Suffolk DA announces groundbreaking grand jury to look into sex abuse by priests

NewsRadio 88 ^ | 4/11/02

[areafiftyone]

(Hauppauge, Long Island-AP) -- The Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota is forming a special grand jury to investiate allegations of sexual abuse involving priests in Long Island's Roman Catholic diocese and how the diocese handled those accusations.

Spota says that he is ``not at all satisfied with the credibility of public assertions of the church that it is properly policing its clergy.'' He said the information his office has collected so far indicates that there may have been a cover-up. The grand jury is considered a bold step in the growing examination of the church's handling of sexual abuse of minors at the hands of priests and the manner in which church officials have responded.

Legal experts say this would be the first special grand jury in the nation convened solely for the purpose of conducting a broad examination of sexual abuse allegations against clergy. Last week, Spota's office filed a request to form the grand jury with the state's Office of Court Administration. That request was approved by two judges this week. Under New York law, grand juries can subpoena evidence and witnesses, issue indictments or find that subjects did not break the law. They can also issue reports that recommend legislative, administrative or executive changes.

A spokeswoman says the Rockville Centre Diocese has ``been cooperating all along with the district attorneys of Nassau and Suffolk,'' and said that cooperation would continue with the grand jury. The Rockville Centre Diocese serves 1.5 million Catholics in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Bishop William Murphy turned over information on abuse cases to those district attorneys last month. In addition, both the Nassau and Suffolk district attorneys have subpoenaed information from the diocese.

[Marobe]

Is this fool gonna look at rapists within his own state... How about investigating Hellery's husband X42 a real sexual devient..?

[curmudgeonII]

This ought not to be overly surprizing. As the Catholic hierarchy has been unwilling, or unable, to clean up the act of these pedophiles the government [unfortunately] has stepped in. If the bishops want less government investigating, their response should be obvious.

[Clemenza]

They brought it on themselves.

This, of course, does not change the fact that Suffolk and Nassau counties s-ck!!!