Judge Dismisses Sexual Abuse Case Against Former Cardinal McCarrick Due to Incompetence
Theodore McCarrick, the highest-ranking Catholic cleric in the United States to face charges in the church's sexual abuse crisis, has been declared unfit to stand trial by a judge in Massachusetts. The 93-year-old former cardinal faced three counts of indecent assault and battery based on an accusation that he sexually assaulted a teenage boy in 1974. The charges were seen as a milestone in holding abusers in Catholic settings accountable, but successful prosecutions have been rare due to the passage of time. McCarrick's legal team and a state expert both concluded that he was not competent to stand trial due to significant cognitive problems and memory deficits. Advocates for victims expressed disappointment, while McCarrick's lawyers did not immediately comment on the ruling.
- Former Cardinal McCarrick Found Unfit for Trial Over Sexual Abuse The New York Times
- Ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual abuse case is dismissed The Washington Post
- Judge: Former Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick not competent to stand trial in Massachusetts court WCVB Boston
- Judge rules defrocked cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial; sexual assault case dismissed The Boston Globe
- US cardinal, 93, not fit to stand trial over sexual abuse charges, judge rules The Guardian US
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