LOUISIANA
WAFB
By Cheryl Mercedes
CLINTON, LA (WAFB) – The Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge has vowed to fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to defend its beliefs.
It involves a lawsuit, allegations of the sexual abuse of a minor, and whether a priest can be forced to testify about what was said in the confessional.
The parents of a child who claims she was molested several years ago by an older parishioner of Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Clinton, La. is suing the alleged now deceased perpetrator, George Charlet, Jr., along with a priest and the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.
Attorney Brian Abels, who is representing the parents, said the girl, then 14 years old, was sexually abused.
“This is kissing and touching and fondling. The very last time our client thought she was going to be raped,” Abels said.
The suit alleges the girl went to confession three times, each time telling the priest, Father Jeff Bayhi, that Charlet had touched her inappropriately and told her “he wanted to make love to her.”
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