Saturday, September 19, 2015

Paterson Diocese settles sex abuse case from 1977 - News - NorthJersey.com

The Paterson Roman Catholic Diocese acknowledged Monday that it settled yet another case of sexual abuse allegations against Monsignor Ronald J. Tully, this time involving a woman who accused the one-time Passaic Catholic high school administrator of repeatedly fondling her decades ago.

The diocese now has paid at least nine victims an estimated $2.1 million to settle cases of abuse against Tully, who has been barred from working as a priest since 2004. In the latest case, the first against Tully to involve a female victim, the accuser alleges that Tully fondled her 20 times in 1977 when she was a 16-year-old student at Pope Pius High School in Passaic. Tully was then the high school’s vice principal.

Mitchell Garabedien, the woman’s Boston-based attorney, said his client came to him several months ago after having a conversation about Tully with someone who gave her “the courage to come forward.” The woman, who still lives in New Jersey, hopes her actions will encourage other women to come forward, whether about Tully or other cases, Garabedian said.
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Mullaney said the settlement is not an admission of “fact or liability,” and that church officials did not conduct a hearing related to the allegations because Tully already is stripped of his priestly faculties. The diocese review board, he said, reviews abuse cases to determine whether priests should be placed on leave.

“There’s really no reason to have a review board meeting because it’s a fait accompli,” Mullaney said.

Paterson Diocese settles sex abuse case from 1977 - News - NorthJersey.com

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