Pedophile Priest Killed In Prison

[Dave]

I found this in Yahoo's news section:

Inmate Kills Pedophile Priest in Prison

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON (Reuters) - Defrocked priest John Geoghan, a central figure in the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal, was killed on Saturday by a fellow-inmate in the prison where he was serving a sentence for child rape, a state prisons official said.

"There was an incident involving John Geoghan and another inmate around noon on Saturday. Geoghan sustained serious injury and was brought to Leominster Hospital where we was pronounced dead shortly before 2 p.m.," said Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.

Nantel said the department was investigating in cooperation with the District Attorney's office. She said criminal charges may be brought against the other inmate, whose name she would not release.

Geoghan, 67, was sent to the Souza-Baranowski Correction Center in Shirley, Massachusetts, last year after being found guilty of having groped a young boy while they were swimming. Nantel said he was held in protective custody to shield him from most other inmates, but he still had contact with some.

More the 130 people have filed lawsuits claiming that Geoghan, who was defrocked in 1998, had molested them when he worked in several Boston-area parishes. His prosecution helped uncover a string of pedophile cases that shook the Catholic Church around the world and forced Cardinal Bernard Law to resign as Boston's archbishop late last year.

The Church is now offering to pay $65 million to settle hundreds of sexual abuse charges filed by young men and women against the church. Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Riley called the scandal "the greatest tragedy to befall children, ever" in the state.

The Archdiocese of Boston described his death as "tragic."

"The Archdiocese of Boston offers its prayers for the repose of John's soul and extends its prayers and consolation to his beloved sister at this time of personal loss," said Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the Archdiocese.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who represents many young men who say they were molested by Geoghan, said he was shocked to hear of Geoghan's death. He said Patrick McSorley, one of Geoghan's best known victims, broke into tears at the news.

"My clients would rather have seen John Geoghan be punished in a way seen fit by society," he said. "They would have rather seen him endure the rigors of two more trials and endure the pain of more prison sentences."

Internal Church documents obtained by the media showed that Geoghan's sex abuse history was well known to church officials but that they continued to let him work with children. The Boston Globe reported last year that Geoghan was removed from four straight parishes between 1974 and 1989 for molesting children.

Last year Geoghan received the maximum sentence of nine to 10 years in prison but was expected to serve only six as the balance of the term was suspended.

Nearly one year ago the Archdiocese of Boston settled the cases of 86 of Geoghan's victims for $10 million. More cases are pending.

Garabedian said he could not comment on whether Geoghan's death might affect the negotiations to settle outstanding sex abuse cases.

[immaculata]

We must pray for his soul....

All for the Immaculata,

Katrina

[littleflower+JMJ]

i read that earlier, it certainly is sad. i dont know what to think...

[ironmonk]

They knew that would happen. I wouldn't be supprised if they planned it.

Charles Manson gets more protection than a priest with a problem... sad.

The priest should not have been in that type of prison.... it's not like he would have been an escape risk.

God Bless,

ironmonk

[Norseman82]

I'm not surprised. Jeffrey Dahmer was also murdered in prison.

[Theologian in Training]

They knew that would happen. I wouldn't be supprised if they planned it.

Charles Manson gets more protection than a priest with a problem... sad.

The priest should not have been in that type of prison.... it's not like he would have been an escape risk.

God Bless,

ironmonk

Who do u mean by "they?"

[Winchester]

Geoghan was a rapist. I feel not an ounce of sympathy for him.

Rapists should get life in prison at the very least, end of story.

"Priest with a problem" my foot. He was a scumbag who did unbelievable damage to people.

I'll pray for his soul, but frankly, all rapists should be in maximum security prisons for the rest of their lives. They should die without seeing the sun save through prison bars.

[PedroX]

Winchester,

Geoghan was an ordained priest. He was called by God. He fell. His sin seems terrible to us, but to God is it different from the mortal sins that we committ? Is he beyond the sacrement of reconciliation? I know, personally, how horrible his sin was, but we are called to forgive, and to pray for his soul. I hope to one day see him singing in heaven with tears of joy running down his face. He will truly know the depths of God's redemption and forgiveness.

peace...

[Winchester]

I didn't say God wouldn't forgive him. Prison isn't about God's forgiveness, it's about protecting the citizens from criminals. I am quite certain many former inmates are in Heaven.

Rapists tend to repeat their crimes, and pedophiles are notoriously repetitious. The amount of damage wrecked by such people is extreme, and sadly, our justice system lets these people out with little regard for public safety. Better they are killed in prison than an innocent child suffer at their hands.

Few people are actually forced to molest children. Geoghan commited an evil act, and yes, it is markedly different from many other mortal sins. He violated his sacred position, and I daresay had one of his victims been my child, the US justice system likely wouldn't have gotten a crack at him.

His sin does inDouche seem terrible to us. I assure you it is even more terrible to his victims, who will possibly never recover, and will enjoy a life of fear and anxiety, and possibly medication, who are more likely to engage in the same predation, whose faith was likely damaged. He didn't just fall, he sank his hooks into other to drag them along. I hope he went to Heaven, but I'm glad he never again walked our streets. I hope also that his victims go to Heaven, in spite of the stumbling block the size of a battleship he placed in front of them.

[Adam]

Winchester people change, porn can lead people to molest, so should everyone who views porn be locked up in a maxinum security prison? How about people who masterbate? After awhile some get thoughts, so should a good 85% of the economy be locked up in maxium security prison just in case they do a wicked offense? You surely don't know if this Priest would if he got out or not would offend, nor' do we know all thoese people who view porno would go out and do somthing wicked.

You said its about protecting the public, but what I described above there been studies which can be found on internet that could lead people to doing wicked things such as what this Priest did, so I ask you, should all these people also be locked up?

How about people who were arrested for DUI, ALOT of them reoffend, so should they be locked up for life to protect society?

Ok so the priest molested children, there is treatment as there is treatment for people addicted to other things such as alcohol, they need help and also spiritual guidance, to cast a stone at them kinda contradicts our Faith dosen't it? Because I know I am a sinner, and I will be the last one to cast a stone.

This Priest had a trial, he was sentanced to serve time, in that time he'l have plenty time to change, and reconcile with God, he did not deserve death, nor' was it his punishment. The Priest had a gruesome death, is his dead coldless body enough punishment?

John 8:7 "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

Edited August 24, 2003 by Adam

[Winchester]

Adam, no offense, but you must have absolutely no clue the psychological impact of rape or molestation.

It's not worth the risk.

Compare it to masturbation? Yeah, violating some complete innocent compares to this how?

From commiting to preventive lock-up. Well, that's such a huge leap in logic I cannot begin to formulate a response. Commit the crime and you do the time, I am not advocating hedging our bets against possible criminals. I'm stating that the crime should result in life. You know any rape victims, Adam? You got any in your family? You know what the rest of their life is like, especially when the utter scumbag is let out by some tee-total moron who seems to think sexual assault is a "mistake"?

Drunk driving can happen by simple human error. I suppose, in some alternate reality one could accidentally lure a child into one's house and proceed to accidentally molest said child, but I'll try to stick with some realistic scenarios.

Maybe you missed this, but you essentially compared a molested child to an alcoholic beverage. The beers that alcoholics drink don't wake up with night terrors or break into panic attacks because of memory triggers. Drinking too much versus physically and emotionally scarring an innocent child aren't in the same ballpark. You seem to have ZERO sympathy for the victim here.

I did not cast a stone, I said lock them up. Are you implying we should not have prisons? Heck, we're all sinners, how can we judge those poor murderers? I once stole a candy bar from a gas station, so I better not judge the guy who molested 30+ children!

I'm all for Mass in prison, bible reading, even a movie or two, but having seen the body of a child literally raped to death, you will NEVER (read that word about 200 times) convince me these people are merely in need of spiritual guidance or that they should walk among us free.

[Adam]

Adam, no offense, but you must have absolutely no clue the psychological impact of rape or molestation.

It's not worth the risk.

Compare it to masturbation? Yeah, violating some complete innocent compares to this how?

From commiting to preventive lock-up. Well, that's such a huge leap in logic I cannot begin to formulate a response. Commit the crime and you do the time, I am not advocating hedging our bets against possible criminals. I'm stating that the crime should result in life. You know any rape victims, Adam? You got any in your family? You know what the rest of their life is like, especially when the utter scumbag is let out by some tee-total moron who seems to think sexual assault is a "mistake"?

Drunk driving can happen by simple human error. I suppose, in some alternate reality one could accidentally lure a child into one's house and proceed to accidentally molest said child, but I'll try to stick with some realistic scenarios.

Maybe you missed this, but you essentially compared a molested child to an alcoholic beverage. The beers that alcoholics drink don't wake up with night terrors or break into panic attacks because of memory triggers. Drinking too much versus physically and emotionally scarring an innocent child aren't in the same ballpark. You seem to have ZERO sympathy for the victim here.

I did not cast a stone, I said lock them up. Are you implying we should not have prisons? Heck, we're all sinners, how can we judge those poor murderers? I once stole a candy bar from a gas station, so I better not judge the guy who molested 30+ children!

I'm all for Mass in prison, bible reading, even a movie or two, but having seen the body of a child literally raped to death, you will NEVER (read that word about 200 times) convince me these people are merely in need of spiritual guidance or that they should walk among us free.

Sure, I walked in on my sister being raped by big black guy in 8th grade, my mom was raped, but you know what, I can forgive the rapist without any hate... sure they deserve time locked up, but not death.... sure its bad the Priest raped a load of people, his punishment was sentanced to prison and it was not death nor' did he deserve to die at all.

Your talking as if this Priest was Satan himself, far as I know he is still a man who has fallen like we all do, just some worse than others. As Catholics we need to help our brother and sisters get on there feet, on the path to holyness than throw them all in the cell and throw away the key, when infact these people can change with the grace of God and be a benefit to soceity. We have Prison ministries to help, but saying "Geoghan was a rapist. I feel not an ounce of sympathy for him" seams kinda harsh... what happend to him is a terrible act, I feel a lot of sympathy for him... and anyman who can give his life to God like he did, despite his fall is a man who still has that form of respect... and thats if u like it or not, he is still a Priest.

Im sorry you have that built up anger inside you about this Priest, but we should forgive and help people who commit these acts, not stone them.

Some of the best people I ever met were criminals who came out of prison and became councelors, got teens out of gangs, drugs, sexual abuse, etc. I mean, now a days we got councelors who never even smoked a joint and no expereince other than lame college, but we have people coming out of prison and starting over holding hands with God and changing peoples lives for the better, thank God we didn't lock these criminals up forever! But according to you, they should go to maxium security prisons forever.... he may of later changed lives in that prison, even 1 soul he could of gotten a chance to show Christ would of been a difference to this world.... but no, he got put to death... the worst sentance of all.... which was made by innmate who casted the first stone.

Edited August 24, 2003 by Adam

[ironmonk]

Who do u mean by "they?"

They as in the authorities. They normally keep people with child sex crimes out of general population because the offender tends to get killed. Whichever person picked which cell that the priest went into, knew very well what kind of person was going to be his roomate....

Geoghan was a rapist. I feel not an ounce of sympathy for him.

Rapists should get life in prison at the very least, end of story.

"Priest with a problem" my foot. He was a scumbag who did unbelievable damage to people.

I'll pray for his soul, but frankly, all rapists should be in maximum security prisons for the rest of their lives. They should die without seeing the sun save through prison bars.

The type of prison should be dictated by the type of person. Yes, he should spend the rest of his life in prison, but he should not have been killed in prison.

Since when can you see into a man's heart?

If you do not feel sympathy for him, how do you expect to have Christ feel sympathy for you?

Different people make different mistakes, some are greater than others, but mortal sin is mortal sin.... we all have been guilty of mortal sin.

This man had a problem... maybe he thought that being a priest could help his problem... none the less, he was a Priest... He celebrated the Mass, and Christ was present in Him...

1823

Jesus makes charity the new commandment.96 By loving his own "to the end,"97 he makes manifest the Father's love which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus which they themselves receive. Whence Jesus says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love." And again: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."98

Did Jesus say except those that sin?

1826

"If I . . . have not charity," says the Apostle, "I am nothing." Whatever my privilege, service, or even virtue, "if I . . . have not charity, I gain nothing."103 Charity is superior to all the virtues. It is the first of the theological virtues: "So faith, hope, charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity."104

1829

The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion:

Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.108

-ironmonk

[cmotherofpirl]

Think about it.

THis man held Jesus Christ in his hands on a daily basis, and still committed terrible crimes.

Judas had the company of Jesus for several years, loved him, and turned on him.

So did Peter.

What does this say about the capacity for evil in each and every one of us?

This is what Scripture means by judge not, lest ye be judged.

THe man and his victims and society desparately needs prayers.

Let us hope Father Geoghan repented.

May all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

[cmotherofpirl]

Adam the chance of a pedophile or the kind that molests teenagers stopping voluntarily are slim to none. Treatment rarly is effective. Thats how we got in this mess in the first place. All those shrinks who said these priests can change were criminally wrong and should spend so time in jail themselves. Or if they are so positive these men are cured, let them hire these guys as babysitters for their own children.

Pedophiles need locked up for the rest of their lives.

I would let a murderer out of jail before a pedophile. Most murders are situational, pedophilia is deliberate. Murderers are treatable, pedos are rarely cureable. For alcohol or drugs , remission is the goal. For a pedophile you would have to have an ironclad cure. It simply doesn't happen except by the grace of God Almighty.

Comparing a porn addict or a masturbator to a child molester is comparing apples and oranges. THe first two are inner directed sins, the last is not.