The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday released a sweeping grand jury report on sex abuse in the Catholic Church, listing more than 300 accused clergy and detailing a “systematic” cover-up effort by church leaders over 70 years.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a news conference Tuesday that more than 1,000 child victims were identified in the report, but the grand jury believes there are more.
The investigation is the most comprehensive yet on Catholic Church sex abuse in the United States. The 18-month probe, led by Shapiro, of six of the state’s eight dioceses — Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Scranton, Erie and Greensburg — follows other state grand jury reports that revealed abuse and cover-ups in two other dioceses.