HARRISBURG (PA)
Penn Live
August 1, 2018
By Hope Stephan
In a lengthy statement released in conjunction with a news conference this morning, Bishop Ronald Gainer said that after reviewing its historic files, the Harrisburg diocese is releasing those child sexual abuse survivors who entered into settlement agreements with the diocese that contained confidentiality clauses from that legal commitment.
Gainer on Wednesday also released the names of 71 people who have been accused of allegations of child sex crimes, just weeks ahead of a grand jury report into clergy sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.
“I take this step about confidentiality so that the survivors can feel free to tell their stories to whomever and whenever they wish,” Gainer said. “I hope that this step will further aid those survivors, and perhaps others, in their path to healing.”
The church’s new website, www.youthprotectionhbg.com, also contains information on how to report child sexual abuse, contact information for the Victim Assistance Office and detailed information on how the church has confronted this issue.
There are two steps to making a complaint, Gainer emphasized:
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