美国官员对宾州天主教神职人员性侵案件开启调查

    Federal officials in the United States are investigating child sexual abuse inside the Roman Catholic Church.
    据报道,美国联邦官员正在调查罗马天主教会内部发生的儿童性侵事件。

    The Associated Press reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has officially demanded documents and statements from church leaders in Pennsylvania. The orders were presented to church officials last week, the AP says.
    美联社报道称,联邦调查局已经正式要求宾州教会领袖提供文件和供述。美联社称这些命令已于上周提交给教会官员。

    In August, a grand jury released a report about such accusations. The report accused 301 priests in Pennsylvania of sexually abusing more than 1,000 children over 70 years. It also said that high-level church officials hid the activities to protect the accused.
    今年8月,一家大陪审团发布了关于此类指控的报告。该报告指控宾州的301名牧师70多年来对超过1000名儿童进行了性侵。报告还称教会高层领袖掩盖了这种行为以保护被告。

    Federal government lawyers, called prosecutors, are now taking action. That is what two people who were not permitted to discuss the investigation told AP. They spoke to the AP on the condition that the news group would keep their identities secret.
    被称为检察官的联邦政府律师现在正在采取行动。这是两位不被允许讨论这次调查的人士告诉美联社的。他们向美联社发表了讲话,条件是这家新闻机构对他们的身份保密。

    Marci Hamilton is a University of Pennsylvania professor and leader of Child USA, a nonprofit research group for child abuse prevention.
    马尔奇.汉密尔顿(Marci Hamilton)是宾州大学教授以及Child USA的领导人,这是一家预防儿童性侵的非营利性研究组织。

    She said such action would be important. "The federal government has so far been utterly silent on the Catholic cases," she added.
    她说,这样的举动很重要。她补充表示,“联邦政府到目前为止还对这些天主教案件完全保持沉默。”

    U.S. Attorney William McSwain of Philadelphia released the orders for the documents and statements by Catholic officials. He said he wants to know if officials such as priests, bishops, seminarians or other Catholic leaders carried out any federal crimes.
    美国费城的检察官威廉·麦克斯韦恩(William McSwain)下令要求天主教官员提供文件和供述。他说,他想知道牧师、主教、修士等官员或其他天主教领袖是否犯下了任何联邦罪行。

    Such crimes could include taking children across state lines for illegal purposes, sending sexual images or messages electronically or ordering anyone not to contact police. McSwain also said he wants to know if Catholic officials moved suspected abusers to other areas or used money or other possessions as part of such wrongdoing.
    这类犯罪可能包括出于非法目的带儿童跨越州界、以电子方式发送性图片或信息,或是下令任何人不要报警。麦克斯韦恩还表示,他想知道天主教官员是否将性侵嫌犯转移到其它地区,或是将钱或其它财产作为这类不法行为的一部分。

    The order seeks private church records. The AP's unidentified individuals said government lawyers are also seeking records on the local Church's organization and finances. Details of where clergy worked and the treatment of priests are also being sought.
    该命令要求调查教会的不公开记录。美联社的这些身份不明人士表示,检察官还在调查当地教会的组织和财务方面的记录,并且还在调查神职人员的工作地点和牧师的待遇这些详细信息。

    The Pennsylvania grand jury report was almost 900 pages. It found that church leaders systematically hid evidence of wrongdoing.
    宾州大陪审团的报告有近900页。它发现了教会领袖系统掩盖不法行为的证据。

    However, the report said only two priests could be charged because of time limits on legal action for such crimes. Many accused priests have already died.
    然而,该报告称,由于这类犯罪的法律诉讼时限,只能对两名牧师提出指控。许多被指控的牧师已经过世。

    Legal experts said local Roman Catholic Churches could possibly be charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. That federal law, passed by Congress in 1970, is meant to fight organized crime.
    法律专家表示,当地罗马天主教会可能会受到“反诈骗及腐败组织法”的指控。国会于1970年通过的这一联邦法案旨在打击有组织犯罪。

    I'm Caty Weaver.
    我是凯蒂·韦弗。(51VOA.COM原创翻译,禁止转载,违者必究!)