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  New Child Sex Abuse Case against Mother Theresa’s ‘confessor’ Starts

SNAP

October 9, 2008

http://snap-national.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-child-sex-abuse-case-against-mother.html

For immediate release: Thursday, Oct. 9

For more information: Barbara Blaine 312 399 4747

New child sex abuse case against Mother Theresa's 'confessor' starts

Convicted pedophile priest molested teen "almost continuously" for a year

High profile cleric now faces federal charges; Opening arguments are today 9:30 a.m.

Jesuits knew about nationally known predator as far back as 1969 yet kept him in ministry

Opening arguments are expected to start tomorrow in a criminal trial against an already-convicted pedophile priest who is the nation's most high profile child molesting Catholic clergyman.The is a federal case being held in Courtroom 2119 (at the Dirksen Federal Bldg- corner of Jackson and Dearborn) in front of Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer.

Fr. Donald J. McGuire is a defrocked Jesuit who has been Mother Teresa's spiritual advisor, spoken at hundreds of schools, churches and retreats across the globe. He is also the most high-profile Catholic priest to ever be convicted for sexually abusing kids.

McGuire is facing trial and charged with traveling to Switzerland and Austria to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is represented by attorney Stephen Komie.

In Feb. 2006, McGuire was found guilty of molesting two other boys on trips to Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Those victims testified that they were also repeatedly abused by McGuire at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where they were students and where McGuire taught from 1965-70.

Prosecutors in Maricopa County (Phoenix AZ) have also filed criminal charges against McGuire for molesting two brothers there between 1998 and 2002.

At least two civil molestation suits against McGuire and the Jesuits have been settled. The victims were represented by St. Paul MN attorney Jeff Anderson (651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell).

According to church records, in 1999, McGuire began living with and molesting and living with a different teenager at Canisius House in Evanston. McGuire repeatedly abused the youngster until a different boy filed a civil molestation lawsuit against the priest and the Jesuits in 2003.

McGuire, an Oak Park native now in his 70s, was finally defrocked in February, even though his Jesuit supervisors received repeated reports of his crimes as far back as the 1960s.

"While McGuire is finally facing tough questions in court about his crimes, his Jesuit bosses have apparently succeeded in escaping consequences for covering up McGuire's crimes," said Barbara Blaine, founder and president of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org).

Contact: SNAP National Director, David Clohessy, 314 566 9790

 
 

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