December 22, 2005

Abuse victim bitter

PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Daily News

By THERESA CONROY
conroyt@phillynews.com

AS MARTIN DONOHOE sat beneath a blanket on an antique sofa in his Medford, N.J., home, he quickly moved from one issue to the next, ruminating over details.
He could spend an hour deconstructing a single moment in time. He could live inside the nuance of one gesture or one statement.
Donohoe's obsession is understandable - even expected.
For two years, when he was between the ages of 15 and 17, he was repeatedly molested, manipulated, dominated and defiled by a Roman Catholic priest. His attacker, the Rev. James Behan, was a trusted teacher at North Catholic High School when Donohoe attended in the late 1970s.
For more than two decades, Donohoe yearned for the day when the priest would get his just punishment. The victim, now 42, edged closer to that dream when he first reported the allegations to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in April 2002.

Posted by kshaw at December 22, 2005 07:19 AM