HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
A victims' rights advocate says Penn State University officials made a moral and ethical blunder by not reporting sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky to the police.
Jennifer Storm of the Dauphin County Victim/Witness Assistance program called it "an absolute, systematic failure" that no legal action was taken to protect a boy allegedly assaulted by Sandusky in March 2002.
"The institution of Penn State is not the criminal justice system," Storm said. "They should have reported this to the authorities."
According to a grand jury that investigated the case, an assistant testified that he witnessed the assault in a locker room and reported it to head football coach Joe Paterno, who said he went to athletic director Tim Curley but apparently did nothing more.
"I think it's not enough," Storm said. "He's a coach, he's a mentor, he's a legend. He has an obligation to everyone in the community to follow up on an allegation this strong."
Paterno has insisted he wasn't told the graphic nature of the
assault. His reputation is as white as Penn State uniforms and he's
known
for always doing what's right, but Storm said this time he didn't.
"I think he should have trouble sleeping at night," Storm said. "Maybe he
didn't have a legal obligation, but he had a moral and ethical obligation
to follow up, and what about that ten year old kid? Why did nobody care
about that ten year old boy?"
Attorney General Linda Kelly said that rather than going to police, Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz banned Sandusky from bringing children from his charity into the football building -- a policy she said was reviewed and approved by University President Graham Spanier without any further inquiry.
Storm said Spanier also had a responsibility to do more.
"The public opinion of people like Graham Spanier and Joe Paterno, while they may not be legally culpable, I think they're morally and ethically culpable," Storm said. "And in terms of Graham Spanier, depending on how you read the law, I think he also may have had a legal responsibility."
Jerry Sandusky
Tim Curley
Gary Schultz
