A judge ruled Wednesday that a 93-year-old former Roman Catholic cardinal is not competent to stand trial after both prosecutors and defense attorneys determined he suffers from dementia, and dismissed charges he sexually assaulted a teenage boy in Massachusetts decades ago.
Theodore McCarrick, the ex-archbishop of Washington, D.C., was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after an internal Vatican investigation determined he sexually molested adults as well as children. The case created a credibility crisis for the church, as 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.
“It’s not just that he currently has these deficits,” Nelligan said. “There is no way they are going to get better.” 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.
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. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who report sexual assault unless they agree to be named publicly, which the victim in this case has not done.
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Former Catholic cardinal, age 93, is not competent to stand trial on teen sexual abuse chargesA judge has ruled that former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial
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Former Catholic cardinal, age 93, is not competent to stand trial on teen sexual abuse chargesA judge has ruled that former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial.
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Former Catholic cardinal, age 93, is not competent to stand trial on teen sexual abuse chargesA judge has ruled that former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial.
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Judge rules former Catholic cardinal, 93, not competent to stand trial on charges of sex abuseThe judge dismissed charges accusing Theodore McCarrick of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in Massachusetts decades ago.
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Former Catholic cardinal, age 93, is not competent to stand trial on teen sexual abuse chargesBoth prosecutors and defense attorneys determined former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick suffers from dementia.
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93-year-old former Catholic cardinal not competent to go to trial on sexual abuse chargesA judge ruled that a 93-year-old former Roman Catholic cardinal is not competent to stand trial because he has dementia.
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