ILLINOIS
State Journal-Register
By Chris Dettro
Staff Writer
Posted Jan. 13, 2014
A preliminary investigation has found “credible” an allegation that a Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese priest sexually abused a youth while he was serving in Jacksonville more than 30 years ago.
The finding by the Diocesan Review Board sends the case of the Rev. Robert “Bud” DeGrand, 61, to the next step of the Catholic Church’s investigative process in Rome.
DeGrand will continue to be on leave from public ministry and from his church residence. When the allegation surfaced in September, DeGrand temporarily withdrew from serving Catholic parishes in Sigel, Neoga, Green Creek and Lillyville in east-central Illinois.
His case now goes to the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for further proceedings, according to a statement from the Springfield diocese on Monday.
The diocese compared the function of the Diocesan Review Board with that of a grand jury in a criminal proceeding. It determines whether criminal charges should be brought but does not make a determination of guilt or innocence.
Diocesan spokeswoman Kathie Sass said the Vatican Congregation is “reserved to handle the most serious offenses” within the church. She said Pope John Paul II directed that allegations of abuse be handled by that department.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.