(WI)
WLUK - Fox 11 [Green Bay WI]
December 30, 2024
By Brian Kerhin
ELKHORN (WLUK) – The criminal sexual assault case against former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will remain open but suspended until his death, as a judge ruled the case would not be dismissed.
McCarrick, the ex-archbishop of Washington, D.C., was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after an internal Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children.
McCarrick, 94, was charged in Wisconsin in April 2023 with one count of fourth-degree sexual assault for an incident that occurred in April of 1977. The charge stems from a complaint which alleges McCarrick engaged in repeated sexual abuse of the victim over time, including the charged incident that involved the alleged fondling of the victim’s genitals while staying as a guest at a Geneva Lake residence.
McCarrick was found to be not competent to stand trial, meaning he couldn’t understand the court proceedings or assist in his own defense. As a result, the case had been on hold.
During a review hearing Friday, Walworth County Judge David Reddy denied a defense request to dismiss the case, saying that’s not allowed under the competency statute.
“However, the Court will not set any further reviews on this matter and it will remain in suspended status until the defendant passes away,” court records state.
McCarrick did not participate in the hearing, according to court records.
The once-powerful American prelate also faced charges that he abused the teenage boy at a wedding reception at Wellesley College in 1974. However, a Massachusetts judge ruled in 2023 that case would be dismissed because he is experiencing dementia.
Survivors of clergy or faith leader abuse, their friends and family, or anyone who has information about how a religious organization has responded to reported abuse are encouraged to report that information to Wisconsin Dept. of Justice, either online at SupportSurvivors.widoj.gov or by calling 1-877-222-2620.