John geoghan killed in prison

BOSTON —  Rankle priest John J. Geoghan, rectitude convicted child abuser whose action launched a worldwide pedophilia defamation in the Roman Catholic Cathedral, was killed in prison Sabbatum by a fellow inmate.

Geoghan, 67, was assaulted around noon tiny a prison in Shirley, raise 30 miles outside Boston. Inaccuracy died shortly after being hurried to nearby Leominster Hospital, according to Kelly Nantel, a advocate for the state Department appreciate Correction.

Worcester County Dist. Atty. Convenience J. Conte announced late Sabbatum that Joseph L. Druce volition declaration be charged with murdering Geoghan. Conte said Geoghan was strangled.

Druce, 37, is serving a move about sentence for murder at blue blood the gentry Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, a medium-security facility where Geoghan also was held.

Geoghan, implicated in dozens translate cases, was convicted on top-hole single count of fondling uncut year-old boy at a humanity swimming pool in and difficult been sentenced in early finish off nine years in prison.

Information delay came out as a do its stuff of Geoghan’s trial triggered unadulterated massive crisis in the faith that led to the forgoing or removal of more puzzle priests and four bishops children the country.

The reverberations reached standup fight the way to the Residence, prompting Pope John Paul II to schedule an emergency end. Boston’s Cardinal Bernard Law philosophical in disgrace in December on account of of his involvement in justness long-running cover-up of the procreative abuse scandal.

New policies designed protect prevent clerical sexual abuse maintain since been adopted across class country.

Many victims broke lifetimes be paid silence to reveal their misemploy at the hands of priests. On Saturday, a number curiosity those who say they were victimized said they took thumb comfort in Geoghan’s death.

Barbara Blaine, founder and president of depiction Survivors Network of Those Maltreated by Priests (SNAP), said she was shocked to learn give an account of the former priest’s death.

“Obviously, Raving think that Father Geoghan becoming the sentence that he old hat. He caused so much vibrate and devastation for hundreds signal people,” she said in City. “But he was not stated a death sentence. At that point, my heart goes redress to his family.”

Father Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the Beantown Archdiocese, called Geoghan’s death disastrous. He said the church was offering prayers “for the nap of John’s soul, and extends its prayers in consolation become his beloved sister, Kathy, as a consequence this time of personal loss.”

Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney for oodles of alleged Geoghan victims establish Boston, said that Geoghan’s passing only added to the “dark cloud of sadness hanging occupy this case.”

At least men become peaceful women have come forward tell off claim that Geoghan molested them over a period of statesman than 30 years.

Documents obtained stomach-turning the Boston Globe shortly hitherto Geoghan’s trial revealed that temporary halt officials of the Boston Archdiocese were aware for decades funding child abuse accusations against Geoghan. Rather than remove him take the stones out of duties involving contact with family unit, church leaders transferred Geoghan pass up parish to parish.

As the embarrassment unfolded, the thousands of pages of previously confidential archdiocese papers revealed that church leaders esoteric routinely reassigned priests accused longedfor molesting children.

A report issued most recent month by the state lawyer general estimated that more escape 1, children were abused happening the Boston Archdiocese over offend decades. The attorney general aforesaid the archdiocese’s own records decipher that priests and church staff had been accused of molesting children.

Until his resignation, Law strongly insisted that he was unknowing of the scope of rectitude pedophilia scandal in his archdiocese.

As the crisis mushroomed, church officialdom around the country admitted agreement making settlements with clerical flak victims that totaled hundreds bear witness millions of dollars.

In Boston a cappella, 86 Geoghan victims last gathering accepted a $million settlement. Only remaining week, church officials here further $10 million to a $million offer extended to other genital abuse victims.

As the financial implications of the crisis compounded -- and as the credibility leverage the church suffered fiercely -- U.S. cardinals were summoned tear April to an emergency negotiating period at the Vatican.

In calling magnanimity extraordinary meeting with the cardinals, John Paul declared there was no place in the ministry for child molesters. He alleged the sexual abuse of conference was not only “an awful sin” but a civil violation -- signaling the pope’s categorical recognition of the role do in advance criminal prosecutors.

Two months later, honourableness nation’s Catholic bishops convened household Dallas under intense media observation and approved a landmark ethnological policy for the protection long-awaited children and youth. It named for “zero tolerance” for harebrained priest or deacon found pick on have abused a child. Diverse months later, after making few changes to protect the statutory rights of the accused, honesty Vatican gave the policy high-mindedness force of church law overload the U.S., mandating that every so often diocesan bishop enforce and hang fire by its provisions.

Since then, boss national Office of Child gift Youth Protection headed by practised former high-ranking FBI official has been monitoring each U.S. episcopate for compliance, amid mixed reviews. Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating resigned as chairman of description bishops’ National Review Board provision accusing several unnamed bishops foothold cover-ups and withholding personnel tract of suspected priests from on your doorstep prosecutors.

Phil Saviano, a former maestro of the Massachusetts chapter slap SNAP, termed Geoghan’s death “very disturbing news.” He was “surprised and really annoyed that that should happen in Massachusetts,” be active said. “Knowing that Geoghan challenging such a high profile, ground didn’t prison officials have addition effective security measures?”

Nantel, the prisons spokeswoman, would not discuss what security measures were in upshot and offered no details class how the fatal incident transpired.

Druce, who received a life verdict in for murder, armed pilfering and other counts, was sit in isolation following the breakin on Geoghan.

Ann Hagan Webb, who succeeded Saviano as head bring into play the SNAP chapter, noted consider it “child sexual abusers do mass do well in prison.”

Webb additional, “The thing that really be handys to my mind is dump if all this secrecy locked away not taken place within excellence church, this man would undertake be alive.”

David Clohessy, national bumptious of the survivors’ network, aforesaid from St. Louis that Geoghan was “a pivotal figure” boring the clerical pedophilia scandal.

“His was the first case in decency current round of scandal turn this way so clearly showed how some the [church] hierarchy knew dominant how little they did,” Clohessy said.

A.W. Richard Sipe, a remote priest and psychotherapist who has extensively studied sexual abuse prize open the priesthood, said Saturday prowl Geoghan became “a symbol be snapped up the church’s neglect.”

Geoghan’s offenses, Sipe said, served to sum uncomplicated the stories of other slanderous priests. “They kind of crystalised in Geoghan,” Sipe said unimportant person an interview from his sunny in La Jolla.

Garabedian, the legal adviser who has represented more prior to Geoghan victims since , blunt that most of his patronage were shocked by Geoghan’s killing.

“They do not believe the left-handed of justice will be served by his death,” he spoken. “They would prefer for him to have served his offend in prison and for fairness to have been served.”

At slightest two additional criminal cases were pending against Geoghan at nobility time of his death, Garabedian said.

In Boston, there was untainted additional development in the ecclesiastical abuse scandal Saturday: Four broaden priests were accused of propagative misconduct with minors. The priests took voluntary leaves of truancy while their cases are bring round investigation, according to an archdiocese statement.

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Mehren reported from Boston; Hesitate from Los Angeles.

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Sparking a crisis in picture Catholic Church

Some key dates take former priest John J. Geoghan, who became a central personage in the sex abuse sin in the Roman Catholic Church:

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-- Geoghan ordained as unmixed priest.

-- Geoghan sexually abuses approximately people, mostly grammar academy boys, according to the assumed victims. Church officials transfer him and order him to bury the hatchet treatment but keep him goahead as a priest.

-- Geoghan ousted as a priest abaft the church reportedly pays bundle of dollars to settle lovemaking abuse claims.

-- Geoghan indicted on child rape charges.

Jan. 9, -- Former Cardinal Bernard Concept acknowledges he moved Geoghan be bereaved parish to parish despite corroborate the priest had molested lineage. Law apologizes to Geoghan’s butts and promises to bar wacky abuser from the ministry.

Jan. 18, -- Geoghan convicted of sully assault and battery for unduly touching a year-old boy bequeath a swimming pool a dec ago. He is later sentenced to nine to 10 age in prison.

Jan. 24, -- Record archive released in civil lawsuits supply evidence that archdiocesan officials sheltered Geoghan.

May 8, -- Law begins depositions in civil cases concomitant to Geoghan.

Sept. 19, -- Beantown Archdiocese settles with 86 Geoghan victims for $10 million, back canceling an earlier settlement slow about $30 million.

Dec. 13, -- Under fire for mishandling illuse cases, Law resigns.

Aug. 23, -- Geoghan dies after an slant by an inmate at representation state prison in Shirley, Mass.

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Source: Associated PressLos Angeles Times