NEW YORK
Catholic Online
[with video]
A former Bronx priest is suing the Archdiocese of New York for libel. Charles Kavanaugh was accused of sexual abuse by a teenage boy who later admitted he made up the allegations. However, Kavanaugh says the archdiocese persisted in libeling him anyway.
NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) – Specifically, Kavanaugh was convicted in a secret court trial of the misconduct and stripped of his position, despite the recantation. Later, the Archdiocese repeated the allegations in a press release.
The allegations against Kavanaugh were made in 2002 by Daniel Donohoe, who said the priest jumped into a bed with him and rubbed against him. He also claimed Kavanaugh held his hands during prayer in a manner that made him feel uncomfortable.
However, the now-adult Donohoe has recanted his allegations saying, “The statement was not true and I apologize for it.” The apology was submitted to a federal court in a sworn statement.
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