Two More Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse in Pittsburgh
The complaint alleges that Fr. Joseph Girdis and Fr. Larry Smith both abused the same unnamed plaintiff when he was 12-years-old and living at the Holy Family Institute in Emsworth, PA. Since neither priest was named in last year’s bombshell grand jury report that examined 6 dioceses, including Pittsburgh, we call on Bishop David Zubik and other Pittsburgh church officials to use every means at their disposal to publicize these accusations and urge anyone who may have information related to them to contact law enforcement immediately.
We also hope that this news will encourage others who may have been abused in Pittsburgh to come forward, make a report to police and prosecutors, and find support from family, independent therapists, or support groups like ours.
CONTACT: Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Regional Leader, (636-433-2511, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)