CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — The Catholic bishop of a New Jersey diocese mentioned he would now not oppose a state grand jury investigation of clergy sexual abuse that the church has been combating behind closed doorways in court docket for years.

It’s not clear, nonetheless, that the grand jury investigation will go ahead as a result of the state Supreme Courtroom is already contemplating the diocese’s earlier argument in opposition to seating one.

Camden Bishop Joseph Williams, who took over the diocese in March, advised the Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday the diocese now not needs to stop the lawyer common’s workplace from seating a grand jury to analyze allegations of sexual abuse by clergymen and different spiritual officers.

“Our people need to hear this, the clergy needs to hear this, so that it never happens again, first of all,” Williams mentioned.

A message searching for remark Tuesday was left with the diocese.

The change comes per week after attorneys for the diocese argued earlier than the state Supreme Courtroom that prosecutors didn’t have the authority underneath court docket guidelines to make use of a grand jury to analyze personal church officers. As an alternative, the legal professionals argued, the rule requires grand jury presentments to deal with public officers and authorities.

The excessive court docket has not but issued an opinion on the arguments. It’s not instantly clear how the bishop’s new place would have an effect on their ruling and whether or not the court docket may facet with the diocese’s earlier place.

The assertion identified that prosecutors are nonetheless topic to decrease court docket orders that blocked the investigation.

Mark Crawford, state director of Survivors Community for these Abused by Clergymen, mentioned in a textual content message Tuesday that the change was “long overdue.”

“We are cautiously optimistic as this is certainly the right thing to do and for the right reasons,” he mentioned. “This should have happened long ago and seeing Bishop Williams take a different approach is encouraging.”

The problem dates to a Pennsylvania grand jury report in 2018 that discovered greater than 1,000 kids had been abused in that state for the reason that Nineteen Forties, prompting the New Jersey lawyer common to announce an analogous investigation.

However the outcomes of New Jersey’s inquiry by no means turned public partly as a result of a authorized battle led by the Diocese of Camden was unfolding behind closed doorways amid sealed proceedings.

Then, this yr the Bergen File obtained data disclosing a trial court docket’s judgment in favor of the diocese and revealing the diocese’s objection to the grand jury. And in March, the Supreme Courtroom ordered extra paperwork within the case unsealed.

The core disagreement is over whether or not a court docket rule permits grand juries in New Jersey to situation findings in instances involving personal people. Trial and appellate courts discovered for the diocese.

In oral arguments, Supreme Courtroom justices at occasions sounded skeptical of the diocese’s then-position that the grand jury investigation would quantity to a condemnation of the church and its officers.

“We don’t know what a grand jury would say, am I right?” Justice Anne Patterson requested on the time.

Initially Printed: Might 6, 2025 at 10:17 AM EDT