Dupre in the Dock

By Diogenes ( articles ) | May 03, 2004

The Feds, it seems, aren't completely sold on Bishop Gregory's assurance that "It's history." Prosecutors are beginning to connect the dots between Springfield ex-Bishop Dupre's keeping mum about his own deviant sexual assault and his keeping mum about the deviant sexual assaults of his priests -- a process alternatively called "poor record keeping" or "racketeering," depending on one's perspective. RICO charges, though not on the table yet, are being discussed in addition to those already brought by the local DA.

Saying there is "probable cause," [Springfield District Attorney] Bennett in March gave a grand jury allegations of abuse by former bishop the Most Rev. Thomas L. Dupre and a variety of other possible charges, including failure to report sexual misconduct to proper authorities, concealment of sexual abuse, and other matters regarding the reporting of abuse by the diocese while Dupre was in a position to influence reporting.

Dupre resigned Feb. 10, the day after The Republican confronted him with the allegations he sexually abused two boys beginning more than 25 years ago.