PHILADELPHIA (PA)
msnbc
By msnbc.com staff and news services
PHILADELPHIA — The Archdiocese of Philadelphia protected sexual predators in its ranks for more than 70 years, putting the church’s reputation over the safety of children, a prosecutor said Monday at the start of a landmark priest abuse case that’s shaken the Roman Catholic establishment.
The church kept secret files dating back to 1948 that show a long-standing conspiracy to doubt sex abuse victims, protect priests and avoid scandal, Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Coelho said in opening statements.
“You can’t protect the church without keeping the allegations in the dark,” Coelho told jurors, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. “He kept the parishioners in the dark and he kept the faithful in the dark.”
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