Diocese dismisses 3 claims of sex abuse

Albany -- Church-led investigations found no grounds for allegations

By ANDREW TILGHMAN, Staff writer
First published: Saturday, August 23, 2003 

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has dismissed several allegations of clergy sexual abuse, including an accusation against at least one priest in active ministry.

In three cases since June 2002, church-led investigations concluded that there were no " 'reasonable grounds' to believe sexual abuse may have occurred," and no action was taken against the priests, church officials said Friday.

The diocese has not previously acknowledged closing investigations due to potentially false allegations. Reducing the backlog of complaints is a key step in ending the 19-month-old scandal.

One case involved a convicted child molester serving a 10-year sentence in a New York state prison who told Bishop Howard Hubbard last year he was sexually abused by a priest when he was 6 years old.

After a yearlong investigation, the 33-year-old inmate received a letter informing him that the diocese would take no action against the priest he accused.

"The investigation showed a lack of supporting evidence for the allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. Your complaint, of course, will be kept on file," wrote Theresa Rodrigues, the diocese's victim/survivor assistance coordinator, in a July 7 letter.

Some victims suggest more than three investigations were closed. At least five people who say they are victims received similar letters, said Mark Furnish, head of the Capital Region's chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a nationwide support group.

False allegations have proven rare during the scandal, which has resulted in the removal of 13 priests from the Albany diocese, church officials said.

"While the specific facts of each case must necessarily be investigated to determine their validity, Bishop Hubbard believes that most of the allegations of abuse received by the Albany Diocese thus far have been valid," said the Rev. Kenneth Doyle, a diocesan spokesman, in a written statement Friday.

The 74-year-old priest accused by the convicted child molester said he was stunned to learn about the allegation.

"It's the biggest nightmare to be falsely accused. I'm always waiting for the other shoe to fall," said the priest, who asked that his name not be revealed.

He has discussed his plight with very few people -- particularly other priests. "If you talk to one priest and he talks to another priest, and pretty soon it gets all around the diocese. You're trying not to do that. You want to keep it quiet," he said.

The diocese's Sexual Misconduct Review Board, a nine-member panel that includes both church employees and others, considers complaints and advises the bishop whether to remove a priest. The board forms a recommendation "based upon review of the relevant documents and meetings the board's investigator conducted with the complainant, the accused and any other person who might have had information about the allegations," Doyle said.

"The Albany Diocese continues to encourage victims of clergy sexual abuse to contact the diocese so that their allegations can be properly investigated," Doyle said. "The Albany Diocese investigates every allegation of clergy sexual misconduct that it receives."

The Rev. Thomas Reese, a Catholic scholar and editor of the Jesuit magazine America, said false allegations pose a challenge to dioceses nationwide that have pledged a zero-tolerance policy for priests accused of abuse.

"It still seems that the overwhelming majority of accusations are credible, but there are exceptions," Reese said. "That is the toughest situation; you receive an allegation but if the priest is adamant about his innocence, then you have a real problem. It's one person's word against another, and how do you go about handling that?" Reese said.

Last year, the Rev. John Connolly, a former high school principal, remained in ministry after his first accuser came forward, but he was removed in April several weeks after a second man contacted the diocese with a similar complaint.

"When you have two, three, four people coming together who don't know each other and making allegations against the same priest, that guy is toast. And he should be," Reese said.