UNITED STATES
Pannone Blog (United Kingdom)
The conviction of US Roman Catholic Church official who covered up child sex abuse is a wake-up call.
Monsignor William Lynn who oversaw hundreds of priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese was found guilty on Friday 22 June 2012 of one count of endangering the welfare of a child, making him the first senior US Roman Catholic Church official to be convicted for covering up child sex abuse.
What does the case mean for child abuse victims?
I think it put pays to the argument that the Catholic Church is not responsible for its priests.
Lynn’s job was to supervise priests, including investigating sex abuse claims. Instead of considering the risk to children, the prosecution said, he chose to protect the Catholic Church from scandal and potential loss of financial support.
The case against Lynn was that he covered up child sex abuse allegations, often by transferring priests to unsuspecting parishes.
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