NEW JERSEY
NorthJersey.com
Monday, February 6, 2006
By ALFRED P. DOBLIN
It's a sign of the times. People lie, cheat, even sexually abuse children, and then give weepy speeches of repentance, expecting the world to forgive their transgressions. Forgiving and forgetting are not the same things.
James Hanley, by his own admission, is a pedophile. He has no right to an anonymous life. And communities that want to protect their children should never forget what he has done.
Hanley, 69, is a former Catholic priest. He has been defrocked. He would like people to see him as a pathetic old man who had a drinking problem and psychological disorders. He is pathetic. He also is still a potential threat to children.
Hanley chose to interview with a reporter for The Record. Maybe that wasn't a smart move on his part, but it was good for people who live on McBride Avenue in Paterson. They now know that a pedophile lives on their street.