Priest named in lawsuit that alleges ritual abuse

ToledoBlade.com ^ | 04/21/05 | Mark Reiter

[murphE]

A Toledo Roman Catholic diocesan priest charged in the 1980 slaying of a nun was accused yesterday in a civil lawsuit of repeatedly torturing and raping a young girl in ritual abuse ceremonies at a north-side church. An unidentified woman claims she was the victim of bizarre demonizing ceremonies conducted by the Rev. Gerald Robinson and other clergy nearly 40 years ago in the basement of St. Adalbert Parish on Warsaw Street. The woman and her husband, who are listed as Survivor Doe and Spouse Doe, respectively, filed the lawsuit in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. Father Robinson, who is scheduled to go on trial in October for the aggravated murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl; Gerald Mazuchowski, a former lay minister; the diocese; St. Adalbert Parish; the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, Inc., and fifteen "John Does" were named as defendants.

[murphE]

"The woman said the abuse included chanting of Satanic verses, cutting her with a knife as a sacrifice to Satan, drawing an upside-down cross on her abdomen, and forcing her to drink the blood of sacrificed animals, such as a rabbit."

[murphE]

Scary stuff ping

[sinkspur]

An unidentified woman claims she was the victim of bizarre demonizing ceremonies conducted by the Rev. Gerald Robinson and other clergy nearly 40 years ago in the basement of St. Adalbert Parish on Warsaw Street.

Notice that the lawsuit reaches into the pockets of many people, in hopes that they will simply pay to avoid going to trial on these impossible-to-prove charges.

[murphE]

Uh, don't you think that if someone was going to make something up in an effort to extort money through a law suit that they'd make up something more "believable". There is a reason for that saying, "truth is stranger than fiction".

[sinkspur]

Uh, don't you think that if someone was going to make something up in an effort to extort money through a law suit that they'd make up something more "believable".

Woman in Wendy's finger case arrested.

[murphE]

Not even remotely similar.

[sinkspur]

Exactly. The Wendy's case was more believeable.

[murphE]

You just made my point.

[escapefromboston]

How did he just make your point?

[te lucis]

Notice that the lawsuit reaches into the pockets of many people, in hopes that they will simply pay to avoid going to trial on these impossible-to-prove charges.

Any lawsuit reaches into as many pockets as possible, and the naming of "John Doe" defendants is simply a way to bring in additional people later if need be, a kind of skirting around the statute of limitations.

Settlement isn't always the most favorable outcome for plaintiffs. It may well be that they simply want to have their day in Court. On the other hand, settling to avoid being dragged through the mud is perceived as an admission of guilt. It all comes down to what's most cost-effective for the lawyers, keeping in mind that you never know what a jury will do. Going to trial is a gamble for everyone.

The allegations will need to be proven to a jury, and short of actual pictures, video, documents, etc., it's pretty much impossible.

[murphE]

The woman in the Wendy's case made up a fairly believable story, people have found all sorts of things in food. The satanic ritual abuse thing, with specific details, is less likely to be made up because it is so unbelievable. If you are going to make up a lie for money, you'd want it to sound believable.

[vox_freedom]

Prayers to St. Michael, defend us in battle, be our protector against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

[Dominick]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/27/earlyshow/main613948.shtml

Abuse allegations led to murder charge against Ohio priest for 1980 death
Associated Press @2000

A woman's allegations that Roman Catholic priests sexually abused her during bizarre rituals led police to re-examine the 1980 killing of a nun and later charge one of the priests with murder.

The woman's allegations were not substantiated but one priest she mentioned was the Rev. Gerald Robinson - a suspect in the nun's killing years ago. Robinson, 66, was charged Friday with killing Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, who was strangled and stabbed about 30 times on April 5, 1980.

Her body was found in a hospital chapel, surrounded by lit candles with her arms folded across her chest. Robinson and Pahl had worked together for several years at Mercy Hospital. Robinson, the hospital's chaplain, performed the funeral for Sister Pahl, 71.

Robinson made an initial appearance Monday in Toledo Municipal Court. Judge Mary Trimboli set bail at $200,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for next Monday. No plea was entered and Robinson did not speak during the brief court session.

After the hearing, friends and supporters of the priest were trying to raise bail money, said Robinson's attorney, John Thebes.

"I think he's over the initial shock," Thebes said. He said he expects the case to be presented to a grand jury this week. He said the case would be difficult to prosecute. "Witnesses die, witnesses' memories become faded over time," he said.

"Twenty-four years is a heck of a long time. It's difficult to ascertain who was where, who said what. There are many, many issues that have to be delved into."

Police detective Steve Forrester and Tom Ross, an investigator with the Lucas County prosecutor's office, told The Blade newspaper that the nun's killing was part of a "ceremony" in the chapel.

They would not elaborate. In December, authorities re-examined old evidence and concluded that the murder weapon, which they did not identify, was "in the control of the suspect."

They used "blood transfer patterns," a rarely used technique that analyzes the patterns made when an item is laid down. DNA evidence was not a factor, Forrester said.

A message seeking additional comment was left with Ross on Sunday. The woman whose allegations led to the reopening of the case testified before the Diocesan Review Board on June 11 and wrote a detailed statement alleging years of abuse by priests during her childhood.

"She did mention Father Robinson and that he was involved in the ritualistic abuse of her," said Claudia Vercelloti, a director of the Toledo office for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and has been in contact with the woman.

The woman, now in her 40s, described satanic ceremonies in which priests placed her in a coffin filled with cockroaches, forced her to ingest what she believed to be a human eyeball and penetrated her with a snake "to consecrate these orifices to Satan."

She also alleged that the clerics killed an infant and a 3-year-old child, performed an abortion on her and mutilated dogs during the rituals, according to a copy of her statement.

Before his arrest, Robinson was performing pastoral care at nursing homes and hospitals in the Toledo area, the Toledo diocese said. Vercelloti said on Sunday that the woman did not know that Robinson had been a suspect in Sister Pahl's killing.

"I don't know if she knew what she was setting in motion," she said.

The woman's allegations were brought to the attention of prosecutors in a letter received in December, assistant prosecutor Gary Cook said Monday.

He would not say who sent the letter. The diocese had decided against giving the allegations to authorities, said Sally Oberski, a diocese spokeswoman.

"They were found to be non-credible," she said Sunday. The allegations were against several priests and Robinson's "name was mentioned among several others."

Vercelloti said the diocese should have given the information to police and prosecutors because Robinson had been a suspect in the nun's death.

--- On the Net: http://www.toledodiocese.org

[murphE]

Hey, at least it's not happening in Florida. ;-)

[Dominick]

It is happening in FL, if it is what I think it is. It isn't satanism, it is false memories.

In this case, the allegations are amazingly unsupported for the number of people that would be involved. Would you think that one of the 20-30 people involved would crack by now if it were true?

[murphE]

Would you think that one of the 20-30 people involved would crack by now if it were true?

No, not necessarily. I do know demons are real. I do know some people really do worship satan. I do know that they have real power, influence, and control over others.

I don't know if this really happened or not. How can you be so sure it didn't?

[sinkspur]

How can you be so sure it didn't?

Occam's Razor.

[murphE]

Occam's Razor.

The simplest assumption would be to believe she was telling the truth.

[vox_freedom]

Occam's Razor

Definition from: http://skepdic.com/occam.html

"For example, atheists often apply Occam's razor in arguing against the existence of God on the grounds that God is an unnecessary hypothesis. We can explain everything without assuming the extra metaphysical baggage of a Divine Being."

[sinkspur]

The simplest assumption would be to believe she was telling the truth.

Where's the evidence?