PENNSYLVANIA
Meadville Tribune
By Keith Gushard
Meadville Tribune
May 11, 2018
A statement by the Catholic Diocese of Erie’s retired bishop insisting there was no cover-up of alleged sexual abuse by a priest against two boys conflicts with findings of fact issued by the statewide grand jury investigating the case.
Donald Trautman, the retired bishop of the diocese, released a statement Wednesday stating there was no cover-up of the alleged sexual abuse by Father David Poulson and that Trautman “was aggressive in the removal of abusive priests.”
Findings of fact issued by the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury after it heard testimony and reviewed church records contradict Trautman’s public statement.
Trautman told Poulson to “cease and desist” suggestive contact with boys in a May 2010 confidential church memorandum written by Trautman after complaints about Poulson had been received by the diocese. The confidential church memorandum was obtained by the grand jury after it subpoenaed the diocese “to produce any and all records related to child sexual abuse perpetrated by priests and religious leaders of the diocese,” the grand jury’s findings of fact state.
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