Cardinal Mahony to Again Be Deposed Regarding Church Sex Abuse Claims

By Elizabeth Espinosa
KTLA
February 15, 2013

http://ktla.com/2013/02/16/cardinal-mahony-to-again-be-deposed-regarding-church-sex-abuse-claims/#axzz2L4vghE2O

Before Cardinal Roger Mahony heads to Rome to help elect a new pope, he’ll be questioned under oath next Saturday (Feb. 23) about his handling of clergy sex abuse cases.

The kinds of questions Mahony will face: did a visiting priest from Mexico abuse a local North Hollywood parishioner? And did the church — under Mahony’s guidance — stall in notifying police about the alleged abuse?

A judge has cleared the way for the deposition of Mahony to proceed, and has ruled that attorneys will have four hours to question Cardinal Mahony on the subject.

Mahony has been deposed several times since the late 1990?s about issues of alleged sexual abuse within the church.

In the current case pending, attorneys for the alleged victim contend that he was molested 30 years ago by a priest visiting from Mexico.

Judge Emilie H. Elias is allowing attorneys to ask about the priest from Mexico, as well as 25 other clergymen who were accused of abuse during that time period.

Attorneys for the plaintiff have more questions for Mahony, stemming from the more than 12,000 pages of documents that have been generated within the church records regarding the allegations.

A victims’ rights group has expressed concerns that the four-hour window allotted for questioning of Mahony will not be enough time.

Spokesmen for the archdiocese have declined to comment on the matter.