Presbyterian Ex-pastor finds little forgiveness from rape victims in court

[Ian David]

Black Collar Crime
Posted on Sat, May. 17, 2008


Ex-pastor finds little forgiveness from rape victims in court

By WILLIAM BENDER
Philadelphia Daily News
[e-mail] 215-854-5255

Gerald Klever, the 76-year-old former associate pastor at Springfield's First Presbyterian Church, limped down the center aisle of a packed Delaware County courtroom yesterday, clutching a walking cane in his right hand and searching for a place to sit.

No one offered to get up. It was not a friendly audience.

Klever, who left First Presbyterian in 1983 when he moved out of state, was in Media yesterday to face up to his sordid past - and to apologize to a furious congregation and two women that he sexually assaulted more than a quarter-century ago.

<snip>

"In our last conversation in 1983, I promised you that if I ever found out you had hurt anyone else, I would find you," she said. "Do you remember what you told me? You said, 'Someday you'll look back on all of this and laugh.' Well, that someday is here and I am wondering if you still think any of this is funny."



More:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/19038514.html

[BrklynLib at work]

1. Priests & Pastor should be punished even more than lay people, since they are not just breaking

they are violating a sacred trust.

[Evoman]

2. No. The law is the law. Keep emotion out of it.

Priests should neither get special treatment, nor special punishment.

[BrklynLib at work]

3. OK. I can agree with you.