PEDOPHILE PRIEST GEOGHAN MURDERED IN PRISON

drudge | 8-23-03 | drudge

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

Geoghan killed in prison (Boston Herald)
Breaking news/by Eric Convey
Saturday, August 23, 2003

Former priest John Geoghan, a notorious pedophile whose case sparked the clergy molestation scandal of the past 18 months, died this afternoon after being attacked at the state prison in Shirley.

``The perpetrator has been isolated,'' said Kelly Nantell, a spokeswoman for the state Deparment of Corrections.

``Our investigation continues,'' she said.

The matter has been referred to the Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley's office.

Geoghan was serving a nine-to-10 year sentence at MCI Shirley for allegedly groping a boy at a Waltham swimming pool.

More than 140 people have claimed they were abused by Geoghan, claiming they were fondled or raped at locations ranging from church rectories to their own homes.

Geoghan would become one the most notorious pedophiles in the country - not only for the extent of his rampage against children but because relevations about his case led to the unraveling of secrecy within the Archdiocese of Boston.

Bernard Cardinal Law's cordial letters to Geoghan, mixing discipline with praise for his priestly service, that pushed many victims from disbelief to outrage.

[FITZ]

There but by the grace of God go any number of us.

I even know atheists who wouldn't molest a child or hurt anyone in any way.

[Aliska]

It's in Matthew 9 and 10. www.biblegateway.org.

He went through the villages and healed every disease.

"He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[1] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness." Matthew 10:1.

[FITZ]

I agree though that we don't know this Geoghan wasn't redeemed while he was dying. He might have tried to pull something on some prisoner and the others defended him, or maybe it was a self-defense killing? But as he was being murdered, his suffering might have brought him some kind of redemption --- maybe that he would never have reached if left to live his life out comfortably.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

I had the same suit. The non-felon has so much 'love'and sympathy for the criminal element of our society that they cannot hang those that deserve it. Therefore, they knowingly allow the criminal element to purge themselves. This procedure can ultimately bite us.

[SunnyUsa]

I nailed Fr. O'Byrne one day by asking him if Adam and Eve had belly buttons....my bad????

Ohh good one!!! I would've liked you as a classmate in religion class!

[Aliska]

Also, "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;" Mark 16:17.

[TheCrusader]

The real fear is that innocent priests will be harmed too. With all the media over-saturation of this scandal it makes for dangerous times being a Catholic priest. I've heard a lot of very sick things being said by the ignorant Catholic haters out there who would spread the undeserved title of "pedophile" to every priest.

Sad, what a few homos can do to tarnish everything that is good. Whether it's the Catholic Church, the institution of marriage, our public schools, or the Boy Scouts, you find the filthy, disgusting debauchery of the homosexuals trying to destroy it. I say restore the sodomy laws and throw them all in prison together, and build this prison in the Fiji Islands.

[Aliska]

What you say is certainly possible, although I hesitate to speculate one way or the other because I have know way of knowing the state of his soul in his last hour.

[TankerKC]

Geoghan was serving a nine-to-10 year sentence at MCI Shirley for allegedly groping a boy at a Waltham swimming pool.

He was serving a sentence because he did it. ALLEGEDLY my ass!

[Dec31,1999]

But that kind of thing happens in families too ----- how many coverups involved someone's uncle? Or a family friend? For the same reasons. Many people don't and haven't realized how very dangerous all pedophiles are. They've got released sex offenders and child sex offenders in every zip code in this area. The judges aren't keeping these guys behind prison walls, everyone seems to think they can just stop.

Root out and punish the criminals. That's true justice.

Couldn't agree with you more. This is the primary reason why my wife doesn't work. We're not rich, but we know our children haven't been molested, because they've never been left alone with anyone, except Grandma and Grandpa.

One of the problems is that a lot of Conservatives insist that all gays are child molestors, so others fight against this truly unfair smear campaign. It's just not true. Gays may be statistically more like to molest children, but heterosexuals surely have a large involvement in it as well.

Some Conservatives do this to piggyback their hatred of gays onto the truely justified hatred of child sexual abusers. It's a transparent ruse apparent to all with eyes to see, which is why they don't get much support. It's like blaming all Muslims for 9/11. It's just not true.

[FITZ]

Whether it's the Catholic Church, the institution of marriage, our public schools, or the Boy Scouts, you find the filthy, disgusting debauchery of the homosexuals trying to destroy it.

Exactly ---- there are evil ones trying to allow pedophiles as boy scout leaders. It's in many areas of our society.

[TankerKC]

This should send up a nice rainbow colored flag to the rest of the pedophile priests.

What about the other pedophiles that aren't priests?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Bet he won't assault little boys again. Was he ever repentant?


BOSTON (AP) - Former priest John Geoghan, the convicted child molester whose prosecution sparked the sex abuse scandal that shook the Roman Catholic Church nationwide, died Saturday after another inmate attacked him in prison.

Geoghan was injured in an incident with another inmate about noon and died shortly after being taken to Leominster Hospital, said Department Of Correction spokeswoman Kelly Nantel.

The incident happened just after lunchtime at Souza-Baranowski Correction Center, about 30 miles northwest of Boston, Nantel said. Geoghan was being held in protective custody to shield him from the general prison population, but he still had some contact with other inmates, Nantel said.

The other inmate was being held in isolation and the incident is under investigation, she said. She declined to give further details.


In civil lawsuits, more than 130 people have claimed Geoghan sexually abused them as children during his three decades as a priest at Boston-area parishes. He was convicted last year of indecent assault and battery for fondling a 10-year-old boy at a swimming pool.

Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney for many Geoghan victims, said he was "surprised and shocked" by Geoghan's death.

"Many of my clients would have rather seen Father Geoghan serve out his time in jail and endure the rigors of further criminal trials, so that his pedophile acts could have been exposed further," he said.

Geoghan often targeted boys from broken homes, ingratiating himself during frequent visits or fun outings. One victim said Geoghan molested him as the two were driving home from getting an ice cream cone. Others said Geoghan molested them after visiting their rooms at bedtime to tuck them in, sometimes while whispering prayers.

The church abuse scandal, which has had repercussions worldwide, broke in early 2002 with revelations that the Boston Archdiocese had shuttled Geoghan from parish to parish despite warnings about his behavior.

The scandal mushroomed after a judge ordered the release of archdiocese files involving dozens of priests, showing repeated examples of the archdiocese shipping priests to different parishes when allegations arose.

Soon dioceses and bishops across the country came under scrutiny for their handling of abuse allegations over the years, with the church tainted by scandal in many states. With the public outcry reaching a new crescendo, the bishops adopted a toughened policy against sex abuse and more than 325 priests of the roughly 46,000 American clergy were either dismissed or resigned from their duties in the year after the Geoghan case.

David Clohessy, national director of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said what made Geoghan's case more "than just a single case about a single predator" was that it revealed the corruption in the church.

"In many respects, Geoghan is not the pivotal figure, it's the people who he wounded and still came forward and the bishops who enabled him but were finally exposed," he said.

Geoghan was ousted from the priesthood in 1998 at the urging of Cardinal Bernard Law. The Geoghan case was one of several that led to Law resigning in December over his mishandling of abuse cases.

Rev. Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, offered prayers for Geoghan's family.

"Upon hearing the news of the tragic death of John Geoghan, the Archdiocese of Boston offers prayer for the repose of John's soul, and extends its prayers in consolation to his beloved sister, Kathy, at this time of personal loss," he said.

Geoghan was convicted in January 2002 for grabbing the buttocks of a 10-year-old boy in 1991 in the first of three criminal cases against him. He was sentenced to nine to 10 years in prison.

Most of the allegations against Geoghan did not lead to criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired.

In September 2002, the archdiocese settled with 86 Geoghan victims for $10 million, after pulling out of an earlier settlement of about $30 million.


One of those victims, Ralph DelVecchio, said Geoghan deserved prison but didn't deserve to be killed.

"I wouldn't say he deserved to die, you know?" DelVecchio said. "He was in jail - that's where I believed he should be."

DelVecchio said he didn't wish ill on Geoghan.

"It's over with," he said.

A recent report by state Attorney General Thomas Reilly estimated that more than 1,000 children were abused by priests in the Boston archdiocese in the last 60 years. The Boston Archdiocese has offered $65 million to settle cases filed by more than 540 alleged victims.

On Saturday, the archdiocese announced that four priests had taken voluntary leaves of absence in response to allegations of sexual misconduct with minors. The church had asked the priests to step aside until the alleged incidents - all said to have occurred decades ago - are investigated and resolved.

[concerned about politics]

Exactly my point. The only reason he stopped was because there were no little boys around. His youngest known victim was four years old! What a disgusting beast. I'm personally glad someone put him down.

4 years old? That poor kid will be messed up for life.
Imagine how much of this happens in the public schools where morality is politically incorrect!
"Do as I want, and I'll give you an A+ grade."

[Dec31,1999]

Thanks. Drive out demons. That's the one I forgot!

[ladylib]

So, how did it happen?

[concerned about politics]

the Lord did not kill Father Goegan

If he knows every bird that falls from the sky, don't you think he'd see this one comming? Funny. No angels were sent to save the gay child molesting priest. Go figure.