HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg released the following statement today following the guilty plea from John Allen.
“We are glad to see that justice will be served against John Allen for the heinous crimes and pain he inflicted on innocent children. The Diocese of Harrisburg removed Allen from ministry 18 years ago upon receiving an allegation of abuse. The Diocese immediately turned this allegation over to civil authorities at that time and publicly announced Allen’s removal from active ministry. Allen was laicized in 2006.
“Every allegation against Allen, included those stemming from the release of the Grand Jury Report, have been reported by the Diocese of Harrisburg to multiple law enforcement agencies. Allen’s name, in addition to the original announcement of his removal from ministry in 2002, was made public again in our list of clergy, deacons and seminarians with allegations of child sexual abuse on August 1, 2018 and he was included in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. As the District Attorney’s office has previously acknowledged, the criminal charges that Allen has pled to are the result of reports made to their office by the Diocese.
“We continue to condemn John Allen’s actions and to fully support law enforcement in their investigation of this and every case of child abuse involving a member of the clergy. Allen is not now, and has not been for over a decade, a priest of the Catholic Church. Bishop Ronald Gainer, on behalf of the Church, extends our prayers, heartfelt sorrow and apologies to all survivors of clergy sexual abuse.”
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