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Key witness could be in doubt in landmark church retrial

  • The Associated Press
FILE – In this March 28, 2017, file photo, Monsignor William Lynn arrives for a preliminary hearing in his retrial of his child endangerment case at the Center for Criminal Justice, in Philadelphia. Monsignor Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official ever charged with child endangerment over his handling of priest-abuse complaints. His 2012 conviction has twice been overturned, and his retrial is now set for March 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE – In this March 28, 2017, file photo, Monsignor William Lynn arrives for a preliminary hearing in his retrial of his child endangerment case at the Center for Criminal Justice, in Philadelphia. Monsignor Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official ever charged with child endangerment over his handling of priest-abuse complaints. His 2012 conviction has twice been overturned, and his retrial is now set for March 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

(Philadelphia) — A longtime church official is set to be retried in a landmark church abuse case in Philadelphia, but it’s not clear if the key accuser will testify.

Monsignor William Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official ever charged with child endangerment over his handling of priest-abuse complaints.

His 2012 conviction has twice been overturned, and his retrial is now set for March 16.

Prosecutors this month say they’re not sure they’ll call a young man who said he was abused by two priests and a teacher. They argue that Lynn endangered children simply by transferring problem priests without warning.

The defense insists the accuser must testify.

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