dimanche 10 mars 2013

Michael Geilenfeld asked Boston priest to help alleged Haitian abuse victim recant his testimony against Geilenfeld.

Michael Geilenfeld asked Boston priest to help alleged Haitian abuse victim recant his testimony against Geilenfeld.

IGNATIUS GROUP___

ACCORDING TO A CATHOLIC PRIEST IN BOSTON, MICHAEL GEILENFELD ASKED THE PRIEST TO HELP A HAITIAN MAN WRITE A LETTER IN WHICH THE HAITIAN MAN WOULD SAY HE WAS LYING ABOUT BEING SEXUALLY ABUSED BY GEILENFELD.

According to the priest, the conversation between Michael Geilenfeld and the priest occurred face to face in Boston in February 2011, days after child protection advocates began asking questions about the past record of Geilenfeld and the safety of children at the St. Joseph's Homes in Haiti.

At the time, the priest was a member of the Board of Directors of Hearts with Haiti.

Geilenfeld was in Boston for a fundraiser.

During this same week, Geilenfeld contacted a Haitian man living in the Boston area who, 5 years earlier, had submitted written testimony that he was sexually abused by Geilenfeld, beginning when he was a 10 year old orphan living on the streets of Port au Prince.

In a telephone conversation with the man, Geilenfeld offered to send the man $1,200. Geilenfeld then asked the man to meet with the priest to change his testimony in which he previously alleged in a letter that he was sexually abused by Geilenfeld.

(Geilenfeld sent the $1,200 check (from a bank in Iowa) to the man's home address in the Boston area. The check was cashed in the man's sister-in-law's bank account because the man did not have a bank account)

Days later, the man and his wife met with the priest, a second Hearts with Haiti board member and a parishioner who was active in supporting Geilenfeld's orphanages in Haiti.

At the conclusion of almost two hours of heartbreaking testimony by the man, the two Board members and the parishioner advised the man not to recant his previous testimony.

The letter was never written.

The priest never again spoke to the other board member. 

A week later, the other board member (then vice-chair) wrote a public letter denying all allegations of child sexual abuse against Geilenfeld.

Geilenfeld served for 11 years (1974-1985) as a member of Mother Theresa's "Brothers of the Missionaries of Charity." 

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