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	Courts: Lawsuit Accuses Diocese of Hiding Sex Abuse By Greg Smith Norwich Bulletin January 1, 2009 http://www.norwichbulletin.com/lifestyles/spirituality/x497774422/ Courts-Lawsuit-accuses-diocese-of-hiding-sex-abuse New London, Conn. — A New London lawyer has filed a federal racketeering lawsuit accusing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich in a conspiracy to cover up sexual abuse of children by priests. Attorney Robert Reardon filed the suit in November on behalf of a woman identified as Jane Doe in what may be the first of its kind in the state. Doe alleges in the suit that she was sexually abused by the late Rev. Thomas W. Shea in 1976, when she was 13 and he was assigned to St. Joseph Church in New London. The Norwich Diocese recently settled a similar suit filed by a woman who claims she was abused by Shea when he was at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Gales Ferry. Shea is at the center of other suits. Reardon is attempting to use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, commonly referred to as RICO, for a conspiracy by the church to cover up the conduct of several priests. The act often is associated with gangsters, but Reardon said there have been similar suits in other states using the federal RICO statute. "The name of the statute is somewhat deceiving," Reardon said. "It allows compensation when there is a widespread conspiracy. Here, the conspiracy involved the National Conference of Catholic Bishops encouraging the transfer of priests who were allegedly involved in sexual misconduct." The suit names five other priests in the Norwich Diocese who are embroiled in sexual abuse allegations and moved to new parishes. Former Norwich Bishop Daniel P. Reilly and current vicar general, the Rev. Thomas McBride, also are named in the suit. Under RICO, a person who is a member of an organization or enterprise and committed two crimes within a 10-year period can be charged with racketeering. Diocese spokesman Michael Strammiello said allegations always are difficult, but the church has risen above past problems with awareness building, training, screenings of priests and programs enforced by third-party auditors. "We continue to pray for healing for everyone," Strammiello said. "The light through all of this is what's happening today. What the Catholic Church has done is extraordinary. "We have confronted it head on," Strammiello said. "There's no other organization in the country that has done more to create a safe environment for their children. Our whole emphasis is on having worked through this and being in a place where we can be an example of how to ensure safety for children. This is so much a bigger part of the story now."
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