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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > People and Politics > A priest accused - but is he innocent of the sexual abuse charges against him? 'Repressed memories' is only direct evidence against Father Michael Kelly

People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

A priest accused - but is he innocent of the sexual abuse charges against him? 'Repressed memories' is only direct evidence against Father Michael Kelly

Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 08:15 AM

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Former San Joachim's Church Priest Michael Kelly (CLIFFORD OTO/The Record)

The case of Father Michael Kelly who fled to Ireland from California this week after a successful civil suit against him for molesting a child is more complicated than it may seem.

Kelly passed two lie detector tests, and the diocese of Stockton in California believed him not guilty after an intensive inquiry.

Hundreds of his parishioners still stand with him and he was clearly a very popular priest. The pages of local newspapers are filled with testimonials to his work by former parishioners.

Even after the verdict, and before he fled to Ireland, hundreds of parishioners showed up in the parish hall to support him.

Many believe he has been unfairly targeted because of the activities of a colleague, Father Oliver Grady, a notorious pedophile who was defrocked.

Worse, the accusation against him by a 37-year-old man was based on “repressed memories” a notoriously suspect form of evidence rife with problems.

Many of the scandalous accusations of recent years, the McMartin preschool case for instance, have come about through the “repressed memories” or “false memories” route, which are notoriously unreliable and dismissed in many psychiatric quarters.
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The accuser was forced to admit in court that testimony which he gave earlier was completely inconsistent with his latest evidence.

A jury did find for the accuser last week and Kelly fled to Ireland, to his family in Tipperary, soon after. He told his bishop he was in ill health and needed to be with his Irish family.

He has proclaimed his innocence very loudly and continuously and many clearly still believe him. By all accounts he was an outstanding priest.

Reading the reporting of the trial, the corroborating witnesses called mainly accused Kelly of “horseplay” with their children, bouncing them up and down and playing roughly with them.

That is hardly the stuff of rampant abuse and could well be seen as belonging to another time when priests and parish kids and families interacted much more with each other.

Kelly was one of dozens of Irish priests who came to the diocese of Sacramento from the seminary in Thurles, County Tipperary.

The vast majority did sterling work and have rightfully earned enormous respect and support as a result.
There was the horrific abuse of Oliver Grady at the other extreme.

Quite where Father Kelly fits is a lot harder to say. There are clearly unanswered questions but the possibility remains clear in my mind that he is an innocent man.

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fatherelijah | Apr 24, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT

Fr. Kelly is a "compulsive liar"!!!! I cannot emphasize that enough. Which is why he passed the lie detector tests. He has lied so consistently that his twisted conscience does not produce a physical-chemical impulse to bely his statements.

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oldboreen | Apr 21, 2012, 06:27 AM EDT

To AlunPalmer-fair comment,glad that you at least agree that a man is innocent until proven guilty, well in a civilized society anyway.The accuser's evidence in court was inconsistant with his original statement. I'm sure you will agree that that fact alone raises very serious questions.

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helpchildren | Apr 20, 2012, 08:32 AM EDT

Repressed memories are common among many trauma victims. Dissociative amnesia is a well known scientific phenomenon, listed in the DSM, which means it is accepted by the overwhelming majority of the pertinent scientific community. It is well known that some victims of war traumas, child abuse and accidents may forget their traumas and remember them accurately later. There is no solid evidence that trauma memories can be distorted. They are often remembered very clearly. Ex-priest Paul Shanley, who had allegations of abuse against him over four decades, lost a case based on the testimony of a victim who had recovered memories. The case was appealed and the Superior Court found that the theory of dissociative amnesia is generally accepted in the relevant scientific community and is supported by a wide collection of clinical observations and a survey of academic literature. The McMartin case lasted many years with several hung juries. There was no "manufactured evidence" in this case. The tunnels were found there, backing up the children's stories of abuse.

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IrelandNorth | Apr 20, 2012, 07:29 AM EDT

So called "lie detectors" are notoriously inaccurate. Detecting galvanic skin responses, mainly perspiration and heart beat reactions to very questions, other factors tend to be misdiagnosed such as personality type, peronal nervousness, self-consciousness, socialphobia, etc. 'Belief' in innocence is nonsense. Proof is what matters. Burden of proof is weightier and more objective than the days of the 'Holy' (sic) Inquisition. Nothing holy about prejudiced subjectivity informed by instutionalised superstition.

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IrelandNorth | Apr 20, 2012, 05:35 AM EDT

Help Children are you seriously suggesting that the McMartins were guilty" that case was the biggest load of manufactured evidence , replete with fictitious hidden bunkers, satanic rituals ever as the courts eventually found

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AMWilson | Apr 20, 2012, 02:10 AM EDT

Fr Kelly, the will of God would seem to be that you go to jail. If you're guilty, then accept your penance. If you're innocent, then rejoice in your opportunity to suffer for the Lord's sake. Either way, show us you're a real Christian, turn yourself in, and follow the plan that the Lord has for your life.

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fatherelijah | Apr 19, 2012, 10:58 PM EDT

OBpiper, I am a priest and I know that Fr. Kelly is guilty and he is known to be a compulsive liar. I have worked in the hard core prisons and seen plenty of violence. Believe me there are many guilty in prisons who will swear on their mother's grave that they are innocent. Fr. Kelly acts as if he is always innocent, but will quickly point the finger at someone else to take the blame off of himself. He has always been a coward and a pedophile.

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helpchildren | Apr 19, 2012, 10:18 PM EDT

This article is incorrect. Research proves that recovered memories are often accurate and that they are often verified. (see recovered memory project - 110 Corroborated Cases of Recovered Memory - brown.edu) The McMartin case had hundreds of children alleging abuse. There were physical symptoms of abuse in many of the children. The majority of the jurors in the case believed the children were abused. The Catholic Church has been covering up this abuse for many years. Why is this article supporting them?

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OBPiper | Apr 19, 2012, 09:46 PM EDT

Father Elijah, you don't appear to be a lawyer. You do seem to be an ideologue. Many who are guilty accept their fates in prison. IF Kelly is not truly guilty I'd have to wonder about his sanity if he were to willingly accept imprisonment as a child abuser effectively a sentence to torment, mayhem, and death. Do you know anything of U.S.A. prisons? And, if you are a Catholic Priest I find you jointly liable for perpetuating the celibacy fraud.

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fatherelijah | Apr 19, 2012, 09:39 PM EDT

Fr. Kelly is a compulsive liar and always acts innocent in whatever he does. He lies so pervasively that he often forgets what he lied about. He is a backstabber and is guilty as charged. Don’t believe this man for he has never served God, but rather he has always served himself. No innocent man runs from his verdict only a guilty man. He is scared beyond belief and does not want to be exposed any further, that is why his anxiety is so high. He has no concerned for his victims. I hope he reads these comments and makes his first act of courage in his life and come back to face justice.

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AlunPalmer | Apr 19, 2012, 09:25 PM EDT

To Oldboreen, I think the RC church is wrong on most of it's doctrines, especially all those relating to sex, but I think that Father Kelly is most likely innocent. There, happy now?

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OBPiper | Apr 19, 2012, 09:23 PM EDT

I am inclined to go with the sentiment of the author. I was raised Catholic, have no tolerance for the "Roman" imposition of celibacy in what was once the Celtic Church, my church, and know the correlation between ludicrous celibacy and sexual child abuse, but I've practiced law over 32 years and I have to find reasonable doubt as to guilt with the evidence here. Let's be less focused with crucifying who we suspect to be past abusers and get on with crucifying the official perpetrators of oppression of women and forced asexuality/dysexuality within the Church!

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pilib04 | Apr 19, 2012, 08:31 PM EDT

LilPaddy, Micheal Kelly "fled" to Ireland. Doesn't sound like an innocent man to me. Mr. Kelly is quite guilty. I don't refer to child rapists as Father!

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pilib04 | Apr 19, 2012, 08:29 PM EDT

Nicolleta, it's not that he is a "priest", it's that he ran away!

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pilib04 | Apr 19, 2012, 08:28 PM EDT

This MAN has escaped to Ireland to avoid prosecution for rape. What makes him any different from any other rapists is that he raped children! He Ran!!! Probably had help from Benedict who is busy now attacking American religious women.

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