Friday July 16, 2010
Denver Archdiocese Vindicates Priest Falsely Accused of Sex Abuse
By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 16, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Archdiocese of Denver has released a statement that highlights the other victims of the sex abuse scandal that has battered the Catholic Church in the United States and other parts of the Western world: innocent priests defamed by false accusations.
Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput announced Tuesday that a deceased priest was vindicated of allegations of sexual abuse, said to have occurred decades ago, after a thorough diocesan investigation.
Monsignor William Higgins, a priest who served in the archdiocese for over five decades and who died in 1967, was accused of sexual abuse in 2009 by a woman identified as “Jane Doe.”
However, Chaput said that in the course of litigation and investigation into the allegations, the archdiocese determined that “the plaintiff’s complaint was not credible and the charges made against Msgr. Higgins were groundless.”
He added that “Jane Doe” then freely dismissed her claims against the priest.
“If Msgr. Higgins were alive today, he would be in good standing and able to minister in the archdiocese,” said Chaput. “False charges do inexcusable harm to a priest’s good name, his reputation earned over years of service to others, and to the lay Catholic faithful and other dedicated priests.”
“We are saddened that such a charge was made, but want you all to know that you can esteem Msgr. Higgins and keep him in your prayers as a righteous man,” he added.
Chaput emphasized that while the archdiocese works to guarantee justice for victims and protect others from becoming victims, they also have a duty “to defend the reputation of the many, many innocent good men and women who work in the archdiocese and give so much to others.”
See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Forgotten Study: Abuse in School 100 Times Worse than by Priests
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10040101.html
Clergy Sexual Abuse Study: It’s Time for Common Sense
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10040104.html