I was just informed and hope the info is correct that the jury has reached a verdict in the sex abuse case involving 2 Philadelphia priests.
Verdict will be announced in court at 2 p.m. EST
CNN Breaking News: Jury reached a verdict in case involving 2 Philadelphia priests
by AndersonsInfo 11 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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AndersonsInfo
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AndersonsInfo
I just heard on CNN:
Partial verdict - Hung jury on priest Brennan. Reporters waiting on judge to decide what's next.
Other priest - Lynn: Guilty of one count of endangering a child.
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Giordano
Thanks for the heads up.
"PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Monsignor William Lynn was found guilty on Friday of one count of endangering the welfare of a child, making him the highest-ranking U.S. Roman Catholic official convicted in the church child sex abuse scandal.
The jury acquitted Lynn, who oversaw hundreds of priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, on two other counts.
The jury deliberated 13 days before reaching a decision in the trial of Lynn, 61, who for 12 years served as secretary of the clergy. Lynn faces up to seven years in prison on the child endangerment conviction."Wonder how closely the WTBTS is following this case?
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Cadellin
I was just about to post a link to this story. The parallel b/w the WT case and this RC one is eerie, only this one involves jail time. Notice that this priest is "the first U.S. church official convicted of a crime for how he handled abuse claims" (emphasis added). What he did was almost exactly what elders have been instructed to do: say nothing to congregation members, do nothing to prevent further abuse.
This paragraph is particularly interesting:
"Prosecutors said they showed a pattern at the archdiocese of lying about why priests were removed, sending them to "company doctors" at church-run therapy centers and failing to warn new parishes where they were later transferred.
"They put so many innocent children in danger," Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington said in his closing remarks, noting that it can take years or decades for victims to come forward. "That's what's so scary about this. We have no idea how many victims are out there." (Emphasis added.)
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Soldier77
This happening at the same time as Conti's case is almost unbelievable. The legal department has got to be extremely concerned by this news as this is something that can be brought against them as well.
I never thought that I would see things like this unfold against the organization. I had hope, but this is is just amazing.
We all thought the Sparlock debacle was something to get fired up about, this abuse case may just be the downfall of the org.
I'm so happy right now.
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Refriedtruth
(CBS/AP) PHILADELPHIA - Monsignor William Lynn, a Roman Catholic church official, has been convicted of child endangerment but acquitted of conspiracy in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial in Philadelphia.
Lynn is the first U.S. church official convicted of a crime for how he handled sex-abuse accusations.
Lynn has been on leave from the church since his arrest last year. The criminal case stems from his long stint as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, mostly under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Defense lawyers say he tried to document the claims, get priests into treatment and alert his bishop to problem priests. Lynn says the cardinal was the ultimate authority on what happened to the priests.Prosecutors argue that he could have called police or quit the job if efforts to help victims were being stymied.
---HELLO Watchtower monitors I just emailed an updated PR packet to the 3 Philly reporters and I will contact every reporter touched by this issue.
BYE
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mind blown
And on the heels of the Jerry Sandusky verdict too! It's a pedo month for sure.......something has to give!
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sir82
Hey, maybe history will repeat itself.
In 1918 the "7 directors of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society" were imprisoned.
Mabe by 2014, just in time for the 100th anniversary celebration of "Christ's invisible presence", 7 or more directors of the Watchtower Bible and Tract will be imprisoned as well.
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Quendi
These are still early days, my friends, but maybe, just maybe, our hopes, dreams and prayers are being fulfilled. As others have noted, the WTS mess has come in conjunction with the Philadelphia verdict and the pending outcome of the Jerry Sandusky case. The Philadelphia verdict likely will be appealed and so will Sandusky if he also is convicted. Nevertheless, it is clear that a sea change has come about in our society with respect to aiding and abetting pedophiles and no person or organization is going to be overlooked.
I hope we are seeing the beginning of the end of the WTS. It's not the monetary awards that might bring it down but damage done to its reputation that could possibly spell its doom. These events, though certainly not on the same scale, remind me of the collapse of European communism in 1989-1991. It all started with the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and two years later the Soviet Union imploded. I'm hoping we will see something similar with the WTS. Yes indeed, the End might be near--the end of the WTS!
Quendi