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CNN Live At Daybreak

Rev. Paul Shanley Faces Extradition Hearing in San Diego

Aired May 03, 2002 - 05:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It's being talked about everywhere you go, the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. And today one very talked about figure, retired Reverend Paul Shanley, faces an extradition hearing in San Diego. Across the country, prosecutors in Massachusetts want the ex-priest to face charges he raped a young boy two decades ago.

CNN's Jason Carroll has details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police in San Diego found Father Paul Shanley at his apartment early Thursday and took him into custody. He's charged with three counts of raping a child. The warrant for his arrest was issued in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The district attorney says the abuse happened between 1983 and 1990. According to a source close to the case, the alleged victim is Paul Busa. He's now 24. Shanley allegedly abused Busa when he was six, taking him and other young boys out of catechism class.

MARTHA COAKLEY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The priest would take them to one of three locations, to the bathroom, often across the street to the rectory or to the confessional, and that is where the sexual abuse would occur.

CARROLL: Shanley was scheduled to be deposed in a separate case on Thursday, a civil suit involving Greg Ford and his parents. Ford says Shanley sexually abused him when he was six years old. His mother sent a message to all those who accused Shanley of abusing them.

PAULA FORD, ALLEGED VICTIM'S MOTHER: Sleep tonight. The man that molested you is behind bars because of your courage to come forward.

CARROLL: Several alleged victims came forward after Ford's attorney forced the archdiocese of Boston to release 1,600 pages of documents relating to Shanley's past. The papers include allegations Shanley advocated sex between men and boys. Some showing the archdiocese was warned about allegations of abuse and still moved Shanley from parish to parish. The documents were so alarming, many have called for Boston's cardinal, Bernard Law, to resign.

ERIC MACLEISH, GREG FORD'S ATTORNEY: This crisis, in the view of everyone that I've talked to, is about leadership. We will never rid ourselves of child molesters in any setting, like Paul Shanley, but we must rid ourselves of those who harbor and protect them.

CARROLL: Shanley has not publicly answered any of the allegations. His lawyer has not returned CNN's repeated phone calls since the arrest. Following his arrest, the archdiocese released a statement saying, "Our hope is that the arrest of retired priest Paul Shanley on charges of the sexual abuse of a child will bring some level of relief and contribute to the healing of those who have been sexually abused.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.

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