PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Magazine
By Joel Mathis | April 27, 2015
Monsignor William Lynn may be headed back behind bars.
Lynn was freed last year after an appeals court overturned his conviction on child endangerment charges relating to Philadelphia Archdiocese’s sex-abuse scandal. On Monday, though, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned that reversal and reinstated the original conviction — saying that the child endangerment statute applied to Lynn even though he did not directly supervise the welfare of the child victims in the scandal.
Justice Max Baer, writing for the court, said prosecutors established that Lynn — who had served as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s former secretary for clergy — had:
• “Mollified victims of sexual abuse by falsely telling them their allegations were being seriously investigated and that the particular priest would never again be assigned around children, despite knowing that the priests under his supervision would merely be reassigned to another parish with no ministry restrictions on contact with children.”
• “Informed parishioners that the priests he transferred were moved for health reasons, leaving the welfare of children in jeopardy.”
• “Routinely disregarded treatment recommendations for priests.”
• “Failed to inform the relocated priest’s new supervisor about abuse allegations.”
• “Took no action to ensure that the abusive priest was kept away from children at his new assignment.”
• “Suppressed complaints and concerns by the colleagues of the priests; all with the knowledge that sexually abusive priests rarely had only one victim and that all of these actions would endanger the welfare of the diocese’s children.”
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