NEW CASTLE —
There probably isn’t much new to say about the Jerry Sandusky saga at this point.
However, yesterday’s sentencing of Sandusky to 30 to 60 years in prison — essentially a life term — for his conviction on child sex abuse charges, warrants additional comment.
Although Sandusky’s case has attracted massive public attention, it remains difficult to fathom that an institution such as Penn State University could allow itself to be placed in its current predicament.
Several members of the school’s leadership, including former president Graham Spanier and the late, legendary football coach Joe Paterno, have been widely discredited for failure to deal more effectively with reports of Sandusky’s horrific crimes.
Plus some officials are awaiting trial, and ongoing investigations could lead to new charges. On top of that, civil suits are pending and the university will continue to deal with the consequences of the Sandusky saga for years to come.
We understand that sexual predators are often repeat offenders, seemingly incapable of controlling their actions. And in the case of Sandusky, part of that appears to include utter denial of what has happened.
Despite the overwhelming evidence and testimony against him, despite revelations that concerns about his conduct have existed for years, he continued to plead his innocence at his sentencing. There is no remorse here, and if putting Sandusky away for the rest of his life is what it takes to protect more children, so be it.
We continue to hold out the hope that the scrutiny surrounding the case of Sandusky and Penn State will lead to a few positives. In particular, we would like to think that the results of the case — delayed as they might have been — will encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward and fight back.
It’s important to remember that these predators don’t quit; they merely move on. So they must be stopped.
But we also have stressed the need for institutions and the people who lead them to learn from what happened to Penn State. While this may be an extreme case, there is a human tendency to look the other way when something wrong occurs. Ignore it and it will go away, so to speak.
Maybe that happens at times, but not always — as Sandusky’s case amply demonstrates. And the more serious the problem that’s downplayed, the greater the consequences will be when it’s exposed.
What’s the old saying? Honesty is the best policy. We imagine plenty of people at Penn State these days wish it had been followed with Sandusky.
Penn State Scandal
Related Photos
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Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, center, leaves the Centre County Courthouse on Tuesday after being sentenced. Sandusky will spend at least 30 years in prison, effectively a life sentence, in the child sexual abuse scandal that brought shame to Penn State and led to coach Joe Paterno's downfall.
Discussion
Our Opinion: Sandusky jail term protects children and sends a message
- Penn State Scandal
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Paterno family speaks at child abuse event
On the night before he died, Joe Paterno scrawled a message that his wife Sue did not find until after the legendary coach had passed away. In that message, Joe Paterno noted the silver lining in the child sex abuse coverup that led to his firing might be that the scandal could inspire a greater awareness about child abuse.
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Judge: No new trial for Sandusky
Jerry Sandusky lost a bid for a new trial Wednesday when a judge rejected his argument that his lawyers were not given enough time to prepare for the three-week proceeding that ended with a 45-count guilty verdict.
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Ex-PSU president Spanier charged in sex abuse scandal
Former Penn State President Graham Spanier on Thursday became the latest high-ranking school official to face charges in the child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Additional charges were also filed against two other school officials already charged in the case.
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Our Opinion: Sandusky jail term protects children and sends a message
There probably isn’t much new to say about the Jerry Sandusky saga at this point. However, yesterday’s sentencing of Sandusky to 30 to 60 years in prison — essentially a life term — for his conviction on child sex abuse charges, warrants additional comment.
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Jerry Sandusky will die in prison, judge says
Jerry Sandusky was sentenced Tuesday to at least 30 years in prison — effectively a life sentence — in the child-sex-abuse scandal that brought shame to Penn State and led to coach Joe Paterno's downfall. A defiant Sandusky gave a rambling statement in which he denied the allegations and talked about his life in prison and the pain of being away from his family.
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Former PSU assistant Jerry Sandusky sentenced to at least 30 years in prison
Jerry Sandusky was sentenced Tuesday to at least 30 years in prison — effectively a life sentence — in the child sexual abuse scandal that brought shame to Penn State and led to coach Joe Paterno's downfall. A defiant Sandusky gave a rambling statement in which he denied the allegations and talked about his life in prison and the pain of being away from his family.
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Penn State officials lose pretrial motion on perjury
Two weeks before former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is expected to be sentenced on child molestation charges, a county judge determined that perjury charges should remain in place against two university administrators.
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Lawyer: Sandusky regrets not taking the stand
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky regrets not taking the stand at his child sex abuse trial and likely will be sentenced next month, his defense lawyer said Wednesday.
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Paternos adjust to new Penn State era
Penn State’s season opener Saturday will be the first since 1949 not featuring someone with the name Paterno on the coaching staff. The Paternos are out of the picture, like the campus statue of the family patriarch; erased like his coaching records.
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Penn State Scandal: Former president Spanier goes on offensive
Penn State’s disgraced former president is trying to convince the public he had no idea that Jerry Sandusky was a child molester. Graham Spanier claims that he most certainly did not protect one.
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Paterno family speaks at child abuse event
