Church leaders cleared

Boston

Roman Catholic leaders in Boston will not face criminal charges for allowing priests accused of sexual abuse to continue working with children, Massachusetts officials announced this week. Former archbishop Bernard Law was pressured into stepping down in December after he admitted mishandling scores of abuse charges. Thomas Reilly, the state attorney general, said it would be difficult to convict Law or other bishops because there was no state law requiring clergy members to report abuse to police. One alleged victim, Gary Bergeron, 41, said the decision put bishops above the law. Church leaders “agreed to sanction the abuse of children throughout the years,” he said, and they should be punished.

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