Interesting article that ran on the Journal editorial page on Wednesday and Thursday. Other articles/discussion on the story may be found here and here, and the NH Attorney General's report on the MacRae case here
*I am fine with Bi-Ritual Priests. However, Bisexual Priests tend to be problematic.
Officer defends work on MacRae case
Sentinel staff
Saturday, April 30, 2005
A Keene police officer says he stands by his investigation that led to the conviction of a Catholic priest for child sexual assault in 1994.
Detective James F. McLaughlin, who has built a speciality in probing child abuse cases, says there was adequate evidence to convict Gordon MacRae of raping a 15-year-old boy.
McLaughlins investigation, along with other aspects of the case, came under criticism this week in a series of editorial page columns in the Wall Street Journal by Dorothy Rabinowitz, a member of that papers editorial board and an accomplished writer about false sex abuse claims.
In her columns, she found fault with the prosecution of the case, which led to MacRaes sentencing to a minimum 33 years in prison, as well as the judge, the defense counsel, the plaintiffs and the Catholic church, but her main focus was on McLaughlin, as well as what she termed a legal system that opens itself to a scam by personal injury lawyers.
In an interview this week, McLaughlin told the Concord Monitor that Rabinowitz selected bits and pieces (of information) to support her position that MacRae was wrongly convicted in Cheshire County Superior Court.
He said that Rabinowitz ignored facts in the case, adding, Ultimately, a jury sat and dealt with live witnesses and testimony and decided differently.
The Wall Street Journal articles did not introduce any significant new information regarding the case.