Should North Country prosecutors take a fresh look at Roman Catholic abuse allegations?
The Associated Press has uncovered documents showing that the future Pope of the Roman Catholic Church “stalled” a California bishop’s efforts to defrock a priest who had molested children.
The AP called the case, dating to the 1980s, “the strongest challenge yet” to the Vatican’s claim that Benedict played no role in delaying the removal of pedophile priests.
Whatever else these revelations tell us, they point to a stark reality:
For all its many strengths, the Church is incapable of self-policing when it comes to matters of clergy sexual abuse and pedophilia.
The letter signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger indicates that his top priority was not the safety of children, but rather “the good of the universal church.”
Throughout this harrowing crisis, most American prosecutors have taken a distinctly hands-off approach.
Thousands of children have been raped and molested. Only a handful of offenders have been convicted.
It is time for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to consider a more pro-active, aggressive stance.
Here in the North Country, the Diocese of Ogdensburg formally removed eight current and former priests from active service in 2004.
Church officials refused to name any of them, citing confidentiality rules.
At the time, Diocesan officials met with district attorneys from across the North Country at a session held in Lake Placid.
An internal review conducted by Terry LaValley — now the Bishop-elect — found that more than fifty people in the region had made credible claims that they had been raped or molested by North Country priests over the last half-century.
The vast majority were children.
But according to a law enforcement source interviewed by NCPR in 2004, local prosecutors took the Diocese at its word that none of the cases fell within the statute of limitations, or warranted further investigation.
It’s fair to question whether that trust is still appropriate.
At the very least, law enforcement officials should insist on full disclosure of all documents and details of alleged criminal behavior uncovered by the Diocesan probe so that an independent review can be made of the facts.
The pedophile priest involved in the California case, Rev. Stephen Kiesle, went on to molest more children years after he was defrocked.
It’s possible that some of the men removed from service by the Diocese may still pose a risk to the communities where they now live.
It may also be appropriate to review whether Church officials in the North Country violated any laws in failing to disclose sexual assaults prior to 2004.
Some Church officials have suggested that further scrutiny of this type would reflect anti-Catholic bias.
But officials in Ogdensburg have acknowledged that appalling crimes were committed.
It is hardly bias for law enforcement officials to do their duty, determining whether everything possible has been done to punish alleged offenders and protecting children from further risk.
Is there new evidence?
Brian,There's a very funny piece that orginally appeared in the Stamford Cardinal years ago titled, The Immutable Laws of Maureen Dowd. The thesis is that Dowd has a certain style and targets for her indignation; but, no matter how often she writes and recycles her thoughts she's become predictably tedious and BORING. Hint, Hint.
Mervel – Good question. It's also a good question whether the 'old evidence' has been thoroughly and professionally reviewed.Anonymous – It's fine to disagree with me that the alleged rape and molestation of dozens of children in the North Country warrants more scrutiny by law enforcement. But to suggest that the subject should be dropped because it's boring or tedious? Sorry, no.–Brian, NCPR
I think the law should be followed however it turns out. But Brian is there evidence that dozens of children have been raped by priests in the North Country? It seems like a very easy thing to say, particularly if one has a previous bias against the Catholic faith. No place can legally stop the prosecution of cases of rape, but you need evidence and a case, not just that you don't like the institution itself. If you go back to 1500 or 1600ad when Catholic's first came here you certainly would find over those hundreds of years some very very bad men and women in the Church. But I don't really know where you are going with all of this? Even the case with Cardinal Ratzinger was not someone who was convicted of anything and yes I think the Cardinal made a judgment mistake. Just like the people who hired that guy in Saranac Lake made about that guy; who raped that girl, made a judgment mistake or the people who were not honest about the allegations against him in his last job also made bad decisions. We all have to join against this evil and yes when it is in the Church lets root it out, but we must be consistent as this problem plagues all of the North Country.
Mervel -It may be futile for me to say this, but I harbor no hostility towards the Roman Catholic church as an institution.I'm convinced that the Church is a valuable — and even an irreplaceable — institution in the world and in the North Country.But the Diocese of Ogdensburg reported in 2004 that there had been more than 50 credible cases of alleged sexual abuse by priests in the North Country — 37 of them involving children.I'm simply suggesting that those allegations should be reviewed carefully by independent law enforcement and prosecutors.Where I'm going with this is also pretty simple: Rapists and child molesters who can be prosecuted and punished should be. –Brian, NCPR
It is beyond belief to me that anyone could report 50 rapes or molestations and the prosecutors wouldn't investigate because the person reporting said the cases were past the statute of limitations. Bias? Yes, it seems like there was unwarranted bias in favor of the church that put them above the law.
I am frankly puzzled by the suggestion of bias. If you substituted "principal" for "priest" in these stories, we would be having a different conversation. No one would be suggesting that this is gossip or a misunderstanding. Shouldn't adults be making decisions that first and foremost protect children and not be worried about appearances. It is small comfort for those abused to know they were sacrificed for the sake of "what it might look like" for the church.