Grand jury report IDs over 300 “predator priests,” more than 1,000 child victims

HARRISBURG, Pa. — 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 grand jury says its investigation of clergy sexual abuse identified more than 1,000 child victims — a number the report says comes from records in six Roman Catholic dioceses. 

The grand jury says it believes the “real number” of abused children might be “in the thousands” since some records were lost and victims were afraid to come forward. 

The report emerged from one of the nation’s most exhaustive investigations of clergy sexual abuse, and it echoes the findings of many earlier church investigations around the country in its description of widespread sexual abuse by clergy and church officials’ concealment of it. 

The grand jury scrutinized abuse allegations in dioceses that minister to more than half the state’s 3.2 million Catholics. 

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the probe found a systematic cover-up by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at the Vatican.  

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the former longtime bishop of Pittsburgh who now leads the Washington archdiocese, said ahead of the report’s release that he expected to be criticized in it. 

Catholic leaders were bracing for the report’s release and it was expected to contain names and details that have never been released before. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.