Group: Pa. Catholic leaders failed to protect kids

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A national advocacy group alleges that high-ranking Roman Catholic clergy in the Philadelphia Archdiocese conspired to cover up criminal acts by two priests who the group says sexually assaulted the same boy in the 1990s.

Barbara Blaine of the group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said a lawsuit will be filed today naming archdiocesan officials and staffers. The group says the Villanova-based Augustinians also will be named a defendant.

Blaine said the lawsuit will contend that the archdiocese “continues to tolerate and actively conceal the sexual abuse of children.”

The lawsuit follows criminal charges brought last week in Philadelphia against three priests, a parochial school teacher, and a top clergy member. The priests and teacher were charged with rape; the clergy supervisor for allegedly failing to protect children.