Pittsburgh, Greensburg dioceses say they will cooperate with state’s sexual abuse investigation
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has its headquarters at 111 Boulevard of the Allies.
Zubik
Malesic
Representatives for the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Greensburg and Pittsburgh said they will cooperate with the state attorney general’s office in a grand jury investigation into sex abuse allegations.
Bishop David A. Zubik of the Pittsburgh Diocese said Saturday they received a subpoena from prosecutors requesting cooperation with the grand jury investigation.
“In the ongoing need to protect children from abuse, I welcome the opportunity to work closely with the state attorney general’s office,” Zubik stated.
That diocese covers Washington, Greene, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.
Also on Saturday, the Greensburg Diocese posted a statement on their website confirming the office has received a subpoena concerning the statewide investigation.
According to the statement, the “Diocese of Greensburg takes the protection of all children and young people seriously. Names and facts of any allegation of misconduct will continue to be reported immediately to the proper civil authorities.”
The Greensburg Diocese covers Fayette, Westmoreland, Armstrong and Indiana counties, and is headed by Bishop Edward C. Malesic.
The statement from the Greensburg Diocese continued to stress that anyone who has a criminal history of child abuse or a credible allegation of child abuse has been removed from ministry, employment or their volunteer position as part of the diocese’s longstanding policy of zero tolerance.
“Every report of suspected abuse of a child or young person — sexual, physical and emotional — made to the diocese is immediately reported to ChildLine and the appropriate district attorney,” according to the statement.
ChildLine is a 24-hour service to receive reports of suspected child abuse and can be reached at 800-932-0313.
The statement indicated officials in the Greensburg Diocese will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials, and cannot provide any additional comment due to the nature of the investigation.
Zubik added that the cover letter to the Pittsburgh Diocese from the Deputy Attorney General Daniel Dye assured that state’s efforts do not have to be adversarial. Working to protect children and to seek the truth should be a joint endeavor, he said.
“I could not agree more,” Zubik wrote in the statement. “We are absolutely committed to protecting children from abuse.”
Zubik said the requested records have been turned over to state prosecutors.
“It is my hope that this is a first step toward the government working with all institutions to address this serious matter,” Zubik stated.
In March, the state attorney general’s office released a two-year grand jury investigation that showed hundreds of children were sexually assaulted over a period of at least 40 years, involving at least 50 priests in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.
Delilah Rumburg, the CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR), said after the news hit about the Altoona-Johnstown area, they worked with that diocese by providing educational information on how to help the victims and the community.
“When something like that happens, we hope we can turn it around as an educational opportunity,” Rumburg said.
Rumburg said she can’t tell if there was a significant increase in hotline calls specifically concerning church sex abuse as it only makes up 5 percent of sexual abuse cases.
“We don’t want to make it about that,” Rumburg said.
Rumburg said most victims of sexual assault know their predator and that person can be a family member, a neighbor, a teacher, a friend or a coach.
“It certainly does happen, but it’s not specific to faith-based community,” Rumburg said.
No matter who the perpetrator of the abuse happens to be, Rumburg said the coalition’s mission will always be to provide services and education for prevention of sexual abuse.
“Prevention is everyone’s responsibly and everyone can create and promote safe environments,” Rumburg said, adding that communities and organizations should take the preventative step of reviewing their policies and assess the risks in their environment.
Rumburg said people should trust their instincts if they sense something is wrong and should takes steps to intervene and stop such behaviors, and people should also believe the victims and survivors whenever they come forward.
“It takes people time to feel ready to call,” Rumburg said, adding that a woman in her 70s just recently called about sexual abuse she experienced as a child.
While Rumburg said they’re constantly pushing reform when it comes to the statute of limitations for sexual assaults, she said those survivors of such assaults shouldn’t let that deter them from calling a local rape crisis center.
“It’s never too late to seek that support,” Rumburg said, adding that there is also help in the form of treatment for those who are perpetrators who can call local victim services offices for referrals. “That’s important, too.”
Rumburg provided the following contact for centers that provide services to sexual assault survivors and rape victims including men, women and children: Community Resources (Fayette), 724-437-3737; The Blackburn Center (Westmoreland); 724-836-1122; and SPHS CARE Center (Washington/Greene); 888-480-7283.