The issue of the Catholic church’s responsibility for pedophile priests has been the subject of major litigation and media attention over the last several years. Last month, criminal charges against an alleged sexually abusive priest in Philadelphia were dismissed after the victim died of a suspected drug overdose. The victim’s family has since filed a […]
For immediate release, November 12, 2013 In September 2013, a former Philadelphia area priest, Robert Brennan, was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a boy back in 1998. The abuse was alleged to have occurred over the course of 3 years. The victim, who is now deceased, came forward earlier this year and accused Brennan […]
Survivors of child sex abuse face many hurdles. They face deep and long lasting emotional scars. In addition, drugs and alcohol problems are often very common and begin at an early age. Teenagers who were victims of child sex abuse often turn to drugs and alcohol to help them cope. Suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, rage, […]
The priest sex abuse scandal involving the Philadelphia Archdiocese has resulted in a number of dismissals. Philadelphia area priest, Thomas Rooney, was dismissed earlier this year. Several other priests were also dismissed: George Cadwallader, Francis Feret, Robert Povish, and John Reardon. Philadelphia Priest Thomas Rooney Thomas Rooney is 61 years old and was ordained in […]
One case of priest abuse is terrible in and of itself, but when multiple priests are investigated for child sex abuse, it is absolutely abhorrent. The Philadelphia Archdiocese began an internal investigation after a Philadelphia Grand Jury in 2011 found child sex abuse to have occurred over a period of decades. As a result of […]
Philadelphia area priest Michael Chapman, who had been under investigation by the Archdiocese since 2011, was reinstated for ministry earlier this year. However, just this month, Chapman was suspended amid allegations of child sexual abuse. The allegations of priest sex abuse have rocked the Philadelphia Archdiocese and could be the reason for its budget issues. […]
In one of the first cases of its kind, a church priest in Pennsylvania was convicted and sentenced for child endangerment. William Lynn was convicted of allowing priests who were suspected of having committed sexual abuse of children to have further and repeated contact with children. The jury in Lynn’s case spoke clearly in finding […]
The Philadelphia Archdiocese has been under a microscope since this summer’s priest sex abuse trial involving several Philadelphia area priests and one Catholic school teacher. Since 2011, the Archdiocese has been conducting an internal investigation of over 20 priests, many of whom were suspected of committing abuse of children.* Several of those priests have been […]
Just this summer, a Philadelphia supervising priest was found guilty of child endangerment, for allowing priests with known or reasonably suspected sexual abuse proclivities to have contact with children. William Lynn was sentenced to 3-6 years for his criminal failure to do more to protect children within the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Lynn’s arrest and trial began […]
Several months ago, the Philadelphia Archdiocese removed 5 priests from the ministry. The Archdiocese did not release any specific information about reasons for their removal. However, the priests were removed as a result of an internal investigation, prompted by the 2011 Philadelphia grand jury report about the pervasiveness of priest sex abuse in the Philadelphia […]
