August 14, 2018
Source/Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Detail of the introduction of the grand jury report on priest sex abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania.
A redacted, 1,000-page-plus grand jury report on more than 300 Pennsylvania priests accused of child sexual abuse was released Tuesday afternoon by the state Supreme Court.
Grand jurors investigated thousands of allegations of child sexual abuse by priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses: Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton.
The report describes unspeakable crimes against children at the hands of priests, many of whom were aided and abetted by people associated with the Roman Catholic Church and others in the community.
"We spent 24 months dredging up the most depraved behavior, only to find that the laws protect most of its perpetrators, and leave its victims with nothing," the grand jury wrote. "We say laws that do that need to change."
The language in the report is shocking, but necessary for grand jury members to tell such "odious stories," as they put it.
Here's a list of some of the most common words and phrases in the grand jury's report, and how often they appear:
victim(s), victimized – 3,200 times
sexual abuse(d), sexually abusing – 786
sexual assault – 47
rape(d), raping – 49
oral sex – 118
anal sex – 19
sodomized, sodomy – 12
"sodomized with a crucifix" – 1
grope(d), groping – 38
penetrate(d), penetration – 25
fondle(d), fondling – 184
molest(ed), molestation – 186
masturbate(d), masturbation – 63
ejaculate(d), ejaculation – 26
condom(s) – 7
penis – 74
vagina – 22
genitals – 130
anus – 18
buttock(s) – 35
pornography – 122
young boy(s) – 83
young girl(s) – 22
altar boy(s) – 99
teen(s) – 187
pubescent, pre-pubescent – 4
candy – 9
family friend – 9
pedophile(s), pedophila –49
predator(s) – 44
scandal – 77
confidentiality agreement(s) – 18
Philadelphia – 53
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Philadelphia archdiocese – 9
Father/Monsignor William Lynn – 2
Anthony Bevilacqua – 34
