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	Gozitan Priest Unlikely to Face Prosecution By Herman Grech The Times of Malta [Florida] October 22, 2006 http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=240749 A spokesman for the state attorney's office in West Palm Beach, Florida, has ruled out law enforcement action against a Gozitan priest implicated in a former US Congressman's sex claims, unless other alleged victims come forward and as long as the alleged offences are not time-barred. Disgraced Republican Congress-man Mark Foley's lawyers have said the politician does not want to start proceedings against Fr Anthony Mercieca. While the statute of limitations has expired in Mr Foley's case, until last night no other individuals had made similar allegations against the clergyman. The Archdiocese of Miami on Friday barred the 72-year-old Gozitan priest from all Church work as it investigates Mr Foley's claim that the clergyman had molested him as a teenager. Mr Foley, 52, resigned from Congress last month after the release of sexually explicit computer messages to teenage male pages. His lawyers later said he was an alcoholic, gay and had been molested as a boy by a "clergyman", There can be no extradition proceedings unless charges are pressed against the priest in the US. In Malta, a case becomes time-barred after 20 years in case of aggravated rape and 15 years in cases of defilement. Though the case has stirred a hornets' nest and created a media sensation in the US, the reaction in Gozo appears to be different. On the contrary, Gozitan residents and priests who spoke to The Sunday Times yesterday said the Gozitans were generally rallying behind the priest. "While normally there's a sense of outrage when something of the sort takes place, this time it's different. People feel the media are harassing an old man over a case which purportedly took place 40 years ago," said one priest, who asked to remain anonymous. Another priest said: "Fr Mercieca made it clear that whatever happened took place in a moment of weakness years ago. He is a good man who did a lot of philanthropic work. He is now an old man with health problems." Most residents remained unreceptive towards reporters and declined to comment. At one point one woman was seen opening the door to Fr Mercieca's home in Victoria; she took messages which had been scribbled by reporters and slipped underneath the door and flung them into the street. Gozitans seem to be taking comfort in the fact that so far no other person has come forward claiming to have been abused by Fr Mercieca. The Archdiocese of Miami has asked any possible victims of inappropriate beha-viour or abuse by a Gozitan priest to contact a law enforcement agency. A priest said it was the norm for other individuals to come forward with similar claims when a case of paedophilia is reported. Still, despite the solidarity shown, many agreed that Fr Mercieca had effectively dug his own grave as a priest when he spoke openly of his relationship with Mr Foley with some sections of the media, including The Times. Though Gozo Bishop Mario Grech was unavailable for comment, sources told The Sunday Times that he met Fr Mercieca on Thursday night, hours after the media revelations. Fr Mercieca was apparently instructed to refrain from talking to the media and to seek legal advice. When contacted, a spokesman for the Gozo Curia said the diocese was working closely with the Miami Church, but would not give further comments. Mgr Grech has instructed the Response Team to investigate the allegations according to the policies established by the Maltese Ecclesiastical Province with regard to cases of sexual abuse in pastoral activity, and present him with a report. Mgr Grech will pass all information he receives regarding this case to the Response Team.
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