Current:Home > MarketsEx-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, now 92, not competent to stand trial in sex abuse case, expert says -WealthMap Solutions
Ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, now 92, not competent to stand trial in sex abuse case, expert says
View
Date:2025-04-14 10:54:49
Boston — Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted a teenage boy in Massachusetts decades ago, an expert for the prosecution says, raising doubts about the future of the criminal case against the 92-year-old.
Prosecutors this week disclosed the findings of their expert to the judge, who will ultimately rule on the once-powerful American prelate's ability to face charges that he abused the boy at a wedding reception at Wellesley College in 1974.
McCarrick has maintained that he is innocent and pleaded not guilty in September 2021. He was also charged in April with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man in Wisconsin more than 45 years ago.
In February, McCarrick's attorneys asked the court to dismiss the case, saying a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine had examined him and concluded that he has dementia, likely Alzheimer's disease.
At that time, lawyers said McCarrick had a "limited understanding" of the criminal proceedings against him but that "his progressive and irreparable cognitive deficits render him unable to meaningfully consult with counsel or to effectively assist in his own defense."
Prosecutors later hired their own expert to assess McCarrick, who filed their own report on the man's competency, which has not been made public. The judge set a hearing on the matter for Aug. 30.
McCarrick, who lives in Dittmer, Missouri, was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. He was not exempt from facing charges because the clock stopped on the statute of limitations when he left Massachusetts.
Mitchell Garabedian, a well-known lawyer for clergy sexual abuse victims who is representing the man accusing McCarrick, said Thursday that his client is "obviously discouraged" by the prosecution expert's findings. He said his client remains determined to continue with lawsuits he has filed in other states.
"By proceeding with the civil lawsuits my client is empowering himself, other clergy sexual abuse victims and making the world a safer place for children," Garabedian said.
The Associated Press generally doesn't identify people who report sexual assault unless they agree to be named publicly, which the victim in this case has not.
The accuser told authorities during a 2021 interview that McCarrick was close to the man's family when he was growing up. Prosecutors say McCarrick would attend family gatherings and travel on vacations with them and that the victim referred to the priest as "Uncle Ted."
Prosecutors say McCarrick abused him over several years including when the boy, who was then 16, was at his brother's wedding reception at Wellesley College.
Prosecutors say McCarrick told the boy his dad wanted him to have a talk with the priest because the boy was "being mischievous at home and not attending church." The man told investigators that they took a walk around campus, and McCarrick groped him before they went back to the party. The man said McCarrick also sexually assaulted him in a coat room after they returned to the reception, authorities wrote in the documents.
Prosecutors say McCarrick told the boy to say the "Hail Mary" and "Our Father" prayers before leaving the room.
Ordained as a priest in New York City in 1958, McCarrick was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children. An internal Vatican investigation found that bishops, cardinals and popes downplayed or dismissed reports of sexual misconduct over many years.
The case created a credibility crisis for the church since the Vatican had reports from authoritative cardinals dating to 1999 that McCarrick's behavior was problematic, yet he became an influential cardinal, kingmaker and emissary of the Holy See's "soft diplomacy."
- In:
- Sexual Abuse
- Sexual Assault
- Sex Crimes
- Catholic Church
veryGood! (4659)
Related
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Reba McEntire's got a friend in Carole King: Duo teamed on 'Happy's Place' theme song
- Are you prepared or panicked for retirement? Your age may hold the key. | The Excerpt
- The drownings of 2 Navy SEALs were preventable, military investigation finds
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Police seize $500,000 of fentanyl concealed in carne asada beef at California traffic stop
- Winter in October? Snow recorded on New Hampshire's Mount Washington
- 1 dead and several injured after a hydrogen sulfide release at a Houston plant
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- WNBA Finals Game 1: Lynx pull off 18-point comeback, down Liberty in OT
Ranking
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Lake blames Gallego for border woes, he vows to protect abortion rights in Arizona Senate debate
- 'Need a ride?' After Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit this island, he came to help.
- Trial opens of Serb gunmen accused of attacking Kosovo police
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- A $20K reward is offered after a sea lion was fatally shot on a California beach
- Dr. Dre sued by former marriage counselor for harassment, homophobic threats: Reports
- Avian enthusiasts try to counter the deadly risk of Chicago high-rises for migrating birds
Recommendation
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
Chicago man charged with assaulting two officers during protests of Netanyahu address to Congress
Abortion has passed inflation as the top election issue for women under 30, survey finds
ESPN signs former NFL MVP Cam Newton, to appear as regular on 'First Take'
As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Jibber-jabber
Wholesale inflation remained cool last month in latest sign that price pressures are slowing
Influencer Cecily Bauchmann Apologizes for Flying 4 Kids to Florida During Hurricane Milton