Theodore McCarrick, a former cardinal and archbishop of Washington D.C., facing sexual abuse charges, has had a criminal case against him dismissed due to dementia.
In focus: McCarrick is the only current or former U.S. cardinal to face sex abuse charges.
* The now-dismissed case originates from alleged molestation of a 16-year-old boy in Massachusetts in 1974.
* McCarrick, 93, was deemed not competent to stand trial due to dementia.
The downfall: McCarrick was expelled from the priesthood in 2019 after an internal church investigation found multiple instances of sexual misconduct.
* The Vatican issued a report stating that Pope John Paul II had promoted him despite knowledge of sex abuse allegations.
Additional charges: McCarrick also faces a sexual assault charge in Wisconsin, related to an alleged incident there in 1977.
* The criminal charges in Massachusetts and Wisconsin could be brought decades after the alleged incidents because of laws that freeze the statutes of limitation for non-residents who leave the state.
In retrospect: Many victims of clergy sex abuse during their childhoods have sought legal recourse through civil rather than criminal cases.
* Some states have opened special “look back” windows in their statutes of limitation for sexual assault and harassment, both influenced by the #MeToo movement and benefitting survivors of clergy sex abuse.
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