A Roman Catholic nun pleaded no contest yesterday to two counts of indecent behavior with a child in connection with accusations from the 1960s when she was a principal and teacher at a Catholic school in Milwaukee.
The nun, Norma Giannini, 79, faces up to 20 years in prison for what prosecutors say was sexual abuse of two male students.
Although dozens of nuns have been accused of sexual abuse, often in civil lawsuits, Sister Giannini is one of the first to face criminal charges, said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishope Accountability, a group that compiles reports about abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.
Mary Pat Fox, president of Voice of the Faithful, a lay group formed in response to the Catholic sexual abuse scandal, said she hoped the case would encourage more victims of nuns to come forward. “I think this is the tip of the iceberg,” Ms. Fox said.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office, Sister Giannini repeatedly assaulted the two boys while they were in middle school at St. Patrick School. The complaint said the assaults included intercourse and occurred in numerous locations, including a convent and a classroom.
The men who say they were abused, Gerald Kobs and James St. Patrick, now in their 50s, attended Monday’s hearing in Milwaukee.
“This is just a tragic situation for everyone involved,” said Sister Betty Smith, president of the Regional Community of Chicago of the Sisters of Mercy, the religious order to which Sister Giannini belongs.
Sister Smith said Sister Giannini had been removed from work with minors after one of the men came forward with accusations in 1992. She will be sentenced on Feb. 1.
We have heard a lot about priests sexually abusing others....this report says MANY nuns have been accused of sexual abuse....but I have to say this is the FIRST case I have ever read about in the public regarding a NUN. Not that I am naive enough to think for a moment it does not happen. BUT look how much time passed in between her actions and finally being charged and her facing those charges. Did she think she could be forgiven by God and keep this secret forever and not have to own up to it and face her charges? What made everyone wait so long and why did her guilt not cause her to come forward prior to now? I guess I would like to know what she was thinking and how she could keep going living her NUN life as if everything was okay. Something is very wrong here.
I am sorry but this entire story makes me sick to my stomach. It says her assaults included intercourse and occurred in numerous locations...including a CONVENT and CLASSROOM????????
REPEATEDLY? Will she be labeled a SEX OFFENDER and besides going to prison....if she gets out....will she have to do all the crap all the other sex offenders have to do such as register each quarter...etc......FOR LIFE??????
No comments:
Post a Comment