Grand Jury Report On PA Priest Sex Abuse Blocked From Release

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has blocked the release of a grand jury report detailing widespread sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in six of the state's eight dioceses. In an order issued Wednesday, the Supreme Court has issued a stay of proceedings to review legal challenges that sought to prevent its release.

"And now, this 20th day of June, 2018, the Applications for Stay are GRANTED. The Honorable Norman A. Krumenacker, III, and the Office of the Attorney General are enjoined from releasing Report No. 1 of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury pending further order of this Court. The instant order is unsealed. All other materials at these docket numbers are not presently publicly available," the order reads.

Last month, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said he had planned to speak in June about the comprehensive grand jury report, which is nearly two years in the making.

Described by the Associated Press as the "biggest and most exhaustive ever" investigation into priest sex abuse by an individual state, the grand jury report details allegations at six of Pennsylvania's eight dioceses, including Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton.

RELATED: 'Widespread' Sex Abuse By PA Priests To Be Revealed In Report: AG

Shapiro, in a statement issued after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order, said he will continue "fighting tirelessly to make sure the victims of this abuse are able to tell their stories and the findings of this investigation are made public to the people of Pennsylvania.”

The individuals or institutions who presented legal challenges to prevent the report's release were not named.

The grand jury investigation will reveal potentially damaging information that not only shows there was widespread abuse, but also "efforts to conceal and protect abusive priests," according to the Associated Press.

It is not the first time the state's Catholic churches have come under scrutiny.

In 2016, a Pennsylvania grand jury investigated the Altoona-Johnstown diocese. A report released after that investigation revealed hundreds of children were subjected to abuse that was masked by two bishops who averted probes into the claims and created a "payout chart" to quietly compensate victims based on the level of abuse.

RELATED: Catholic Bishops Hid Sex Abuse Of Hundreds Of PA Children: Grand Jury

More than 50 priests and religious leaders who served at churches across the state were implicated in a sex-abuse scandal dating back 40 years, the investigation into Altoona-Johnstown revealed. Criminal charges were not filed because many of the priests accused of abuse had died and the statute of limitations had expired.

Image via Shutterstock