A blurred photo of the inside of a church sanctuary.
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Judge says parents can sue diocese over abuse reporting
By Claudia Lauer/The Associated Press
iStock
A blurred photo of the inside of a church sanctuary.
(Philadelphia) — A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that parents of children in the Roman Catholic Church and survivors of sexual abuse by clergy members can move forward with a lawsuit against the Diocese of Pittsburgh alleging that it has not fulfilled its obligations under state law to report child sexual abusers.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the lawsuit is the first time a private citizen has been allowed to challenge an institution to prove it is complying with a reporting law.
The ruling Tuesday granted a preliminary dismissal to the state’s other dioceses because the lawsuit did not include specific allegations against them.
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