PENNSYLVANIA
Your Erie
May 09, 2018
Follow-up statement from Bishop Lawrence Persico regarding the Poulson case
Although I released a statement yesterday, I wanted to speak with you in person today regarding the charges that have been filed against Father David Poulson.
I announced on Feb. 13 that I had received credible allegations against Father Poulson regarding the sexual abuse of minors. Following our Policy for the Protection of Children, I immediately turned the matter over to law enforcement and have cooperated with the state attorney general throughout the process that led to yesterday’s arrest.
I want to state, unequivocally, that I was not aware of any concerns regarding Father Poulson until I received those allegations in January of this year. In addition, it was not until I received and acted upon the allegation earlier this year that I learned of the memo that had been written in 2010.
Let me give you a brief overview of what I knew and when:
I* came to the Diocese of Erie in late 2012. Among many initial responsibilities and priorities, I asked to be updated on any clergy abuse cases. Father Poulson’s name was not mentioned.
* Early in my tenure, I contacted District Attorney Jack Daneri to review our clergy files, so that I could be assured there were no cases that needed to be revisited. As you know, this process was then interrupted when the grand jury investigation began in September of 2016.
* Finally, when the grand jury was convened, I decided in addition to responding to the subpoena, I would ask K&L Gates law firm to do a thorough review of all of our files and procedures. They were still in the process of reviewing all our files from the last 70 years when I received the allegation regarding Father Poulson this past January and asked them to focus on him. It was at that time that they brought the memo to my attention.
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