UN Calls Reports About Abuse Of Thousands Of By Pennsylvania Priests 'disturbing'

UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2018 ) :The United Nations Wednesday voiced its concern over reports that Roman Catholic priests in U.S. state of Pennsylvania sexually abused thousands of children over a 70-year period and called for an investigation.

"We have seen the the press reports ... they are disturbing and heart-breaking," Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, said in reply to a question at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

Citing the state attorney general, the reports said that the victims were silenced through the weaponization of faith and a systematic cover-up campaign by their bishops. t The spokesman said the concerned authorities should investigate the allegations in a bid to end the abuse of children.

An 884-page report made public by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro after a two-year investigation contained graphic examples of children being groomed and sexually abused by clergymen.

It was largely based on documents from secret archives kept by the dioceses, including handwritten confessions by priests, he said.

It was child sexual abuse, including rape, committed by grown men - priests - against children, Shapiro told a press conference.

There were no comments from representatives of the six Pennsylvania dioceses included in the report.

The attorney general said it was the most comprehensive report on Catholic clergy sex abuse in American history, nearly two decades after an expose of widespread abuse and cover-up in Boston that rocked the Roman Catholic church.