in our community."
The investigation has been ongoing for almost two years and has brought official charges against a former priest, a Catholic school teacher and two priests. They have all been accused of raping young boys. In addition a former high-ranking church official has been charged with transferring problem priests to other parishes without telling them about previous complaints of sexual abuse.
Rigali hopes to smooth over this entire situation as there are currently 482 active priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia alone.
If you have been the victim of sex abuse, become informed of your legal options by contacting our law office and speaking with a
North Carolina personal injury lawyer.