NORTHAMPTON (MA)
WWLP
August 15, 2018
By Tashanea Whitlow
A grand jury investigation into priest sex abuse in Pennsylvania is sending shock waves across the country.
This comes after hundreds of Catholic priests are accused of sexually abusing thousands of young parishioners and the church is accused of covering it up. Some are finding it difficult to believe men of God could commit such crimes.
“From my faith perspective, the light of God shines brightly when we can pull things out of the shadows,” said Rev. Margaret Sawyer of the Pioneer Valley Workers Center in Northampton. “And we can’t have this type of mistreatment in the shadows. My heart is breaking for those victims.”
The 2-year investigation into six dioceses over 7 decades revealed more than 300 abusive priests, who preyed on more than 1,000 victims, but that number could rise. According to the grand jury, there may be thousands of more abuse victims.
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