Catholic guilt? The lying, scheming altar boy behind a lurid rape case

[gilliam]

On October 9, 2015, a former Philadelphia altar boy reported to the office of Dr. Stephen Mechanick to undergo a court-ordered forensic psychiatric evaluation. It took nearly three hours because the two men had a lot of ground to cover. Daniel Gallagher is a slender 27-year-old with a wispy beard who is better known as “Billy Doe.” Under that pseudonym, he made national headlines in 2011 when he claimed to have been serially raped as a fifth- and sixth-grader at St. Jerome’s parish by two priests and a Catholic schoolteacher.

Gallagher subsequently became the Philadelphia district attorney’s star witness at two historic criminal trials. His graphic testimony helped convict three alleged assailants, as well as Monsignor William Lynn, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s former secretary for clergy, who was found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child. The monsignor became the first Catholic administrator in the country to go to jail for failing to adequately supervise a sexually abusive priest.

newsweek.com/2016/01/29/billy-doe-altar-boy-sends-four-men-prison-philadelphia-rape-case-417565.html

 

[Arizona_Mike]

The last paragraph is especially telling, in light of the shoddy journalism and now-disproven allegations in the Rolling Stone’s UVA “rape” article:

Daniel Gallagher, now 27 years old, claimed he was raped by two Philadelphia priests and one of his teachers while serving as an altar boy at age 10. His lurid testimony—he described being passed from one monster to the next, forced to engage in oral and anal sodomy—put all three men behind bars some years ago.

What happened to Gallagher was unconscionable. If it happened at all, that is.

Unfortunately, a thorough review of Gallagher’s past statements about his mistreatment paint a shockingly clear portrait of a serial liar who went after the archdiocese to cover up his own criminal drug dealings. Not only did Gallagher repeatedly alter key details regarding his alleged abuse, his statements are actually contradicted—over and over again—by actual facts uncovered during the investigation.

That’s according to a compelling piece in Newsweek that finds fault with basically all aspects of Gallagher’s story and the court’s handling of the criminal cases. Dr. Stephen Mechanick, a forensic psychiatrist, evaluated Gallagher and found reason to doubt virtually everything he had ever said about being abused:

After a painstaking review of the subject’s medical records gathered from 28 different drug rehab facilities, hospitals, doctors and drug counselors Gallagher visited, the psychiatrist wrote that Gallagher admitted he was “not always honest with his medical providers.”…

All that might be dismissed as trivial, but Gallagher had also provided “conflicting and unreliable information” about his history of sexual abuse, as well as “conflicting and unreliable information” about the specifics of the alleged attacks by the two priests and schoolteacher, Mechanick wrote. “It is not possible to conclude to a reasonable degree of psychiatric or psychological certainty that Mr. Gallagher was sexually abused as a child,” Mechanick added.

The psychiatrist isn’t the only person deeply skeptical of [Gallagher] and his stories. The detective who led the Philadelphia district attorney’s investigation into Gallagher’s allegations against the priests and teacher also has some disturbing doubts. In a confidential deposition obtained by Newsweek, retired Detective Joseph Walsh was asked on January 29, 2015, about nine significant factual discrepancies in Gallagher’s story. The detective testified that when he questioned Gallagher about those discrepancies, Gallagher usually just sat there and said nothing. Or claimed he was high on drugs at the time. Or told a different story.

To be clear: Gallagher changed significant details over time—well beyond what could be written off as mere misremembering. (For a full review, read the Newsweek story.) Some of the things he claimed are demonstrably false: For instance, Gallagher said he was raped after an early morning Mass, but his mother “kept meticulous calendars” that tracked his monthly altar boy assignments, and he never served at an early morning Mass during the fifth grade.

Gallagher successfully sued the Philadelphia archdiocese for $5 million dollars. He also repeatedly dodged criminal drug charges—in one case the district attorney bailed him out of jail so that he could testify against his alleged rapists, according to Newsweek.

There’s one other noteworthy wrinkle in the Gallagher case. In September of 2011, a magazine ran what can only be described as an entirely one-sided account of the allegations against the priests, teacher, and archdiocese. This story presumed everything that Gallagher had said was true. It did not attempt any independent verification of his claims—indeed, it treated the accusations as if they were already proven facts.

The magazine that ran that story was Rolling Stone. The author of the piece was a woman named Sabrina Rubin Erdely. Jackie was not her first, it seems.

reason.com/blog/2016/01/20/altar-boy-at-center-of-catholic-church-r

Newsweek article: newsweek.com/2016/01/29/billy-doe-altar-boy-sends-four-men-prison-philadelphia-rape-case-417565.html

 

[Church_Militant]

So we can only hope ( and perhaps clamor) for justice and the overturn of this case and perhaps the conviction of this individual and the release of those he accused.

There should also be a very substantial compensation for them as well as for the diocese…I suppose that a written retraction from RS and their so called reported would also be too much to ask.

 

[Pat_Payne]

On October 9, 2015, a former Philadelphia altar boy reported to the office of Dr. Stephen Mechanick to undergo a court-ordered forensic psychiatric evaluation. It took nearly three hours because the two men had a lot of ground to cover. Daniel Gallagher is a slender 27-year-old with a wispy beard who is better known as “Billy Doe.” Under that pseudonym, he made national headlines in 2011 when he claimed to have been serially raped as a fifth- and sixth-grader at St. Jerome’s parish by two priests and a Catholic schoolteacher.

Gallagher subsequently became the Philadelphia district attorney’s star witness at two historic criminal trials. His graphic testimony helped convict three alleged assailants, as well as Monsignor William Lynn, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s former secretary for clergy, who was found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child. The monsignor became the first Catholic administrator in the country to go to jail for failing to adequately supervise a sexually abusive priest.

newsweek.com/2016/01/29/billy-doe-altar-boy-sends-four-men-prison-philadelphia-rape-case-417565.html

Wow. Now will the four innocent priests’ names be cleared? Or will this all be swept under the rug to save face for all involved?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

How was this child ever taken seriously?

I’m sure there were legitimate abuses, but no one in their right mind should have accepted this child’s testimony.

 

[1neophyte]

How many threads do we need about this guy?

 

[RedFox0456]

How was this child ever taken seriously?

I’m sure there were legitimate abuses, but no one in their right mind should have accepted this child’s testimony.

Because people want to believe that the Church is evil.

 

[phil19034]

How was this child ever taken seriously?

I’m sure there were legitimate abuses, but no one in their right mind should have accepted this child’s testimony.

three reasons:

In liberal America the following is true:

1. the Catholic Church is the enemy
2. some crimes (like sex assault) the alleged is guilty until proven innocent by the court of public opinion, while other crimes (like attempting to shoot a police officer) the alleged is innocent until it is proven that the victim or law enforcement isn’t somehow to blame.
3. the liberal court of public opinion knows what’s best for society than anyone or anything else.

 

[LordHaveMercy]

Well, I am not saying anything you all have said is invalid, and that you don’t all raise good points. But I think it’s important to remember that Gallagher is not on trial, the accused priests are. I’m concerned that people are dismissing his claims because of his documented drug usage or because of his later jail time. Even errors or outright lies in his story would not mean no abuse took place.

Sexual abuse is demonic, I mean that in the most literal sense possible: it is an activity that often leaves those involved under a demonic influence. Worse, if the aggressor was a Priest, it’s not difficult to expect that the victim would never seek help from a Priest or exorcist. So in addition to the physical and emotional trauma of the event, as Catholics we can’t disregard the supernatural. Demons lie, they say things that aren’t true, they say them over and over again. Imagine the burdens that those under this influence face everyday, and all of the possible negative outcomes if they do not receive help.

So basically, I would not be shocked if a child abused by priests grew up to be a drug-addicted liar. However, I would also not be shocked if a drug addicted liar falsely accused priests of abuse. For that reason, I simply cannot conclude from the information of this article that Galleghar’s claims are either true or false. I pray that perhaps this will re-open the case, and they will carefully examine the evidence, and that justice will prevail. I pray that whoever is guilty (we are all guilty) repents and his forgiven, and that the spiritual, physical and emotional harm inflicted on all related parties will be healed.

Though, I certainly am appalled by the media’s coverage of the story. I think it is, exactly as you all say, motivated by an underlying hatred for the Church. I’m happy to point the finger at the media for all of the harm they have caused, are causing, and continue to cause. However, we can’t be too cautious when tempted to point the finger back at the accuser.

 

[Exiled_Child]

Wow. Now will the four innocent priests’ names be cleared? Or will this all be swept under the rug to save face for all involved?

One of the innocent men died while he was in prison, and two of the innocent men are still in prison.

The Archdiocese paid Gallagher an estimated 5 million dollars, and of course he’s walking around free.

 

[JimG]

I’m repeating my post from a different thread.

False accusations, false convictions, prosecutorial misconduct and obstinancy are not all that uncommon, and can and have sent innocent people to prison.

In the infamous daycare child abuse prosecutions of the 1980’s and 90’s, innocent people were sent to prison for crimes of which they were not only innocent, but crimes which never happened. I challenge anyone who thinks that victims should always be believed to read Dorothy Rabinowitz’ book ‘No Crueler Tyrannies,’ which relates in detail several of these cases.

In one case, after an inaccurate report of an incident at the daycare center, the police chief did not investigate. Rather, they rounded up all the parents and told them to report “signs of child abuse” in their children. The signs they were asked to look for were common childhood behaviors.

Children four and five years old were interviewed without their parents being present and asked to tell of bad things that happened. They had nothing to tell. They liked their daycare teachers. But the therapist-interviewer would not let them go until they came up with a bad story. She suggested stories. The stories were outrageous and impossible. This was the basis of convictions and long prison terms.

wsj.com/articles/SB111574698302829434

In some cases, dioceses involved in abuse cases have tossed innocent men under the bus because it was more convenient to add them to the list than to fight the case.

Also see the case of Fr. Gordon MaRae.
thesestonewalls.com/