Taking confessions
AG subpoenas all NY dioceses over sex abuse
Now they’ll have to answer to a different higher power.
New York state’s eight Roman Catholic dioceses have been subpoenaed by Attorney General Barbara Underwood (right) over their possible roles in covering up clergy sex abuse of minors, a source familiar with the investigation said Thursday.
The Civil Court subpoenas, obtained by the AG’s Charities Bureau, seek documents related to complaints of sex abuse, payments to possible victims and the results of internal investigations.
The Charities Bureau has purview over nonprofits such as churches but cannot bring criminal charges. The AG’s Criminal Division, however, is seeking to work with district attorneys who can convene grand juries and order criminal investigations.
“It’s also a step in the right direction for justice,” said Paul Dunn, 53, who alleges that he was abused for months by the late Cornelius T. Otero, a priest at the St. Joan of Arc Catholic School in Jackson Heights, Queens, in the late 1970s.
Dunn has rejected a $200,000 offer from the Catholic Church.
“Let’s hope that the local district attorneys decide to investigate and prosecute — not onlyy the people p p who perpetratedted the crimes but people whoo colluded in the cover-up,” he said.
Steve Jimenez,z, who says he was abused by a Xaver-Xaverian brother in n the 1960s while attendingding Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School in Windsor indsor Terrace, Brookoklyn, expects ts more accusers s to come forward now. “This is a long overdue and very, very important moment for all victims survivors and advocates,” Jimenez, 65, told The Post. The news comes on the heels of a Pennsylvania grand-jury investigation that detailed the sexual abuse of 1,000 children in that state by more than 300 Catholic priests. And in June, Pope Francis himself removed Washington, DC’s cardinal,, Theodore McCarrick, over “credible anand substantiated” allegations that he sexually abused a teen while servinging as a priestp in Manhattantan nearlnearly 50 years ago. The cacase was referred to thethe ManhattanMa District Attorney Attorney’s Office, but it could no not prosecute because the statute of li limitations exp pires five years after a victim turns 18.
McCarrick, 87, has said he does not recall the abuse and was “shocked” by the allegations.
Two people have made sex-abuse allegations against McCarrick stemming from his time as a priest in two New Jersey churches.
The Archdiocese of New York — which covers 10 counties in the Greater New York area, including Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island — said it was cooperating with the attorney general’s probe.
“While we have just received the subpoena, it is not a surprise to us that the attorney general would look to begin a civil investigation, and she will find the Archdiocese of New York, and the other seven dioceses in the state, ready and eager to work together with her in the investigation,” said archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling, adding that the archdiocese has cooperated with investigations since 2002.