Edward O. Paquette, Jr. (born 1928) is an American former Catholic priest who was defrocked for sexually abusing multiple children within several U.S. dioceses.
Edward Paquette | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1928 (age 95–96) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Priest |
| Years active | 1957–1990s |
| Known for | Clerical child sexual abuse scandals |
Career
editHe was ordained in 1957.[citation needed]
Sexual abuse
editAbuse in Fall River
editPaquette was ousted from the Diocese of Fall River and stripped of his priestly faculties in 1963 after accusations of "improper behavior" with young boys. He resurfaced a year later as a priest in Indiana and then in Vermont.[1]
Abuse in Springfield, Massachusetts
editAlthough he established the Diocesan Misconduct Commission in response to sexual abuse among the clergy,[2] bishop John Aloysius Marshall accepted Paquette despite the repeated allegations of child molestation against him.[3] Marshall even said that he was "determined to take the risk of leaving [Paquette] in his present assignment" despite "the demands of...irate parents that 'something be done about this.'"[citation needed]
Abuse in Fort Wayne-South Bend
editA lawsuit filed in 2006 alleged that Paquette molested boys in Indiana parishes affiliated to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.[4]
Abuse in Burlington
editPaquette was accused in 23 lawsuits of molesting altar boys in Vermont during the 1970s. He abused several children there while John Aloysius Marshall was bishop.[5]
Laicization and retirement
editPaquette was later removed from the priesthood several decades later on the order of Pope Benedict XVI. He apologized in 2009 for the crimes he had committed against his victims and their families.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Ex-Fall River priest, alleged pedophile, defrocked". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ Cullen, Kevin (2002-03-23). "Priest cites cost for speaking out". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Hemingway, Sam (May 6, 2008). "New Revelations in Priest-Abuse Case". The Burlington Free Press.
- ^ Burlington Free Press April 5, 2006
- ^ "Former diocese priest faces sex abuse trial". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
- ^ "Ex-priest apologizes for abuse". Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2009-12-03.