Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington , VT accused of intimidation effort in 1978 sex abuse case

Church accused of intimidation effort in 1978

June 22, 2007

By Kevin O'Connor Rutland Herald

BURLINGTON — Did Vermont's Catholic Church try to stop a state's attorney from prosecuting a priest who's now the center of a sex abuse trial?

Lawyers for a man suing the statewide Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington charged Thursday that the late Vermont Bishop John Marshall tried to intimidate prosecutors investigating the Rev. Alfred Willis before the priest was defrocked in 1985 for molesting boys.

Church leaders are defending themselves in Chittenden Superior Court in a case brought by James Turner, a 46-year-old Derby native who alleges Willis performed oral sex on him when he was 16 and staying at a Latham, N.Y., hotel in 1977.

But three decades ago, according to Turner's attorney, the diocese was able to keep other abuse allegations from being heard by a judge and jury.

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When Keller told the bishop he still wanted to prosecute, Marshall's "attitude changed," Via said. The religious leader went from being "extremely gracious" to telling Keller that if he went forward with a court case, "this could be viewed by the church as Mark committing the sin of scandal."

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