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Cardinal Edward Egan broke his silence on the growing sex abuse scandal in the Catholic priesthood, denouncing pedophilia yesterday as an abomination and promised to encourage victims to bring their accusations to civil authorities.  While he said the Archdiocese of New York would thoroughly investigate allegations, he pointedly added that it would also continue to respect the rights of the accused priests as well as the accusers.

(New York)

In an evening meeting at St. Anne’s Church in Garden City last night, close to 600 people demanded answers about two priests who worked there in the 1990s who have had sex abuse allegations made against them.  Bishop William Murphy, who was installed in September to lead the diocese, said, On my watch this will not happen again.  He addressed the group and promised that no priests who have been subject to credible sexual allegations would be allowed to work in parishes.

(Garden City, New York)

Lawmakers in both the Republican-controlled State Senate and Democrat-led Assembly are now working on bills that would add priests to the list of those required to report sexual abuse.  If a law is passed, New York would join 11 other states, including Connecticut and Pennsylvania, with similar mandates for clergy.

(Albany, New York)

Roman Catholics attending Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral yesterday said it’s time for the church to get tough with pervert priests.  The church was hammered again when it was revealed that New York’s Edward Cardinal Egan may have acted inappropriately in handling sex-abuse claims involving priests.  According to the Hartford Courant, Egan allowed several priests facing sex-abuse probes to continue working for years while he was bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut.  There has been no statement issued on the scandal by Egan.

(New York)

A gang of seven young kids, ranging in ages 8 to 12, invaded the apartment of two women, molesting them and stealing their food.  Cops plan today to charged the children with robbery, indecent assault, trespassing and conspiracy.  Police said, more children could be charged.  The women, ages 18 and 21, said they opened their door Wednesday evening after hearing pebble being thrown against their windows and a knock on the door.  Five boys surrounded them, overpowering them and groping them, while two girls helped themselves to food in the

Matthew Maurer, 39, and his brother Dan, 41, say they were molested by the Rev. Peter Duvelsdorf.  When Matthew was 15 years old he went into the deserted faculty lounge at St. Rose of Lima school in Massapequa to grab a soda.  Tired and thirsty after his routing of dry-mopping classrooms, he was startled by a clap on the shoulder.  He turned from the vending machine to see Duvelsdorf behind him.  Matthew no longer recalls what the middle-aged cleric said but he does remember how the friendly clap progressed to