Zimmer echoes file call

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE — In an unusual communiqué, Wayne County District Attorney Mark Zimmer publicized the position of the Pennsylvania District Attorney Association’s (PDAA) position on the recent church sexual scandals.

“It is the position of the PDAA that it is incumbent upon all organizations, religious or secular, to be responsible, to open their files and to disclose allegations of any crime committed within Pennsylvania to the District Attorney of the respective county,” Zimmer said.

It is the District Attorney who has the authority to decide if sufficient, admissible and credible evidence exists to justify the filing of charges, he said.

In several cases recently in the news, some Catholic dioceses were refusing to release such evidence while other were agreeing.

“We encourage victims of sexual assault to come forward and report the allegations to law enforcement,” Zimmer said. “In this way, children will be protected, offenders will be held accountable and future crimes will be prevented.”