MISSOURI
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Oakville-Mehlville Journal
12/07/2005
In Kevin Madden's recent editorial, he poses the question "Is a priest guilty until proven innocent?" He then raises many questions that provide an opportunity for me to educate him and the public on the complexity of sexual abuse cases against children.
A jury of Father Graham's peers heard all of the evidence presented during his trial. Twelve jurors unanimously found Graham guilty of sodomy beyond a reasonable doubt. This was an unbiased jury with no connections to either Thomas Graham or the victim.
This same jury, after hearing during the sentencing phase of the trial that other victims have come forward with similar details of the abuse they suffered at the hands of Graham, unanimously found that Graham deserved 20 years imprisonment for committing this heinous offense.