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	Recent 'Disturbing' Clergy Sex Abuse & Cover up Lawsuit Settled for $1.2 Million PRNewswire August 22, 2007 http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2007/0004650108&EDATE= Just three years ago, church officials withheld info from police about a second victim Crimes took place in 2002 but pedophile priest stayed in parish work; suit was filed in 2005 DVDs will be provided with victim testifying, predator taking the Fifth, & church authorities lying Washington Archdiocese and large religious order kept secrets about and moved sex offender Even now, Catholic religious orders are 'especially secretive and reckless,' self help group, SNAP, says WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The following press release is being issued on behalf of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests: WHAT At sidewalk news conferences in DC and three other cities, a new $1.2 million settlement in a recent Catholic priest sex abuse and cover up lawsuit will be disclosed and discussed. The child sex crimes happened until 2002, the predator was moved to another state, and during a police probe of the case, church officials failed to notify law enforcement about reports of a second victim. Later, the church hierarchy sought a court order to prevent them from having to disclose the name of a Catholic teacher who was in touch with the second victim. A judge refused to grant their request. WHEN TOMORROW, Thursday, Aug. 23, 1:30 p.m. WHERE Outside St. Dominic's Catholic Church, 630 E Street SW, Washington DC (202-544-7863) WHO The Frederick MD parents of the now 21 year old victim, their attorneys, and a Missouri man who heads a nationwide a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests WHY Last week, Brandon Rains settled the civil child molestation lawsuit he filed in 2005 against the Washington Archdiocese, a religious order, and Fr. Aaron Joseph Cote, who abused Rains when he was a teenager. The crimes took place at/near two DC-area parishes (including this one) just five years ago (2001-02). Despite two separate, credible child sex abuse allegations, church officials let Cote keep working in parish ministry, up until that suit was filed. Equally disturbing, they fought to keep secret the identity of a Catholic teacher who was in touch with another young victim of Cote's. Thirty pages of previously-secret documents, filed in a DC court, will be provided. They show that Catholic authorities were worried and warned about Cote's excessive drinking and his disturbing interest in children even during his seminary days. They considered not ordaining him. After Rains reported his abuse, Cote was transferred to St. Pius V church in Providence, Rhode Island. Previously, he'd worked in --Peru, where records show he repeatedly and inappropriately let kids be and stay in priests' living quarters, --Ohio, where he was also accused of molesting a boy years ago in the Columbus diocese. (For months, however, church officials refused to turn over, either to police or to Brandon's attorneys, the name of a key witness in that incident. Ultimately, under court order, that individual's identity was finally disclosed.) The case is clear proof, SNAP says, of how church officials in general (and religious orders in particular) ignore the US bishops weak and vague but highly-touted child sex abuse policies adopted five years ago Cote, now 56, belongs to the Dominican religious order and also worked at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church in Bethesda and Mother Seton Church in Germantown (where some of Rains' abuse took place). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111602414.html (Please cut and paste URL if it is not active.) Similar news conferences are being held Thursday in two cities where Cote worked (Providence RI and Columbus OH) and where he now lives (New York City). The lawsuit was filed as case number DC-2005-CA008968B.
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