Top Stories of 2018 on Smart Talk — clergy sex abuse

Abuse report release.jpg

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro holds hands with Judy Deaven who says her son was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest as a boy, during a news conference at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, December 27, 2018:

The Top Stories of 2018 on Smart Talk continue Thursday with one that resonated throughout Pennsylvania, across the nation and even to the Vatican in Rome — the Grand Jury report on sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church.

Last August, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro released details of a Grand Jury report that found 301 priests and others affiliated with Catholic Dioceses had sexually molested, abused or assaulted more than 1,000 children over the past 70 years. Shapiro said that in addition, the Church often moved priests who had been credibly accused or generally covered up the accusations. Shapiro named names that were included in the Grand Jury report even though most had never faced criminal charges. In fact, many of those named were dead.

The Grand Jury report inspired other states to begin investigations into clergy abuse and Pope Francis had to address the issue since the report was made public.

With us on the program are Rep. Mark Rozzi of Berk County — an abuse survivor — and Pennsylvania’s Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm. We are also joined by survivor John Delaney.

The report said a priest sexually molested, abused and assaulted five sisters from one family. Four of the Fortnet sisters from Dauphin County appear on Thursday’s program.