BishopAccountability.org
 
  Man Urges Alerts on Priests Accused of Sex Abuse, Even If Not Convicted

Associated Press
September 12, 2005

OWENSBORO, Ky. -- Residents should be warned when priests who were accused, but not convicted, of sexual abuse live in their neighborhoods, according to an official of a victims' advocacy group.

In response, church and law-enforcement officials say that people who have not been convicted of a crime do not have to register in a state sex-offender program.

The call for notification came from Gerald Payne, who has a lawsuit pending against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro over abuse he claims he suffered from a priest when he was a child.

Payne is the state coordinator of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

At issue are two priests living in an apartment complex owned by the Owensboro diocese.

Of the retired or inactive priests living there, two have had allegations of sexual abuse made against them, Bishop John McRaith said.

"That's common knowledge," he said. "It's been known for a long time."

The bishop said no neighbors have complained.

But Payne responded that "parents can't protect their kids unless they know who they are protecting them against."

A state task force aiming to improve the Kentucky Sex Offender Registration program is scheduled to meet tomorrow in Owensboro.

Offenders convicted of certain sex-related crimes are required to register their address at all times, and the public has access to that information.

The allegations against the two priests are 20 to 30 years old, McRaith said.

Both were in limited ministry positions in the 1990s and were removed from ministry altogether after the nation's Catholic bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2001, he said.

They are not covered by the state's sexual offender registry.

"The two people living there have never been convicted of an offense," said Donna Sauer, a canon lawyer who is coordinator of the diocese's compliance with the charter.

They have never been tried, and the church was not sued in those cases.

And the alleged victims have not asked that their cases be made public, Sauer said.

State law does require the diocese to report to law enforcement any allegation of felony sexual abuse, said Daviess Commonwealth's Attorney Jay Wethington.

There is no statute of limitations on felonies, he said.

The church also is required to report any misdemeanor allegation, which could involve offenses such as touching or indecent exposure, that occurred within the past 12 months.