Paper: Police Helped Hide Priests' Abuses

Police had repeatedly helped to cover up sexual abuse by priests for decades in the Catholic diocese of Toledo Ohio, according report released on Sunday.

Since the 1950's, diocese records, a review of court documents and interviews with former officers, show police hiding allegations of abuse, stated the Toledo Blade.

Through the testimony of four former police officers, the newspaper asserted that Police Chief Anthony Bosch established a an unwritten rule that priests would not be arrested. During his 1956 to 1970 tenure one former officer, Gene Fodor said that "You would have been fired," for doing so.

In one case the paper states that when members of St. Stephen's Church in East Toledo complained in 1960 that one priest was raping and molesting altar boys no report was filed nor was an investigation ordered.

In other cases where charges were pressed, authorities blocked the release of files to the public. At other times, priests were moved to different churches or sent away for treatment.

One of the priests who oversaw such a transfer after abuse charges said church officials knew the police would not investigate.

"It doesn't look good today, but it wasn't part of our policy that this was considered a crime against youth and it had to be handled by police," said Rev. Robert Lamantia who is now retired.

Police told the newspaper that things are much different today, saying that priests are not treated preferentially. The diocese refused to speak about its past relationship with the police, saying it would only hurt the victims. In a statement, Bishop Leonard Blair said former victims had responded with "anguish" every time the stories were republished.

The paper reported that even after Bosch's retirement, the abuse coverups continued.

It was not until 1984 that a priest was arrested. Now retired officer Bill Gray said that he refused to follow department policy, "not this time," after finding a priest receiving oral sex from a teenager in a mall bathroom.

After the priest was sentenced, the judge and prosecutors agreed to seal the priest's record. Gray said he kept his own files because he suspected such a development.

Afterwards, Gray said he would receive harassing phone calls, some from fellow officers. Eventually the priest in question avoided jail time as well.

Gray says it will take years to reform the culture that brought about such cases.

"You're not going to change the thinking over night," he said. "This has been going on for years."