By Andy Potter
WCAX
May 18, 2008
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8343360&nav=4QdL4fV4
[with video]
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington plans to appeal a jury award of more than eight-million dollars in the latest priest sex abuse case. Meanwhile, parishioners are expressing dismay at the size of the judgement. Andy Potter reports.
Spiritual life in the Church continues, in spite of the scandal. The latest lawsuit alleging that former priest Edward Paquette molested a boy up to a hundred times in the late 1970s ended in 8.7 million in compensatory and punitive damages. This comes on top of an earlier out-of-court settlement of nearly one million dollars -- and eighteen more cases against the same former priest have yet to be resolved.
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It all leaves Bob and Ruth Charlesworth concerned about the future of the Church's social mission. "First of all, I would say that the compensatory damages have to be understood as a separate item," Bob Charlesworth told Channel 3. "What is of most concern to me is the extent of the punitive damages." the Charlesworths attend services at Saint Joseph's Co-Cathedral in Burlington.
The Church began a new anti-child abuse program called Virtus seven years ago, to make sure that it never happens again. Ruth Charlesworth said, "This was initiated through our Bishop, and it's a program that's aimed at educating adults on child sex abuse. And everyone who is affiliated with the Diocese, whether it be on a voluntary or a professional basis, is required to go through the Virtus program."
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Two members of the jury told Channel 3 off-camera after the verdict that they were troubled that the Church never revealed to them what it was doing to prevent future child abuse. The jury never heard about the Virtus program because Judge Matthew Katz ruled out any mention of it at trial. The Church is expected to raise that issue, as well as Katz's decision to allow punitive damages, in its appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court.
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Kevin Scully, a former Burlington police chief who now oversees the Diocese child abuse prevention program, said, "Whether or not they had all the information that they needed, anyone can question. They have made a decision and we will honor the decision."
Meanwhile, the Church continues its mission. Bob Charlesworth said, "The Church spiritually is going to survive one way or the other. Our spiritual strength does not come from our wealth or by finances. What is going to suffer is the people -- people who were not responsible for it."
With programs in place, the Church says it's confident that child sex abuse will never happen again in this or any other Catholic diocese.
Contact: potter@wcax.com
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