Lawyer: Client to testify against Sandusky
Published 8:56 am Thursday, November 17, 2011
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A lawyer said Wednesday that his client will testify that he was sexually abused by former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, and Pennsylvania state lawmakers are starting to plan for a special commission that will examine the legal issues raised by the child sex-abuse scandal.
Harrisburg attorney Ben Andreozzi said he represents a client who will testify against Sandusky, who is accused of abusing eight boys, some on campus, over 15 years.
“I am appalled by the fact that Mr. Sandusky has elected to re-victimize these young men at a time when they should be healing,” Andreozzi said, in a statement released by his office. “He fully intends to testify that he was severely sexually assaulted by Mr. Sandusky.”
Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola, appeared with him on NBC’s “Rock Center” on Monday night and cast doubt on the evidence in the case.
“We anticipate we’re going to have at least several of those kids come forward and say, ‘This never happened. This is me. This is the allegation. It never occurred,’” Amendola said.
Andreozzi said he has his “finger on the pulse” of the case and knows of no accusers changing their stories or refusing to testify.
“To the contrary, others are actually coming forward, and I will have more information for you later this week,” Andreozzi said.
Sandusky, 67, appeared on the show by phone and said he had showered with boys but never molested them.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania legislative leaders said they will set up a bipartisan, bicameral commission to consider changes to state law in the wake of the scandal. The plan was described as being in the planning stage, including meetings of leaders and their aides.
Topics are likely to include mandatory reporting of suspected abuse, and the legal definition of child abuse, said Senate Democratic spokeswoman Lisa Scullin.
Also Wednesday, Penn State campus police and their counterparts in State College said they had no record of Mike McQueary reporting an alleged sexual assault by Jerry Sandusky on a 10-year-old boy in a campus shower.
The details ran counter to McQueary’s claims in an email to former teammates and made available to The Associated Press this week.
McQueary, then a graduate assistant for the football team, wrote in the email that he had discussions with police about what he saw. In the email, McQueary did not specify which police department he spoke to.
State College borough police Chief Tom King said McQueary didn’t make a report to his department.
Campus police referred questions on the Sandusky case to the university’s public information office.