2 Women Accuse The Late Bishop McGann, Others Of Sexual Abuse

The late Bishop John McGann has been accused by two women of abusing them when they were young girls attending mass at St. Agnes Cathedral, where McGann was a Monsignor and auxilliary bishop at the time.

The accusations were announced by attorney Mitchell Garabedian at a press conference Tuesday morning. Garabedian has been representing victims of clergy sexual abuse for years, and was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the film "Spotlight."

"They came forward because they had a friend who came forward about another priest," Garabedian said. "They became empowered."

According to Garabedian, the two women were abused by McGann and other priests when they were young children. They and their families were active in the parish, Garabedian said, and they were also students at St. Agnes Cathedral School, which is located next door to the cathedral.

One woman claims that she was sexually abused by McGann a total of 15 times from 1966 through 1971. She claims she was also abused by Rev. Robert Brown more than a dozen times, and by Monsignor Edward Melton at least five times.

The second woman says she was abused by the parish janitor, John Hanlon, when she was just five years old. Years later, when she was 11, she claims she was abused again, this time by McGann and Melton.

"We take all allegations seriously," Diocese of Rockville Centre spokesman Sean Dolan told Newsday. "Allegations concerning one victim were brought to our attention by Mr. Garabedian on Friday; and those allegations were immediately reported to the Nassau County DA’s office the same day."

McGann died on Jan. 30, 2002 when he was 77 years old. He had served as bishop of the diocese from 1976 through 2000. Melton and Brown are also deceased.

"[McGann] is a disgrace," Garabedian said. "It's time for him to be defrocked."

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