SEATTLE – Father Patrick O’Donnell said in King County Superior Court he is sorry he molested at least 30 boys while part of the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese.
While testifying Monday in court, the 66-year-old priest offered an apology to the two men who have accused him of molesting them during his 15 years as a priest, SeattlePI.com reported Tuesday.
“I’m extremely sorry,” O’Donnell said. “And I’m terribly apologetic that I did anything to hurt you or (the other plaintiff). I just feel awful that I violated your trust.”
Attorney Timothy Kosnoff, who is representing one of the unidentified plaintiffs, alleged O’Donnell, who was ordained in 1971, has a long history of sexual misconduct allegations.
O’Donnell has been the target of numerous sexual abuse lawsuits in recent years and multiple parents had complained about his interactions with their children during his time in the priesthood, Kosnoff alleged.
SeattlePI.com said the ongoing trial in King County is also focused on whether Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen, who headed up the archdiocese between 1975 and 1991, knew about O’Donnell’s acts of molestation and failed to warn families.
United Press International
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
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posted May 13, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I’ll bet he’s pretty good at apologizing when caught, too.
He’s a molester. The guys who employed him are molester enablers.
posted May 13, 2009 at 9:29 pm
He’s sorry…well that certainly makes “everything better”. He’s sorry he got caught! At least he was in a court room when he said this…on trial…which is more than many of the priests and their superiors are. Many have gotten away with it…
posted May 14, 2009 at 12:09 am
Penitent words are lovely, even poetic. But real penance includes attempts to make the situation right. Clearly this should-be-former priest can do some work with the abused and with abusers. For his own sake, and for the sake of those whose lives were changed forever by him, he needs to do as much as he can as long as he can to help prevent similar situations. That this may happen in a prison setting makes no difference. I expect he may discover many colleagues of various pales and persuasions in the same outfit.
posted May 15, 2009 at 3:03 pm
“Sorry” should only be used if you accidentally step on someone’s toe! In this case, it’s not enough. Nothing that man will ever say or do will make up for what he’s done.
No child should ever have to go through the experience of being violently attacked by a sexual predator. Especially since this was someone they trusted with all their heart.
nnmns is correct in saying that the people who knew about it for as long as they did and did nothing to stop him were molester enablers and should also sufer the same sentence as sick Father O’Donnell.
I hope he sits in prison for a long time and has a nice cell mate who happens to be just as much of a nymphomaniac-depraved-sexual predator as he is. They’ll get along nicely, I’m sure.