Sex Abuse Lawsuit Alleges Racketeering by Catholic Diocese

Increasingly, it is becoming common knowledge that a Vatican directive ordered Catholic dioceses and members of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy to deliberately cover up the sexual abuse of minors and to do everything possible to keep sexual predator priests from being arrested and "tarnishing" the Church's reputation. Fortunately, some lawsuits are now being filed against Catholic dioceses under the federal racketeering statutes which focus on conspiracies aimed at promoting or protecting criminal activities. Once such case has been filed in Connecticut. Here are some highlights on the case from Newsday:

*

A Connecticut woman has filed a racketeering lawsuit accusing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich of conspiring to cover up sexual abuse of children by priests. The woman is known only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit pending in U.S. District Court in Hartford. She alleges she was sexually abused by the late Rev. Thomas W. Shea in 1976 when she was 13 and he was assigned to St. Joseph's Church in New London. The lawsuit claims the alleged cover-up conspiracy involved diocese officials transferring Shea and several other priests to other parishes numerous times after they were accused of sexual abuse.

*

The woman's lawyer, Robert Reardon, said . . . "We tried to demonstrate through a number of different instances, and through a course of certain conduct, how this conspiracy went," Reardon said. "Whenever there was a complaint, the priest would be transferred."

*

Abuse complaints were first filed against Shea in the 1950s and he was transferred numerous times after being accused until he was placed on leave in 1983, according to the lawsuit and published reports. The lawsuit says the diocese and current and former diocese officials should be held accountable under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It accuses the defendants of concealing priests' criminal conduct, obstructing justice, bribing victims to keep criminal conduct secret and other crimes. Racketeering carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000 per count.

*

The diocese and its insurance company have paid nearly $5 million to alleged victims of sexual abuse, according to the church.

*

Regardless of whether or not the lawsuit succeeds, it provides yet further examples of the moral bankruptcy of the Church hierarchy which time and time again sold out the best interests of children and minors in order to protect the image of the Church. And what does Benedict XVI do in response? Nothing other than insincere apologies.