Connell has no jurisdiction over fugitive priest

THE Archdiocese of Dublin claims it has no jurisdiction over an Irish priest who fled the US last July just days before a warrant was issued for his arrest on child sexual abuse charges.

Monsignor Patrick O’Keeffe, who returned to Ireland during the summer, is facing 15 felony charges related to alleged oral sex with a minor in California more than 30 years ago. The offences are claimed to have taken place in early 1972 with a 17-year-old girl who was a parishioner of Mons O’Keeffe when he was serving as a priest in Highland, a town 70 miles east of Los Angeles.

The 68-year-old cleric, who is originally from Kilkenny, returned to live in Dublin shortly after leaving his home in California last July. He had previously served in the Diocese of San Bernardino in California until his dismissal from the priesthood in 1994. Last night, a spokesperson for the Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Desmond Connell, said he had no authority over Mons O’Keeffe as he was never a priest of the diocese.

However, the Diocese of San Bernardino wrote to the Archdiocese of Dublin on October 31 to notify the clergy about Mons O’Keeffe’s return to the city and the warrant issued for his arrest in California.

Under guidelines issued by the Catholic Church in 1996, all suspected or known cases of child sexual abuse by a priest should be reported without delay to gardaí. Cardinal Connell’s spokesperson said he was not in a position to state if the archdiocese had notified the civilian authorities about Mons O’Keeffe because the diocesan office was closed yesterday due to a Church holiday.

A spokesperson for the Child Protection Office, established by the Irish Bishops Conference, said it had received no information about Mons O’Keeffe from the Dublin Archdiocese.

Mons O’Keeffe is still a priest although his right to officiate at Church sacraments was revoked by the Bishop of San Bernardino in 1994. This happened after the diocese paid an undisclosed sum as a settlement in a lawsuit filed by one of three women who accused Mons O’Keeffe of engaging in indiscreet sexual behaviour.

A spokesperson for the California District Attorney’s office said the US authorities were unable to extradite him from Ireland because the age of consent is different between the two jurisdictions. However, she confirmed that the priest would be arrested if he returned to the US. Two other females have also made allegations against Mons O’Keeffe.