A man beats up the priest who molested him and his brother when they were 7 and 4, and forced them to have sex with each other. Jury refuses to convict. It's hard to fault the jury on a case like this. The statute of limitations had expired, preventing a criminal trial of the retired priest, although the Jesuits had settled out of court with this guy (and other victims).
The damage that gets done by this sort of thing is very hard to overestimate. It may sound a bit melodramatic to call it "soul-murder," as some do, but I have talked to a lot of victims over the years. Some recover and live pretty normal lives. But most are damaged in ways that lead to horrible problems forever.
You meant "hard to overestimate" or "too easy to underestimate".
ReplyDeleteCall it restorative justice therapy...I'd buy that as a juror. Of course given who...whom, there aren't many excuses from this particular defendant that I wouldn't buy.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I was pulled in for Voire Dire I asked about nullification rights during the open Q&A (the only time you can talk or ask a question) and wasn't picked...wonder why.....
ReplyDeleteThis is a weird case. The vast majority of priest sex-abuse cases have been homosexual priests preying on teenage boys.
ReplyDeleteThis can be rationalized by the predator: teenage boys want sex, and if the boy is homosexual...
(Some homosexuals are same-sex oriented from the first stirrings of puberty.)
But this creep attacked pre-pubescent children of both sexes, and forced them to perform with each other. There's no conceivable rationalization for that.
My guess is that many of priests preying on teenaged boys were that age when a priest got to them--and they see themselves as still being that age--frozen development.
ReplyDeleteTthe excuses that I have seen pedophiles use to justify what they do seem clear evidence that there is no rationalization outrageous enough to embarrass such people.
My guess is that many of priests preying on teenaged boys were that age when a priest got to them
ReplyDeleteStockholm Syndrome - what separates those homosexuals who are products of Sanduskyite abuse and those who are not.