Rev. Raju Policetti, One Of 32 Catholic Priests Who Have Fled Country To Avoid Prosecution

Raju Policetti, then a Catholic Priest, fled to India in 2002

At least 32 Roman Catholic priests have fled the country to avoid prosecution since 1985 and only five have returned to face trial, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Most of the priests that left were wanted for such serious accusations as alleged sexual abuse or assault charges, yet the courts have proven ineffective at extraditing the clerics in a timely matter. At times the process of extradition has taken so long that prosecutions have dropped the case entirely. (Read The Full Story In The Chicago Tribute)

One glaring example is the case of Rev. Raju Policetti, a priest who fled to India in 2002 upon being charged with sexual assault allegations by a 16-year old girl. The alleged victim came out last week saying she no longer wished to pursue the charges against Policetti, bringing a nearly decade long attempt to extradite him, to an abrupt end.

Though Policetti has since been defrocked by the Vatican, a grave yet rare occurrence, some sources say it was the Chicago Archdiocese original delay in reporting Policetti's case which gave him the needed time to plan an escape.

After 7 years on the run, another fugitive priest, Joseph Jeyapaul, who was accused of raping two teenage girls while serving a church in Minnesota, was arrested in India this past March. However, Jeyapaul continues to fight his extradition from India.

Comments

[Jerry Frey]

03:59 AM on 05/14/2012

Well, isn't that special.

[mweinreis]

02:30 PM on 05/13/2012

As long as these Hippocrates are steadfast in there gay old ways, they will fail at some point. Its just a matter of years. I went to catholic school in the 50`s and as I look back I feel as thou the
nuns and priests were leading us into a cult. I had SOOO many questions, my parents could not answer, nor could the nuns and the priests also were brain-washed.
Lets just take one of OH so many. 25 years later a priest started his sermon with a joke about only Catholics can get salvation. Too much to print here BUT were those people born before 1945 really the silent generation ?? My mother who is still alive at 91 is first starting to see the light. Man made rules - Church Doctrine where how why how come ?? Masses for the Dead or Masses for the Church ? You drcide. Does one BUY their way to heaven, as in the old days when the church sold indulgenses. Confinscate everything that does not go according to your teachings - not God`s. Again take them down, just as the U`S. will fall. All
bunch of Hippocrates
michael weinreis

[Asmondius]

10:25 AM on 05/15/2012

Hippocrates was a Greek physician, not a Catholic.

[firstamendment3]

12:13 PM on 05/13/2012

The US needs to invade and occupy the Vatican until the Vatican's worldwide pedophile army surrenders.

[Jerry Frey]

04:00 AM on 05/14/2012

You could invade the Vatican if had the stomach for it. The Swiss Guard carries pike.

[Cacey]

07:04 PM on 05/11/2012

Given the fact that the Western World has awoken to these abuses, is there any wonder that the Roman Catholic Church has stepped up its presence in Third World Nations so they may be continued?

[Asmondius]

09:42 AM on 05/13/2012

The Church has been helping people in the 3rd World for quite a long time.

[UnicornsOccur]

10:54 AM on 05/14/2012

The church should open its books so we can see how much of their charity money is actually going to help people, and how much of its going to building new churches and maintaining clergy.

[giftsthatpurr]

06:50 PM on 05/14/2012

Often through Catholic nuns - a tough breed of women doing their selfless work with the young, the poor and the ill, yet the vatican reprimanded them in this country for not joining the male hierarchy's obsession with abortion and gay marriage, saying they focused too much on those in poverty. Your Pope is not wise to be so narrow toward nuns.

[Will98]

09:40 PM on 05/10/2012

Absolutely disgusting vile monsters.

[Asmondius]

06:29 AM on 05/11/2012

And fugitives as swell.

[dbonedig]

09:22 PM on 05/10/2012

The Catholic Church has the Money, to do anything they wish. And, no one on earth has the power to stop them. Believe me, No One! Most humans know what they do to children, and they still continue to feed them, to them!

[Asmondius]

06:30 AM on 05/11/2012

Most humans do not subsist on a diet of hatred.

[a man]

07:36 PM on 05/10/2012

Here's another one for you. One priest took a van filled with teen-agers on a cross-country trip. He was tired and needed to get some sleep. Instead of pulling into a motel for a night, he asked which of the teens had a driver's license and let him drive. That teen didn't have a license, though. After the priest fell asleep, the teen had a car accident and killed five or six teen-agers---not including the people in the car he hit. That priest was pulled from the parish he was in and placed in a small-town church----basically hidden. He has never faced any charges, paid any fines and he still takes teens on trips.

[Asmondius]

06:31 AM on 05/11/2012

Every time someone lies to you, may we punish you instead of the liar?

[a man]

04:57 PM on 05/11/2012

Asmondius, that priest didn't check to make sure that the teen he allowed to drive had a driver's license. Now that teen is dead. The Catholic Church tried to bury this story by moving this priest back to the small town parish where he started out as a deacon and a priest. In other words, this priest was derelict in his duties as a provider and safe-keeper for these children.

Here are some facts of life for you: people lie; people can be trusted, but only after you give them trust; people aren't going to volunteer to help unless there is something "in it" for them, except for the select few. If you are like me, then you are honest, you help others and you volunteer your time and work for the good of other people.

[cain61]

06:37 PM on 05/10/2012

Why isn't Dog the bounty hunter on this?

[shag11]

06:30 PM on 05/10/2012

I'm sure they fled with the assistance of the Catholic Bishops.

[Asmondius]

06:33 AM on 05/11/2012

A rational person could only be 'sure' with some concrete, objective evidence.

May we see yours?

[saganz999]

06:02 PM on 05/10/2012

Priests on the run! How come Pope Panzer isn't telling these guys to go back and face their punishment? I guess he's too concerned with OUR birth control right to worry about little issues like these guys.

[Joe Bigg]

05:37 PM on 05/10/2012

So why hasn't these kinds of stories had more coverage?

[Will98]

09:39 PM on 05/10/2012

Can you imagine the hoopla the conservatives will raise?

[Asmondius]

06:36 AM on 05/11/2012

Because it's old news dredged up to titillate Church haters.

Have fun.

[Joe Bigg]

11:38 PM on 05/11/2012

So you'd prefer that these stories just go away?

So do you believe that religious leaders should be given a pass in child abuse cases or should they be brought to justice?

[hotbarb2614]

02:47 PM on 05/10/2012

I just read that the top[ Bishops are looking into the girl scouts right now, They should worry about there own house before they preach to others. I am cathiolic and I have no respect for the cover up that goes all the way to the top and you better believe it

[gregory57]

04:47 PM on 05/10/2012

My thoughts exactly.

[Rissa64]

10:31 PM on 05/10/2012

The reason I don't attend church anymore.

[Asmondius]

06:38 AM on 05/11/2012

And here I thought you were tossed out for snoring - please forgive me.

[Kirk Allen]

02:27 PM on 05/10/2012

@Asmondius

Epic fail on every comment you make.

also what gives
asmondius = demon
why is a demon backing the catholic church?

[gregory57]

04:49 PM on 05/10/2012

You need to ask?

[Asmondius]

06:45 AM on 05/11/2012

In my humble opinion, an 'epic fail' is someone who, due to a lack of any cogent thoughts on the topic, resorts to a childish personal attack.

Do continue, every time you do this you reveal the true nature of Catholic haters for the entire world to see. Your demonology is off as well.

Keep up the good work.

[Yeshu Abraham]

01:14 PM on 05/10/2012

Once they violate the Ten Commandments, they cease to be Christians. Only strong and pure-minded persons can remain as priests. Once they commit adultery, they are no more priests but servants of Lucifer.

[GOODDOC1]

03:10 AM on 05/11/2012

So that must mean you're no longer a Christian, right? Since you're not God, that means you're not perfect. Therefore, you must have broken one of the Ten Commandments. Be sure NOT to go to Church this Sunday!

[Victoria Ayers]

12:56 PM on 05/10/2012

Build a place for monsters, and monsters will come.

[almostlyniceguy]

02:35 PM on 05/10/2012

Well said.

[Asmondius]

06:46 AM on 05/11/2012

I also feel this way about Huffpost articles concerning the Cartholic Church.

Thanks for your support.

[mflorian]

06:01 PM on 05/11/2012

It certainly drew you in.

[Leanne McKenzie]

05:45 PM on 05/13/2012

Cartholic?