Father David Lancini's lawyer, Justin Greggery, told the court that claims Lancini abused a boy in the 1970s were either fabricated or mistaken.

Lying collusion

Detectives and witnesses colluded in Lancini's arrest last December.

Greggery told the court witnesses colluded on "demonstrably" fabricated statements before Lancini was charged with eight counts of indecent treatment of a boy under 14 years of age.

He alleged one of the witnesses, who was not the complainant, had a vendetta against the priest.

Lancini was in the seminary in Brisbane late in 1971 when some of the offences were alleged to have occurred, Greggery stated.

He therefore could not physically have committed the offences.

Furthermore, even though detectives knew in September about the impossibility of the claims against Lancini, they arrested him anyway, in December.

"Father Lancini's arrests were on the basis of demonstrably false statements by critical prosecution witnesses" Greggery told the court.

He also said a witness had provided other witnesses with Lancini's name and photographs. The witness later denied that to police.

"The only reasonable inference was that [the] omission was deliberate" Greggery said.

"Lancini is a priest with an unblemished history."

Charges dismissed

The Police said there was no evidence to present.

Magistrate Viviana Keegan said as the prosecution had offered no evidence, she was dismissing all eight child sex abuse charges.

Cheers outside courthouse

Amid supporters' cheers, Lancini thanked his family and supporters.

"I thank them for their kindness, their generosity and their goodness. Also for the many emails, letters and cards, and words of encouragement from the Bishop, religious brothers and sisters."

Lancini said he and Greggery would make further statements about any legal matters arising.

Concern for victims and survivors

Townsville Bishop Tim Harris is pleased the charges had been dismissed.

However he is concerned about the effect false allegations can have on abuse victims and survivors.

"Situations like this may cause more harm to those people and make it even more difficult for victims to come forward and tell their story" he said.

There has been a recent independent audit of the diocese's safeguarding procedures.

The auditor's final report will be made available to the public, Bishop Harris says.

A Police spokesperson was unable to provide any further comment in relation to the matter.

Source

• ABC

Today, however, the top results relate to Father Graf's removal from ministry last August following an accusation that he inappropriately touched a minor.

That allegation prompted the Archdiocese of Chicago to remove Father Graf from ministry and contact civil authorities, setting off multiple rounds of investigations—including a criminal trial—that ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing.

As Holy Week began, Father Graf was back ministering, but his story illustrates the challenges facing priests who are falsely accused at a time when hundreds of true stories of horrific abuse dominate the news.

Last May, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that three parishes in the city's West Side would merge into one, José Luis Sánchez del Río Church.

Father Graf, who has spent much of his priestly career in Hispanic parishes, was later appointed pastor, in part because of his previous experience leading parishes through mergers.

He knew the challenges that accompany such endeavors, especially when it comes to the uncertainty parishioners feel over such moves, and so he was eager to get to work.

But just a few weeks after he arrived at the parish, which includes a church where he ministered more than three decades earlier, he received a call from the archdiocese.

An allegation of misconduct involving a minor had been made against him.

Then on Aug. 25, parishioners received a letter from Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, informing them that Father Graf had been placed on leave "pending the outcome of an investigation into an allegation of code of conduct violations involving a minor."

Father Graf could have no contact with church officials, including other priests, and he would need to retain his own legal counsel.

The accuser, a 17-year-old who worked part-time at one of the three churches in the parish, told WGN on Aug. 27 that Father Graf had touched his shoulder and back, asked him if he needed a ride home from work and then offered him a free car.

The accuser also said the church receptionist had called him to say the priest found him attractive.

In an interview with America on April 11, Father Graf said parishioners routinely inform him about all sorts of items—cars, furniture, bicycles—that they want to give away, asking him if he knows anyone who might be in need.

When he learned about an old used car that someone was trying to give away, he said, he asked the part-time employee if he would be interested in it.

During the conversation, Father Graf said, he placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, something he says he does regularly when talking to people.

He added that he regularly makes sure that staff and volunteers have rides home when meetings or shifts end.

As for the call from the receptionist, Father Graf said it never happened. During a criminal trial, the receptionist herself denied ever making the call.

As the investigations wore on, Father Graf said, the silence haunted him.

"The silence, I didn't know what that meant. You don't know if there are other accusations," he said. "What else are they hearing?"

Still, he said he understood the need to take allegations seriously and then to conduct independent investigations.

"We have no one to blame but ourselves because we did it wrong for years," he said. Continue reading

In addition, they have to post the court's verdict on the public noticeboard at the town hall of Baye, the small village in the Marne region where the priest they accused had lived until their accusations forced him into "exile".

The court in Châlons-en-Champagne found Jean-Louis Martin, 70, and his wife Marie-Jeanne, 74, falsely accused Father François-Jérôme Leroy, 72, of abusing male minors.

The couple failed to exercise judgment and show the humility necessary to achieve truth and justice, the Châlons prosecutor said.

The couple made their initial accusations about Leroy in a letter entitled "Report of interference with minors". They sent the letter to the prosecutor, Eric Virbel.

The Martins claimed they had been hearing rumors about Leroy for two years.

Virbel immediately launched an investigation. Twenty witnesses were interviewed. Nothing incriminating about Leroy was found. Then the alleged victim testified that he was never abused.

During the investigation several of the witnesses said the couple had concocted the story.

One said they thought the Martins' letter "was just a way to get rid of Father Leroy with whom they were in conflict [about a property he managed that they were renting]".

When Leroy lodged a complaint against the Martins for making a false report, Virbel decided to pursue the issue.

His aim was to restore Leroy's reputation and to discourage other fake victims from attempting to discredit others.

Source

• La Croix
• en.news
• Image: Rabbi Sacks