PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – One of those sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest says he’s appalled the Vatican agreed to let the Rev. Michael Doucette remain a priest.
David Gagnon, who was 15 when he was abused by Doucette, said Friday that the priest’s punishment shows the Diocese of Portland doesn’t take clergy abuse seriously. He says he continues to go through therapy after being raped and sexual abused repeatedly by Doucette.
The diocese announced Thursday that Doucette will be allowed to retain the title of priest but won’t be able to present himself as a priest, wear clerical garb or have a public ministry.
Doucette was removed from the public ministry in 1991 for a brief period after Gagnon came forward and then was permanently removed in 2002 after a second victim came forward.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.