MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The deposed Roman Catholic cardinal who became the face of the church’s clergy sex abuse crisis has been charged in Wisconsin with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old more than 45 years ago, according to reports. court documents.
A criminal complaint filed Friday alleges that Theodore McCarrick, who was removed from the priesthood in 2019 after a Vatican investigation found he sexually molested adults and children, fondled a man in 1977 while he was in a cabin on Lake Geneva in southeastern Wisconsin.
The alleged victim, who has not been named, told investigators that McCarrick repeatedly sexually assaulted her since she was 11 years old and even took her to parties where other male adults sexually assaulted her, according to the complaint.
McCarrick became the most senior U.S. Roman Catholic official to face criminal charges of sexual abuse when he was charged in 2021 with sexually assaulting a Massachusetts teenager at a wedding in 1974.
via the Associated Press
His lawyers asked the judge in that case earlier this year to dismiss the charges, saying McCarrick, now 92 and suffering from dementia, was not competent to stand trial.
The powerful priest was ordained in 1958 and became Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, in 1986 and then Archbishop of Washington, DC, in 2000. He rose to power despite church officials’ knowledge of the allegations against him. A two-year Vatican investigation into McCarrick’s tenure found credible reports of his problematic behavior dating back to 1999, including an investigation that confirmed McCarrick had slept with seminarians.
The church confirmed it reached financial settlements with the adults who accused McCarrick of sexual misconduct. McCarrick retired in 2006 but continued to be active in political circles until he was deposed by Pope Francis in 2019.
Wisconsin prosecutors learned of the alleged 1977 attack through a program dedicated to prosecuting cases of abuse by religious leaders, according to a news release. Officials were able to charge McCarrick because the statute of limitations does not apply to out-of-state residents. A similar law allowed Massachusetts prosecutors to file a lawsuit against McCarrick more than 40 years later.
McCarrick’s Massachusetts attorney, William Fick, did not immediately return a phone call or email Monday. An attorney for McCarrick has not yet been listed in the Wisconsin case.
Harm Venhuizen is a member of the Associated Press Corps/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national non-profit program that places reporters in local newsrooms to report on issues undercover. Follow Venhuizen Chirp.
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.