PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Friday, September 30, 2005
By Rebekah Scott, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dozens of pending clergy sex-abuse lawsuits against Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania have passed into a legal limbo following a state Supreme Court ruling this week.
Advocates for both sides say many of the 100-plus lawsuits still outstanding statewide likely will be dismissed.
"This is a setback for public safety, a victory for child molesters and a relief for duplicitous bishops," said David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
The "setback" is a state Supreme Court decision announced Wednesday in Harrisburg in which the court refused to hear an appeal of a Superior Court decision made in March.