MSNBC Host Breaks Down Listening To Survivor Of Priest's Sexual Abuse

Rebecca Shapiro

MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle grew emotional as she and co-host Ali Velshi discussed the Pennsylvania grand jury report revealing that the Catholic church had covered up 301 priests’ sex abuse crimes against more than 1,000 children over decades.

Ruhle, who said two of her children attend Catholic school, was visibly upset while introducing a video report and held back tears as she listened to Shaun Dougherty, a survivor, share his story.

“These guys are just like single guys trying to score on the weekend ― with children,” Dougherty said of the abusers. “They visit Niagara Falls. They take them on camping trips. They take them to the beach. They bring them here to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, take them to a Broadway show.”

Ruhle broke down as she listened to Dougherty, and she ended the segment lamenting how once-trusted institutions were failing people.

“There was a time in this country when we looked to the government and we looked to the church for cues on how to act, how to build communities and how to work together,” she said. “Right now, those days seem so far away.”

The MSNBC host thanked Dougherty and the many other survivors for bravely telling their stories.

Dougherty’s story was one of many included in the grand jury report released on Tuesday. He was abused when he was 10 years old.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the 884-page report is the largest investigation into the church’s sex abuse scandal by a U.S. state. It included four recommendations for the state, including removing the criminal statute of limitations and tightening laws about mandatory reporting.

H/T Raw Story

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