Another day, another scandal.
In Pennsylvania, the year 2011 has been dominated by sex abuse scandals. From the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest sex abuse investigations to the Penn State sex abuse scandal to the newfound molestation allegations against longtime Philly sportswriter Bill Conlin, it has been a year that many Pennsylvanians are ready to see end.
In February, 2011, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was rocked after a sex abuse scandal broke, involving dozens of Catholic priests.
“Many people of faith and in the community at large think that the Archdiocese does not understand the gravity of child sexual abuse. We do. The task before us now is to recognize where we have fallen short and to let our actions speak to our resolve.”
— retired Archbishop of Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali in a statement following the grand jury report in February
“Every statement she made concerning me is an absolute lie; completely and totally a lie. I never once touched her, I never once groped her.”
— suspended Catholic priest Father Joseph DiGregorio in a radio interview regarding molestation charges against him
“It will take a while for the archdiocese to recover from [the scandal]. But because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we recover from everything and we have hope for the future.”
— newly installed Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, in an interview with the Catholic News Agency
In November, 2011 a child sex abuse scandal broke at Penn State University, involving longtime members of the school’s football program.
“I am heartbroken to think that any child may have been hurt and have deep convictions about the need to protect children and youth… I would never hesitate to report a crime if I had any suspicion that one had been committed.”
–former Penn State President Graham Spanier, in a statement following his firing in the wake of the school’s sex abuse scandal
“The moral failure of every single person involved is appalling. No one did anything more than try to sweep this problem off-campus.”
— quote from an editorial in Penn State’s newspaper, the Daily Collegian
“In retrospect, I shouldn’t have showered with those kids.”
— accused former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, in an interview with NBC’s Bob Costas
In December 2011, veteran Philadelphia Daily News sportswriter Bill Conlin was accused of molesting four children in the 1970s. Amid the allegations, the famed sportswriter retired after four decades at the newspaper.
“This is a tragedy. People have kept his secret. It’s not just the victims, it’s the victims’ families. There were so many people who knew about this and did nothing.”
–Kelley Blanchet, a niece of Conlin’s who said he molested her when she was a child, from an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer
“I can’t even begin to express the shock, sadness, and outrage I feel by what Bill Conlin is alleged to have done.”
— Daily News editor Larry Platt, via the Philadelphia Inquirer
“Everybody says he will do the right thing, get involved, put his own ass on the line before or after the fact. But the moment itself has a cruel way of suspending our fearless intentions.”
— excerpt from Bill Conlin’s article on the Penn State sex abuse scandal, via Philly.com
Victoria Leigh Miller is a freelance writer and lifelong Pennsylvania resident.