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Catholic Bishop Not Prosecuted for Child Rapes

Though charged by a grand jury with raping and sexually abusing two boys, former Catholic Bishop Thomas Dupre will not be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations. The New York Times reported that both boys abused by Dupre were under the age of 16Ñthe first was 12 in 1976, and the second was 15 in 1979. Each abuse spanned five years. The statute of limitations was only six years at that time, and is currently 15 years in the state of Massachusetts. Over a dozen bishops in the Catholic church have been investigated and others have resigned, but no bishop has been criminally prosecuted for committing sexual abuse or for covering it up, according to Newsday. David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, told Newsday, “Lawmakers should realize that the statute of limitations has become a refuge for dangerous men. It’s a legal loophole leading to horrific but avoidable pain for many innocent children.” JOIN the Feminist Majority

Sources:

BBC 9/28/04; Newsday 9/28/04; New York Times 9/28/04

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