Abusive Ex-Priest Is Killed in Prison

[Jagat]

<center><h3>Abusive Ex-Priest Is Killed in Prison</h3>

By DANIEL J. WAKIN and KATIE ZEZIMA

 

New York Times -- August 24, 2003</center>

 

John J. Geoghan, the former priest whose abuse of children over decades opened the door for a scandal that shook the Roman Catholic Church, was strangled by another inmate in a Massachusetts state prison, officials said yesterday.

 

Mr. Geoghan, who was defrocked in 1998, was serving a sentence of 9 to 10 years at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, a medium-security state prison 40 miles northwest of Boston.

 

Another inmate, Joseph L. Druce, 37, will be charged with murder, John J. Conte, the Worcester County district attorney, said. An autopsy is to be conducted Monday, but "preliminary indications" showed that Mr. Geoghan, 68, had been strangled, Mr. Conte said.

 

In January 2002, Mr. Geoghan was convicted of groping a 10-year-old boy in a pool and given the maximum sentence. Other criminal charges were pending, as well as civil cases involving more than 130 people who said he had abused them.

 

His case was among hundreds involving clergy members, but the extent of his crimes and the mountain of church documents released in lawsuits against him turned him into a symbol of the church's sexual abuse scandal. "In many ways he was a worst-case scenario because he was a serial sexual predator whose behavior was facilitated by the hierarchy of the Archdiocese of Boston, and the worst judgments were made in his case," Stephen Pope, a professor of theology at Boston College, said.

 

His case also showed the degree to which the Roman Catholic hierarchy knew about problem priests and shuttled them among parishes, showing what victims said was more concern for the church's reputation than for the safety of children.

 

"Abusive priests were not news particularly," said David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "But with Geoghan, for the first time ever there was undeniable evidence that bishop after bishop after bishop knew and did virtually nothing."

 

Mr. Geoghan's abuses date back to his first assignment as a parish priest, at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Saugus, an area north of Boston where he served from his ordination in 1962 until 1967. And they continued until the 1980's through a swath of suburban Boston parishes, in the bedrooms of his parishioners' children, at his family beachfront home, while he prayed, even at a Boston Red Sox game, victims said.

 

All along, bishops and cardinals received warnings from parents and some priests. He was sent for psychiatric treatment and returned to ministry. For their part, the bishops said they were only following the accepted psychiatric wisdom.

 

In the end, the revelations in the sexual abuse scandal led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who was succeeded by Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley on July 30. The Massachusetts attorney general released a report last month saying that at least 789 children and probably more than 1,000 have been sexually abused by 250 priests and other church workers in the Archdiocese of Boston since 1940. The report also criticized many former aides to Cardinal Law now serving elsewhere, including Thomas V. Daily of Brooklyn, who will step down this fall for a successor, and William Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y.

 

The Rev. Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, called Mr. Geoghan's death tragic, The Associated Press said.

 

"The Archdiocese of Boston offers prayer for the repose of John's soul," Father Coyne said, "and extends its prayers in consolation to his beloved sister, Cathy, at this time of personal loss."

 

While Mr. Geoghan achieved nationwide notoriety, the abuses by James Porter of the Fall River, Mass., diocese became widely known in the early 1990's, and the same was true of Rudolph Kos in the Dallas Diocese about five years later. Another notorious priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, the Rev. Paul R. Shanley, 72, was indicted last June on charges that he raped and assaulted four boys at a Newton, Mass., church from 1979 to 1989.

 

But the Geoghan revelations showed the extent of the archdiocese's actions regarding abusive priests. They became clear when a judge ordered it to release files in abuse lawsuits in January 2002. And as the scandal began growing in Boston, scrutiny of dioceses around the country turned up similar accusations of cover-ups and led to the suspension of more than 300 priests.

 

The scandal led to an extraordinary summoning of the nation's cardinals to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope John Paul II the next April. Several months later, the nation's bishops adopted sweeping guidelines to protect children.

 

"The entire country, I would argue, and certainly every single Catholic, owes an enormous debt to the men and women who he victimized and were strong enough to come forward," Mr. Clohessy said of Mr. Geoghan. But he added, "Despite the horrific damage he caused, no one deserves to die like this."

 

A lawyer for many of Mr. Geoghan's victims, Mitchell Garabedian of Boston, said that 147 people had come to him since 1994 saying they were abused by Mr. Geoghan. He said his clients would rather have seen Mr. Geoghan serve time in jail and undergo more trials, so more details about his activity could be made public.

 

"Many of my clients have never expressed any vindictiveness whatsoever," he said.

 

Mr. Garabedian said 26 people who said they were abused by Mr. Geoghan were the subject of settlement talks between lawyers for 542 victims of sexual abuse and the archdiocese. The archdiocese offered $55 million to resolve those claims on Aug. 8, and made a second offer of $65 million last week. Last year, Mr. Garabedian reached a $10 million settlement with the archdiocese for 86 victims of Mr. Geoghan. Mr. Garabedian said the civil cases would continue.

 

The man accused of killing Mr. Geoghan, Mr. Druce, was serving a life sentence. Mr. Conte said that he received the sentence in 1989 for murder, armed robbery and other counts, The Associated Press reported. In 2001, Mr. Druce was charged with an anthrax hoax, the news agency added.

 

Mr. Geoghan was attacked shortly before noon and was pronounced dead at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster at 1:17 p.m., the prosecutor said.

 

Professor Pope, the theologian, said it was troubling that an inmate convicted of one of the most despised crimes among prisoners — sexual abuse of a child — was left vulnerable.

 

"It's an irony that his criminal behavior was facilitated by a church that was negligent, and now his death was facilitated by a criminal justice system that was negligent," he said.

 

Mr. Geoghan had been living in a protective custody unit, which held 24 inmates, a Department of Correction spokeswoman, Kelly Nantel, said. Inmates in the unit sleep in individual cells, but can mingle during the day, Ms. Nantel said, and are placed based on the nature of their convictions, their notoriety or whether they have enemies.

 

Phil Saviano, founder of the New England chapter of the Survivors Network, said he expected many of his victims to feel responsible for Mr. Geoghan's death.

 

"He needed to be off the streets and away from children," he said, "but that prison sentence was never meant to be a death sentence."

 

 

[theist]

millions more to go. Perhaps the inmate that strangled him should receive some extra privledges for his service. More recreation time or conjugal visits maybe.

 

A society that won't protect its children can't call its self human IMO.

 

I am for quaruntined communities for pedophiles, for life. One strike and you go to camp peddie for the rest of your earth days.

[livingentity]

receive the true punishment for his crime. He has a huge karma debt to pay off!!!

[theist]

perhaps the Yamadhutas were impatient to get their hands on him. Child rapers disquised as priests. One day by strangulation is just not enough.

 

Some argue that they should be kept segragated from the general prison population for their protection.

 

Some argue that they should be kept from the children for the children's protection.

 

I seriously think the best answer is to secure them in distant communities for life as there is no known cure. That should satisfy both sides. They will offend again if given the chance.

 

In such a setting they could receive what ever psychological or spiritual counciling they wished to accept to try and get rid of this tendancy before they carry it to another birth.

[I_love_krishna_]

If he went to krishna and asked his forgiveness, he could have forgiven him... then he could have tried to pay back for all the crimes he has done. Now he will be like a worm or something like that...

 

I also feel bad for his family who has to deal with this infamous mark in their history.

 

[livingentity]

Nope, not me! Strangled was not bad enough for him.

[livingentity]

about whether they should be isolated from the rest of the prison population and thrown in with them.

 

On one hand, these demons deserve whatever the other prisoners might do to them. But then, does it cause the other prisoners to commit great sins by throwing these pervs in with them?

 

Your isolation camps sound like a good solution to this problem.

[Govindaram]

I have one, but I don't think I can repeat it on this forum.

 

 

The best way to deal with this crime, is death penalty.

 

Then all these creature's will . themselves, and get a wife/man (I'm being politically correct).

 

Or you could send them to the Moon (the USA could manufacture some, made up story about how they are living good lives there, and fool the public. And instead have them taken care of...

 

 

 

 

[I_love_krishna_]

Death penalty is not the cure for these crimes. They have some sort of a psycological problem which should be understood as it is and cured through the use of modern medicines.

 

I don't think these people are demons, they are perverted, but not demons or rakshasas or monsters.

 

They need psycological help ... the best idea is theist's isolated villages.

 

[Govindaram]

"the best idea is theist's isolated villages"

 

 

like thats really going to happen..

 

look at these priests who believe in God, they can't stop,

 

there are 50,000 of these shits in the U.K alone,

so maybe the death penalty is not the way,

these people are just 'sick' they need to be locked up for life, its really sad that even priests don't set good examples, maybe this is just the result of past karma, I don't know.

[I_love_krishna_]

The best cure for them is the Maha Mantra .

 

Haribol!

[livingentity]

I will probably get beat up for this (that is ok - I am tough) but perhaps the death penalty is not such a bad idea for this type of person. This man alone molested 130 plus victims. He may not have murdered their bodies but he did murder their life. Does that make sense?

 

Murderers of the material body get the death penalty so why not this type of murderer. I feel no pity for these pervs - what happens to them in prison etc is just reward for their sinful deeds.

 

Ok, now I need to get on my suit of armour and prepare for the blows.

[I_love_krishna_]

The true murderers here are the ones who started this mess.

 

I don't think the mess is started by the Ex-priest here, but by his ancestors who were probably sick just like him from the past abuse.

 

This guy was crazy, he needed psycological help and I do not think this guy deserves that sort of a death.

 

He is like a mentally retarded person who has no sort of conscience for what he is. If he does have that type of conscience he probably can't help it because he is basically a psycho.

 

Such people are not supposed to be murdered ruthlessly but they should be given some sort of help that will get them out of such maya.

 

Most of these pedophiles and others have the same problems which the other abusers have, a malfunction in Cingulate Gyrus in their brain.

 

The Cingulate gyrus when it is not in proper condition, the people act such a way, I don't think capital punishment is proper when it is not necessary in the first place.

 

It is definitely not a vaishnava way, that is for sure.

[Govindaram]

Hare Krishna

 

No offence I_L_K but it is this caring/sharing attitude which has made this problem even worse,

 

I agree that these people are mentally disturbed, but making them think oh it's a mental problem will give them the excuse to commit these crimes again and again.

[livingentity]

You don't even make any sense!!!

 

This "Oh, the poor baby, just can not help what he is doing because he is mentally unable" is a crock of who know what!

 

And blaming ancestors is just idiotic!! If that were the case then Hiranyakasipu would have been a saint (actually, I got that backwards but you get my meaning).

 

Anyway, this guy got his death sentence - got what he deserved and now will truly pay the penalty.

 

Can anyone help me find the quote from Prabhupada about how to deal with murderers, demons etc? I am not finding it but I do remember Him speaking on this issue.

[livingentity]

I_L_K, if you think that all these people need is counseling, love and compassion - then you and your family can go live in the neighborhood where these pervs are released to live amongst children after they have gone through their so-called help programs.

 

There have been instances, of these people begging to be put to death because they were honest enough to admit to the world that there was nothing that would change them from their sick demented ways with children.

 

There are many more instances, of these people getting "help"; being released only to "kill" more lives of both children and their families.

 

By the way, my thoughts are based on facts - not speculations such as "he was probably sick from past abuse" etc. Your compassion for these demons is misplaced.

 

Anyway, I still like Theist's isolation camp idea.

 

 

 

[theist]

 

>>Anyway, I still like Theist's isolation camp idea. <<

 

It's sort of a compromise position. My view is rape a child and you die. Period. But rather than our wasting anymore time analyzing the reason for the pathlogy and then try to cure them I believe the should be immediately separated from general society so as to keep them away from children.

 

That is primary. Then we can argue over their fate. If they are in isolation camps then the shrinks can pour over their minds and try to figure them out.

 

But rerelease is out of the question. We all have a death sentence anyway. What can't be straightened out here will be taken care of after their bodily death.

 

The protection of the children is the main concern.

 

 

 

 

[livingentity]

is how I see the isolation solution also.

 

We have to stop releasing these people over and over. It has been proving ineffective far too many times.

 

But I tell you what...you won't see me protesting in front of some prison because they are about to inject one of these demons!!

[I_love_krishna_]

"I_L_K, if you think that all these people need is counseling, love and compassion - then you and your family can go live in the neighborhood where these pervs are released to live amongst children after they have gone through their so-called help programs. "

-------------------------

 

And I will be taking my krishna with me /images/graemlins/smile.gif My arguement is people are essentially good, even though we have tendencies to be selfish, to lie, to be dishonest, to cheat or have some serious "psyco" problems like these people.

 

From a more civilized point of view, if we consider the society as a body and one part of it is diseased and there are means to cure it, then it is best to try to cure it than to cut it all together.

 

Anyway, this is too boring to discuss, so, this will be my last post on this topic.

[Guest guest]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/27/national/main570307.shtml

 

(CBS/AP) Dead or alive, John Geoghan is still creating headlines and heartache.

 

For 30 years, the Catholic Church covered up his crimes. Now days after his death, comes word the court system may go one step further and erase his conviction.

 

It's a legal loophole that's left a long line of victims feeling victimized all over again, reports CBS News Correspondent Byron Pitts.

 

"How dare the power of our government try to sweep clean such a dirty record," said Maryetta Dussourd, a victim's relative.

 

Nonetheless, it is the law in Massachusetts and at least four other states – Alaska, Arizona, Maine and Rhode Island – a legal technicality dating back to English Common Law.

 

Because Geoghan died before the appeals process was complete, his conviction must be dismissed.

 

Prosecutor Martha Coakley says her hands are tied.

 

"Although he was convicted, the process was not completed, so the court says that we go back to square one and the indictment will be dismissed," says Coakley.

 

The Massachusetts state legislature tried changing the law after a convicted murderer committed suicide and had his record cleared.

 

That too was a high-profile case, but the measure never passed.

 

As for the convicted killer who admits he killed Geoghan in his prison cell, Joseph L Druce now says, according to his lawyer, that he beat and strangled Geophan to avenge all the children the defrocked priest allegedly molested.

 

However most of those victims never wanted revenge, just justice.

 

"I am sorry that John Geoghan died that way, but he is not a martyr and he is not free of guilt of crimes. He is a criminal," says Dussourd.

 

But not in the eyes of the law: In criminal court, John Geoghan is a dead man who will go to his grave with a clean record.

 

Geoghan, 68, was serving a nine- to 10-year sentence for groping a 10-year-old boy and was accused of molesting nearly 150 boys over three decades. His case triggered the sex scandal that has rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church.

 

Attorney John LaChance said he expects to pursue an insanity defense for Druce.

 

LaChance, who met with Druce in prison for the first time Wednesday, said Druce "was upset what had happened to all those children."

 

"The impression that I got from him was that his beef with Geoghan was based on his serial mistreatment of little kids, and that he really wanted Geoghan to leave the kids alone,'' LaChance told The Associated Press.

 

Druce, 37, was serving a life sentence for the 1988 murder of a gay man. Authorities have said that he hates homosexuals, Jews, blacks and other minorities.

 

 

© MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[theist]

This guy Druce was supposedly a pedophile victim himself. Strange twists of fate.

[I_love_krishna_]

 

"This guy Druce was supposedly a pedophile victim himself. Strange twists of fate."

 

Not strange at all /images/graemlins/grin.gif The Karma Ghost Got him... check out this movie "karma Ghost" /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

It was posted by vsdprasadji about an year ago

 

http://billyblob.com/cartoons/karma-ghost/index.html

 

 

 

 

[livingentity]

That is ridiculous!

 

I find it very interesting that a pedophile was put in the same cell block as a pedophile victim (a violent one at that)...hmmmm....

[theist]

you are right. Not so strange afterall. i saw karma ghost. Very funny.

[sinimat]

In ancient Vedic culture, when someone did something like this, weren't they punished by the King accordingly? If someone killed, he is endangering the King's other people, so wouldn't he be put to death? In this case, he shouldn't be killed, but rather have his private parts cut off, and maybe his hands. I know it's cruel and I believe in ahimsa, but would they punish like this back then?