Apologizing for cover-up, diocese vows to ID accused priests
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A Roman Catholic diocese issued an apology Tuesday for covering up an Iowa priest’s sexual abuse of boys for decades and promised to identify all priests who have faced credible allegations.
The actions by the Diocese of Sioux City come in response to an investigation by The Associated Press, which last week broke the church’s 32-year silence on serial abuse by the Rev. Jerome Coyle.
In a lengthy statement Tuesday, the diocese said more disclosures of misconduct may be forthcoming. It urged all victims to come forward and vowed to use their reports and other files to create and publish a list of credibly accused priests — a step the diocese had long resisted.
Coyle admitted to then-Bishop Lawrence Soens in 1986 to having sexually abused 50 boys over a 20-year period. The diocese said that it should have notified parishes and asked victims to come forward back then, and apologized that its former leaders failed to do so. Instead, the diocese sent Coyle to a treatment center for accused priests in New Mexico, where he lived and worked as a civilian for decades.
The diocese said that its current leadership should have notified the public this summer when Coyle was placed at a retirement home near a Catholic school, which he moved out of last week following AP’s disclosure of his history. But the statement said that its bishop, R. Walker Nickless, “inherited many issues from the past,” including the challenging of finding housing for accused priests who were never charged and aren’t listed as sex offenders.
Florida passes initiative to restore felons’ voting rights
NEW YORK — Potentially altering the election landscape in a key swing state, Florida voters Tuesday approved a ballot measure that will enable more than 1 million ex-felons to regain their voting rights.
Floridians also approved a measure aimed at phasing out greyhound racing in the state, the last stronghold of the sport in the U.S.
Those were the first notable results as voters in 37 states considered an array of intriguing ballot measures — ranging from marijuana legalization to boosting the minimum wage to civil rights protections for transgender people.
In all, 155 statewide initiatives were on the ballot across the country. Most were drafted by state legislatures, but 64 resulted from citizen-initiated campaigns, including many of the most eye-catching proposals.
Macedonia pledges action after girl drowns fleeing dog pack
SKOPJE, Macedonia — Macedonia’s government has pledged to revise legislation on stray animals after a teenage girl drowned in a river while trying to escape a pack of feral dogs.
Police say the dogs went after the girl on Monday in a public park in the city of Gostivar. The 17-year-old’s body was found downstream several hours later.
Her death has caused outrage. Macedonia has long faced problems from a large stray dog population. Animal protection groups urged authorities to toughen laws against dog owners abandoning pets.
The government promised in a statement Tuesday to prepare draft legislation to address the concerns.
Private TV24 channel said more than 1,000 people in the Macedonian capital of Skopje have required medical treatment for dog bites so far this year.
Bangladeshi immigrant convicted in NYC subway bombing
NEW YORK — A Bangladeshi immigrant was convicted Tuesday of setting off a pipe bomb in New York City’s busiest subway station, disputing in court that he was supporting the Islamic State group and saying he was instead motivated by anger at President Donald Trump.
The unusual outburst by Akayed Ullah, who was convicted in Manhattan federal court of supporting the terrorist group, capped a trial in which the defense maintained he intended to kill only himself last Dec. 11. Nobody died, and most of the injuries were not serious.
Prosecutors said Ullah sought to maim or kill commuters in response to calls for “lone wolf” terrorist attacks by the terror group. Just after jurors walked out, Ullah announced he had something to say and repeatedly insisted he did not act on the Islamic State group’s behalf.
“I was angry with Donald Trump because he says he will bomb the Middle East and then he will protect his nation. So I said: ‘Donald Trump, you cannot do like this.’ Nobody likes bombing, your honor.”
Judge Richard J. Sullivan told him: “Right now is not the time for a statement.”
“Your honor, you heard what the government is trying to do. They are trying to put me in the group, which I don’t support, your honor,” Ullah told Sullivan.
“Mr. Ullah, now is not the time for this,” said the judge, who set sentencing for April 5. Ullah faces a mandatory 30-year prison sentence and could be sent to prison for life.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said the Election Day verdict on Ullah’s attempt to make a political statement with deadly violence “fittingly underscores the core principles of American democracy and spirit: Americans engage in the political process through votes, not violence.”