Brooklyn Bishop Dimarzio Faces Second Allegation of Sex Abuse in Jersey City

By Teri West
Jersey Journal
June 4, 2020

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2020/06/brooklyn-bishop-dimarzio-faces-second-allegation-of-sex-abuse-in-jersey-city.html

In this Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis is welcomed by, from left, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, Archbishop Bernardito Auza and Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio as he arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. DiMarzio, under investigation for alleged sex abuse, has been accused by a second man of abuse in the 1970s, when the bishop was a parish priest in New Jersey, according to a March 9, 2020 letter that Samier Tadros' lawyer sent to the Archdiocese of Newark. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, Pool) APAP

A second man has accused the Catholic bishop of Brooklyn of sexually abusing him while assigned to a parish in Jersey City in the 1970s.

Samier Tadros, now 46, alleges that Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio repeatedly abused him, starting when he 6 years old, while DiMarzio was assigned to Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City.

DiMarzio denied the accusation, according to the Associated Press.

His lawyer, Joseph Hayden, did not respond to requests for comment but told the Associated Press “We have uncovered conclusive evidence of Bishop DiMarzio’s innocence” and “Bishop DiMarzio will never agree to a settlement of these claims.”

The bishop has led the Brooklyn diocese since 2003 and has remained at his post, even after being accused of sex abuse by Mark Matzek in November.

“The allegations by my two clients further support the extent of clergy sexual abuse within the Catholic church and the cover-up of that sexual abuse,” said lawyer Mitchell Garabedian, who is representing Tadros and Matzek. “If a high-ranking bishop is sexually abusing children, then it would not be unreasonable to believe that that high-ranking bishop participates in the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse, too.”

Matzek came forward with his allegation a month after DiMarzio was selected by Pope Francis to investigate an abuse scandal in the Diocese of Buffalo.

Matzek alleges that DiMarzio repeatedly sexually abused him from approximately 1974 to 1975 when he was 11 and 12 years old. At the time, DiMarzio was assigned to St. Nicholas Church in Jersey City.

Tadros alleges DiMarzio abused him from approximately 1979 to 1980 when he was 6 and 7 years old, Garabedian said. At that point, DiMarzio was assigned to Holy Rosary Church. Tadros no longer lives in New Jersey, Garabedian said, but did not disclose where he currently lives.

Tadros was empowered to come forward last December after hearing about Matzek’s allegations, Garabedian said.

The lawyer sent a letter on March 9 outlining the allegations and a $20 million settlement demand to the attorney representing the Archdiocese of Newark, he said. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York is leading the investigation of DiMarzio after Pope Francis mandated that archbishops would handle such investigations in their regions last year.