Greedy Trial Lawyer
The Catholic Church Clears Priest Of Molestations - In Secret
Category: Seeing Clearly Now
The Roman Catholic Church has perfected the investigation and prosecution of priests accused of molesting minors. After reading this report of the process when government prosecutors are not involved, it is apparent that (1) secret trials conducted by (2) fellow priests and reviewed by (3) Rome is the formula to clear the good name of men of the cloth.
Vatican clears former pastor of sex charges
The Rev. William J. Dowd, a popular Bergen County priest who was accused in 2002 of sexual misconduct with minors, has been cleared by church officials in Rome.The decision means the 67-year-old Dowd can wear clerical garb, celebrate Mass and represent himself as a Catholic priest for the first time in more than five years.
A panel of three priests found Dowd innocent of the allegations in a 2005 closed-door church trial in Newark. That proceeding then had to be reviewed by the Vatican....Officials in Rome contacted the archdiocese late last week to say they had affirmed the trial.
Not everyone cheered the news. A victims' advocacy group criticized the church's use of closed-door proceedings.
"Historically, people have been very skeptical of secret church proceedings when clerics are clearing other clerics of crimes against children," said Mark Crawford, co-director of the New Jersey chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "More and more often, these proceedings are returning the accused predator priest to ministry."
Dowd never faced criminal charges. The allegations were decades old and, as a result, could not be prosecuted under the statute of limitations.
Church officials have released few details about Dowd's case, saying only that a man from Mississippi initially came forward, followed by a second accuser. Both alleged that Dowd had engaged in sexual misconduct with them while they were minors.
The case was presented initially to an archdiocesan review board - a predominantly lay panel appointed by the church - which determined the accusations warranted further action.
That led to the closed-door trial in 2005, with three priests from outside the archdiocese acting as judges.
Dowd was represented by an attorney versed in church law and the archdiocese assigned a "promoter of justice" to present the case.
"It went through a period of months, with evidence being gathered and a number of people from both sides presenting testimony," [Jim] Goodness [a spokesman for the Newark Archdiocese] said. "The decision of the tribunal was that he was not guilty of the allegations."
That decision then was sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, which reviewed the trial and found it was conducted in accordance with church law.
From NorthJersey.com
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