A 20-foot drop from the balcony of the defunct and boarded-up St. Mary's Carmelite Church in Joliet wasn't enough to take the life of a priest accused of sexual assault (AP, via Washington Examiner). The 37-year-old priest, Rev. Alehandro Flores (Tribune), was found unconscious and remains in intensive care.
Flores, the parochial vicar of Holy Family Parish in Shorewood, hasn't been charged with anything, but is under investigation by the Kane County State's Attorney's office.
While State's Attorney John Barsanti declined to give details about the investigation, the priest was placed on administrative leave last week after a family alleged that he abused their 13-year-old son. Curiously, neither the boy nor his parents attend Holy Family Parish.
Flores was being "closely monitored" at the facility for adult priests where he lives, according to Diocese of Joliet spokesman Doug Delany.
"On Wednesday morning, the priest, who had no car or family in the area, left the facility on foot. After no one heard from him for about an hour, church officials filed a missing person report with Joliet police, Delaney said."
The diocese has been cooperating with the investigation into abuse and no other instances have surfaced thus far, according to Delaney, as cited in in the article. The priest is reportedly in critical but stable condition at a Joliet hospital after what appears to have been a suicide attempt.
Catholic authorities have been roundly criticized in the past for covering up instances of sexual abuse by priests, who take a vow of celibacy.
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Sex Offender Tracking Resource Center (Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority)
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False Allegations of Child Abuse (Truth In Justice)
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Chicago Criminal Attorneys (FindLaw)
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