PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com
Pennsylvania’s Catholic community enforces strict policies to ensure all children are safe on church property – particularly from child sex abuse.
That was the message from the spokeswoman for the legislative branch of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania on Friday.
In a statement regarding news that the state Attorney General’s office has been conducting for months a grand jury investigation into allegations of child sex abuse across the state’s dioceses, Amy Hill, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, reiterated that the “Catholic community” maintained strict policies to ensure the welfare of all children on church property. The church, she noted, also offers assistance to survivors and their families such as counseling, addiction treatment, medication, and transportation.
“We will continue to offer assistance to enable healing as long as it is needed,” Hill said in a written statement.
News that the state Attorney General’s office was conducting a statewide probe into allegations of child sex abuse across the Catholic dioceses was first reported by The Morning Call. On Friday, the Harrisburg Diocese confirmed to PennLive that it was one of the diocese’s under investigation by the agency. Others include Pittsburgh and Allentown, two of the biggest dioceses in the state.
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