Penn State child sex-abuse scandal: When we had the facts, we ran the story

PennLive ^ | 10-10-11 | David Newhouse

[tcrlaf]

On Friday, The Patriot-News was the first news organization to report that former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky had been charged with child sex abuse. Since then, the national media have descended on Happy Valley and our own coverage has drawn 6 million page views on PennLive.com.

While many readers have expressed their appreciation for our coverage, some have asked: Forget Joe Paterno or Graham Spanier. Why didn’t The Patriot-News investigate these allegations sooner?

That’s an important question. Here is the answer:

[mewzilla]

I’ll bet the local media down there has been spiking stories on Sandusky for years. Someone should ask media outlets down there to go on the record about what they knew and when they knew it. How long they’ve been practicing don’t ask, don’t tell.

[HereInTheHeartland]

It sounds like the list of people who should be shot; keeps growing.
Clean it up; scorch the earth. I could care less what any police entity told me; I would not stay silent about something like this.
Yes there would probably be repercussions; but who cares?

The alternative of staying silent would be 100’s of times worse.

[Campion]

The GJ investigation started after another kid complained of Sandusky making sexual advances to him in 2009. The 2002 incident was uncovered in the course of the investigation.

[randita]

PA Ping List

[Tribune7]

ping

[airborne]

The newspaper was quite correct in making absolutely certain they had the facts in hand before publishing the original story.

And yet they have absolutely no problem publishing the smears against Herman Cain, without the "facts" they are so committed to having.

[airborne]

It appears from the grand jury presentment that the school’s aim was to handle this report very quietly. They succeeded. No one who had been directly involved talked about it at the time. No one.

Sandusky flaunted the so-called “ban” on his bringing kids to campus — in fact, he held Second Mile camps on other Penn State campuses as recently as 2008. We never noticed any sanctions against the former coach because they didn’t really exist.

So, the cover-up was perpetrated by the PSU Administration, the football staff and the Pennsylvania State Police. And who else, I wonder?

[GAgal]

I suggest folks read the grand jury report. Victim 6’s story begins on p. 18. He’s the boy whose mother got the police to investigate Sandusky in 1998. The boy met Sandusky at a picnic when he was 7 or 8 yrs. old. Sandusky spent the next 3 yrs. lavishing him with gifts and attention, but no molestation until he took the boy to the football bldg., wrestled/rough-housed with him, and then insisted they were sweaty and needed a shower. The shower scene describes a naked Sandusky lathering the naked boy and bear-hugging him. No doubt, this was the prelude to eventually progressing episode by episode to the child rape McQueary saw another boy endure in 2002. DA Gricar, even faced with Sandusky admitting to showering with a naked child, lathering him up, and bear-hugging him, may have genuinely believed that event didn’t rise to a criminal offense, especially as there was no claim of earlier questionable conduct between the two.

[Erik Latranyi]

The DA had a ‘bitter taste in his mouth’ for the Penn State program and Coach Sandusky, added his nephew.

I think the power of Penn State was stronger than Gricar's case against Sandusky in 1998, so I think Gricar took a deal that included money in exchange for protection.

Gricar always wanted to travel the world when he retired and he announced his retirement in January 2004, 16 months before he disappeared.

[BossLady]

Ewwwww.....a Sandusky.....people are sick......

I am wondering if this is the woman that I read a rumor about receiving a black SUV for keeping her mouth shut.

[Buckeye McFrog]

hmmm.....and when the PA State Police ordered this mother to keep her trap shut, our Governor would have been Tom Ridge.

The same Tom Ridge whose name is being bandied about as Graham Spanier’s replacement...

[SaraJohnson]

During our own investigation, years later, the mother told us that she had been specifically instructed by state police not to speak with reporters.

---

Evil thrives behind secrecy and lies.

No way would I have kept this secret (given what I know at my age now). If I know, I’m blabbing.

[UCANSEE2]

We need answers about who knew what and why it was decided not to prosecute back then?

Final say on the disposition of the case fell to DA Grigar who elected not to file charges. Of course, he's no longer available for questioning on this portion of the whole matter, as he disappeared some years later, and was recently declared "dead".

Thanks to INFOWARRIOR.

[GOPJ]

During our own investigation, years later, the mother told us that she had been specifically instructed by state police not to speak with reporters. No charges were filed against Sandusky in 1998. With the mother cowed into silence, the incident remained buried.

Sounds like a lot of people were involved... on many levels.

[UCANSEE2]

As usual, the LOSS of a LOT OF MONEY was the justification for keeping this quiet, possibly involving murder as well.

It’s always the same story.

[UCANSEE2]

(and because SOURCED LINKS are vital):

D.A. Missing, Declared Dead Who Likely Would Have Pursued Sandusky Prosecution

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/13183

[maggief]

(no link)

EVENING OF EXCELLENCE - SECOND MILE AND PATERNO SHARE SALUTE
Lancaster New Era (PA) - Thursday, March 20, 1997
Author: GREG GRASA
HERSHEY - It was billed as “A Celebration of Excellence,” a special evening honoring Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno.

But Paterno himself was the first to point out that this night really was a salute to his assistant, Jerry Sandusky , and The Second Mile organization that Sandusky founded nearly 20 years ago.

“It should be a tribute to Jerry Sandusky and the volunteers in The Second Mile,” Paterno said of his defensive coordinator, who has been an assistant coach for 29 of Paterno’s 31 seasons as head coach. “These are special people, it’s a special project and I just feel privileged to be a part of it tonight.”

A crowd of about 600 filled the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center’s main banquet room Wednesday night to honor Paterno and support a noble endeavor. The Second Mile is a charitable organization that gives disadvantaged youth a second chance. More than 105,000 children across Pennsylvania are currently benefiting from the organization’s network of eight prevention, early-intervention and community-based programs.

“In the environment we’re in right now, Jerry and The Second Mile really prophesied what was going to have to happen with welfare - helping people without having the federal government or the state necessarily do it,” Paterno said. “That private sources could do it and could do it well. The Second Mile is a great example of what people can do who have leadership and who want to do it without a massive bureaucracy.”

Sandusky , whose organization grew out of his own experience as a foster parent, credited Paterno for allowing him the time to nurture The Second Mile and his extended family over the years.

“The Second Mile owes a lot to the Penn State football program and Joe Paterno, who allowed me to divert some of my attention to establishing our organization,” Sandusky said. “I don’t believe there is another major football program in the country in which that could have happened.”

In light of that, Wednesday’s event was an appreciation of both Paterno and The Second Mile. Gov. Tom Ridge and Republican state Sens. Robert Jubelirer and David Brightbill headed a list of luminaries in attendance, which also included a Who’s Who of Penn State athletics.

(snip)

[UCANSEE2]

And who else, I wonder?

Just about 'everyone' who is 'anybody'.

[UCANSEE2]

In light of that, Wednesday’s event was an appreciation of both Paterno and The Second Mile. Gov. Tom Ridge and Republican state Sens. Robert Jubelirer and David Brightbill headed a list of luminaries in attendance, which also included a Who’s Who of Penn State athletics.

After-party in boy's locker room shower. Get a closeup look at our newest and brightest athletes. Get your ticket at the major donor window.

[TheOldLady]

Click the Pic               Thank you, JoeProBono

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