A case filed yesterday (1.10.11)in United States District Court for the District of Minnesota puts the problem of sexually abusive pedophile priests in a global perspective..
The lawsuit, brought by a man who was sexually abused as an 8 year-old boy at his parish in Granite Falls, Minnesota by a priest named Francis Markey is a classic example of the national and international trafficking of pedophile priests.
In 1982, when the 8 year-old was abused, Fr. Markey was known to be a nice Irish priest filling in at St. Andrews parish in Granite Falls, Minnesota, after their regular parish priest had passed away. Little did the parishioners know that Fr. Markey was a well-known pedophile in Ireland. In fact, Fr. Markey had been arrested in Ireland for sexual abuse of a parish boy and had also been suspended from his priestly duties 3 times after reports of sexual abuse. In addition, Fr. Markey had been to three different sexual offender treatment facilities, located in three different countries, before he arrived in Granite Falls, Minnesota.
Unfortunately, the international movement of pedophile priests is more common than once thought. For example, Fr. Earnesto Garcia Rubio was kicked out of Cuba for sexually abusing a boy and was discovered within the Archdiocese of Miami after he sexually abused boys staying at a homeless shelter for teens that Garcia-Rubio ran. Another Irish priest, Fr. Andrew Ronan, was also moved from Ireland to the United States after sexually abusing a child in Ireland. In the case of Fr. Carlos Peralta, he was moved from Chile, Peru, Guatemala, Argentina, Chicago, New Jersey and Virginia, with a trail of sexual abuse at each stop.
Clearly, a global problem requiring a global solution. It is why Jeff Anderson & Associates is partnering with England and Wales solicitor Ann Olivarius to open an international law practice in London, England. This new partnership will equip Jeff Anderson to better handle cases when the damage to children and families is spread across the globe. Child protection does not stop at the U.S. borders. With this new partnership, we hope that children throughout the world will be safer.