Re: “Catholic Church: Sex abuse allegations against Maine priest were unfounded” (July 28, Page A1):
Bishop Robert Deeley was between a rock and a hard place. If he said “yes,” that the allegations against the Rev. Robert Vaillancourt are substantiated by the church, then he would already be behind the eight ball should a civil lawsuit emerge. Now he has to worry about a lawsuit putting him before a real jury, not the members of his review board.
Our depending upon the same institution, in which the sexual abuse of a child occurred, to tell us whether the abuse happened has always been a risky proposition at best. In most abuse cases brought before the diocese, the criminal statutes of limitation have expired, so police don’t want to spend time and resources investigating cases they can’t prosecute.
The two courageous women who made the allegations deserve their day in a real courtroom, with a jury of their peers.
Thanks to recently passed legislation eliminating the civil statute of limitations, the bishop is no longer holding all the cards.
Paul Kendrick
Freeport
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