EGAN KNEW OF ‘SPANKER’ (Aware of suicide-priest complaints: report)

When Edward Cardinal Egan ran the Diocese of Bridgeport, he knew parents had complained about suicide-priest Alfred Bietighofer touching children.  In 1996, Egan admitted in a court deposition that he had been made aware of the complaint made years before by an angry mother, who said Bietighofer had been punishing unruly youngsters by pulling off their pants and spanking them.  Bietighofer was only relieved of his post last month when two men accused him of abusing them about 20 years ago.  Bietighofer hanged himself Thursday in a Maryland treatment center for molester priests.

(Connecticut)