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Ex priest jailed for sex abuse
10:52am Friday 16th May 2008
By Lucy Clark »
A disgraced former priest has been jailed for four years and 10 months today for sexually abusing two teenagers.
Brian Rutledge, 69, was found guilty of a sexual offence on a boy of 17 following a trial.
He had previously admitted sexually assaulting the youth after getting into his double bed.
The retired Catholic priest, of Waldergrave Close, Woolston, Southampton, also pleaded guilty to sexually abusing another teenager.
All offences took place in the 1980s.
Sentencing Rutledge at Southampton Crown Court Judge Christopher Leigh QC told him: "I am sad to say I saw absolutely no indication of regret or remorse, let alone repentance, from you at your trial.
"I have seldom seen someone so self-centred and less concerned for the wellbeing of others."
During the trial the court heard Rutledge met the first youth at a summer camp in 1975 and then they went on a pilgrimage together to Turin in 1979.
In 1981 the youth was invited to stay at Rutledge's bungalow at the Park Place Pastoral Centre, in Wickham.
Rutledge entered the boy's bedroom and attempted to commit a sexual offence on him.
The second youth was a pupil at a school where Rutledge was Chaplin.
The court heard Rutledge took him to his home, put on a religious video, and put his hand down the youth trousers.
Bishop Chrispian Hollis, the bishop of Portsmouth, has condemned the retired cleric and promised he will never serve as a priest again.
Rutledge has also been disqualified from working with children indefinitely.
Your Say YourEcho
Plum Pudding, Swamptown says...
1:45pm Fri 16 May 08
Without wishing to stereotype, it seems to be more an issue for catholic priests than other denominations. And without evidence to the contrary, it seems to me to be the best argument for allowing priests to marry rather than taking their sexual frustration out on others! It is all very well to expect perfection, but human frailty is what it is...and whilst one can never ever condone these crimes, if my logic is correct, it is within the powers of the church to reduce the risk of these awful crimes by permitting priests to marry rather than sticking to principles that cause harm to others.
Robert, says...
2:04pm Fri 16 May 08
Enough is Enough, says...
2:30pm Fri 16 May 08
Joe, says...
3:16pm Fri 16 May 08
Certainly the Catholic Church did not follow some of the many Protestations that came for reform within the Christian Church. A priest to marry was a welcome reform.
The sexual reproduction for all living: - animals or vegetals - is one of the fundamental subject for education. Our human fantasy about sexuality shows much ignorance.
All creatures, under the sun, care for its own revewal,animal or vegetal have the same impulsive desire to produce and reproduce themselves and others.
In a strange way animals have much to teach us, human, about what is the sexual attraction, and that is universally for reproduction.
astute., eastleigh says...
3:43pm Fri 16 May 08
i dont like, religion says...
3:54pm Fri 16 May 08
you tit, says...
3:55pm Fri 16 May 08
lowe and behold wrote:Freedom of speech is all well and good, but nobody is under any obligation to provide you with a forum for it. The Echo pays for this website, they're perfectly entitled to censor and edit it as they see fit. Don't like it? Don't come here, go start your own forum and exercise your rights to your hearts content
once again freedom of speech taken away posts removed.
what this evil scum has done is right then is it daily echo
paul b, says...
4:18pm Fri 16 May 08
ASimpleSinner, http://theblackcorde
lias.wordpress.com/ says...
9:19pm Sat 17 May 08
Emphasis on "seems". In fact the problem is less problematic among priests (with far less than 1% of priests in the last 6 decades even so much as accused) than it is at your average public school where routinely administrators will accept a resignation and give a reference letter to faculty whose transgressions come to light. (see
http://blog.ancient-
future.net/2008/02/2
4/if-only-school-boa
rds-would-not-insist
-that-teachers-remai
n-celibate-all-their
-lives
Why do you hear about Catholic priests more?
1) It is shocking. Priests are supposed to be holy, men accused and conviced of this are not, the contrast is startling and memorable for being odd - like finding of a doctor who harms patients, a fireman who starts fires, a kindly old lady who sells drugs.
2) It is sensational and makes good headlines.
3) With all due love and respect for our bretheren in the First Reformed Church of Christ, Chatanooga Converence (1957 reform) what sort of headlines do they garner or concern will people evince over the largely off the radar micro-denoms that make up the majority of non-Catholic Christians in the West where this has been a problem?
4) LAWSUITS - Schools have caps on damages that can be awareded in most states, protestant congregations which are owned by the local trustees have nothing worth suing. The Catholic Church? No damage caps, lots of property, members and good insurance. The state won't pay in districts where one in 10 students reports inappropriate contact or propositions in the course of a lifetime in a district... Reformed Church of the Bretheren (Des Moines Conference) doesn't exactly have a huge insurance policy if they have one at all. What will they do, give you a small church?
George, London says...
10:21pm Sat 17 May 08
My personal experience clearly shows me that there are many more wonderful Catholic Priests in the UK and the rest of the world to whom I would readily entrust my children for pastoral care, and I know many fantastic Teachers, a couple of Anglican Vicars, Policemen etc... who are of like character and would join me in condemning the actions of this particular individual. But PLEASE, let's not just jump on the bandwagon and 'tar and feather' all Catholic Priests because of this or other abuse incidents. Please be discerning and use reasoned judgement. God Bless.
Mac McLernon, London says...
11:01pm Sat 17 May 08
A lot of abusers have been attracted to the priesthood because of the opportunities for contact with the young, as well as the trust which accompanies the office. This may make it seem as if there are more Catholic priests who abuse children. And then you have the scandal factor which ensures that there is plenty of publicity for such cases.
There have been plenty of "happily married" abusers. Don't harp on about marriage being the solution. It isn't.
Ivor The Engine, Oxford says...
11:13pm Sat 17 May 08
Mac McLernon wrote:Mac, I totally agree with both you and George.
I totally agree with George. A lot of abusers have been attracted to the priesthood because of the opportunities for contact with the young, as well as the trust which accompanies the office. This may make it seem as if there are more Catholic priests who abuse children. And then you have the scandal factor which ensures that there is plenty of publicity for such cases. There have been plenty of "happily married" abusers. Don't harp on about marriage being the solution. It isn't.
I have know from outside family circles a happily married abuser in a position of equal trust. Allowing Priests to marry has absolutely nothing to do with the issue of child abuse.
The Catholic Preisthood has many a fine and expemplary man in it's fold and it's such a scandal that these rooten apples bring shame and distrust on their brother priests remaining faithful and true to their vocations.
william on the hill, London, south says...
9:20am Sun 18 May 08
Paul Knight, Finland says...
12:29pm Sun 18 May 08
Kevin, Oxford, England says...
4:11pm Sun 18 May 08
I'm sorry to say that allowing priests to marry would not have made a difference, since the majority of the crimes were committed by men with homosexual tendencies. As Mr. Knight says, celibacy is not the cause of paedophilia. Again, as he says, the solution to these tendencies is celibacy.
Elizabeth, london says...
5:03pm Sun 18 May 08
Simon, Salisbury says...
6:21pm Sun 18 May 08
Simon, Salisbury says...
6:28pm Sun 18 May 08
I also meant to say that I hope that the terrible experiences of the young victims will not prevent them from recognizing that true healing from their injuries comes from Jesus in his Church. There have been some wicked priests. The vast majority, however, are faithful to their priesthood. I hope these young men can discover this - though it is understandable if their hurt has been so bad that they cannot.
Elizabeth, says...
8:22pm Sun 18 May 08
King Mush, Woolston says...
11:27pm Sun 18 May 08
Yes - if they love each other.
PeterHWright, says...
4:41pm Mon 19 May 08
It is plain silly to think it that it has.
Your sayYourEcho
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11:45am Fri 16 May 08