Priests abused 1,000 children

WASHINGTON - More than 300 "predator priests" from six Catholic dioceses across the eastern US state of Pennsylvania have been accused of sexually abusing over 1,000 children since the 1940s, according to a grand jury report released on Tuesday.

The 884-page document, issued by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, detailed a "systematic cover-up by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at the Vatican" over more than six decades, State Attorney General Josh Shapiro said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Shapiro said that more than 1,000 victims were identifiable from the church's own records, and the grand jury believes there are more after about two years of investigation.