[Paleopsych] AP: Inmate Testifies Why He Killed Molester Priest

[Premise Checker]

Inmate Testifies Why He Killed Molester Priest
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/national/24priest.html

[I have been told that child molestation is a worse crime than murder, 
since the molesters get worse treatment by other prisoners. This article 
is evidence of that. But why should this be?]

    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

    WORCESTER, Mass., Jan. 23 (AP) - The prisoner who strangled the
    child-molesting priest John J. Geoghan behind bars testified Monday
    that he had resolved to kill him after Mr. Geoghan arrogantly
    brushed off criticism that he had "destroyed all kinds of lives."

    The witness, Joseph Druce, took the stand a second day at his trial
    for killing Mr. Geoghan, who was serving time for groping a
    10-year-old boy, had been accused of molesting 150 other children
    and had been defrocked. Mr. Druce, who is already serving a life
    sentence for another killing, has pleaded not guilty by reason of
    insanity, arguing that his own molestation as a child and years in
    prison had filled him with rage.

    Mr. Druce, 40, said that in the weeks before the killing, he twice
    confronted Mr. Geoghan, then 68, about the former priest's
    molesting children. Mr. Geoghan was "arrogant" and said he was
    worth far more than the millions that the Roman Catholic
    Archdiocese of Boston had paid to settle lawsuits involving his
    offenses, Mr. Druce testified.

    "I was just, like, 'That's it, that's it, I've got to stop this,' "
    Mr. Druce said. "I couldn't get it out of my head."

    Mr. Druce said he had overheard Mr. Geoghan talking on the phone to
    his sister, as well as engaged in conversations with other
    prisoners, about plans to move to South America once he was
    released so he could work with children again.

    Once, Mr. Druce said, he heard Mr. Geoghan discussing with other
    prisoners how to molest young boys.

    "That just, like, freaked me out," he said.

    He said that during one conversation, he told Mr. Geoghan: "You're
    bankrupting the archdiocese. You're costing them $10 million" - a
    reference to the amount the church had paid to settle lawsuits.

    Mr. Geoghan replied, "I'm worth $20 million," Mr. Druce said.

    During a later conversation, Mr. Druce said, he told Mr. Geoghan
    that in molesting 150 to 200 children, he had "destroyed all kinds
    of lives." Mr. Geoghan responded, "I'm worth 300 of them," the
    witness testified.

    When asked by his lawyer why he had killed Mr. Geoghan, Mr. Druce
    referred to his claims that he had been molested as a child.

    "I wanted to get the thoughts out of my mind of being molested
    myself, and the arrogant way he answered my questions," Mr. Druce
    said.

    He also said he had wanted to "make a statement."

    "I had seen myself as the designated individual who had to put a
    stop to the pedophilia in the church," he said.

    The judge in the case, Francis R. Fecteau of Worcester Superior
    Court, told the jurors Monday that they would hear closing
    arguments and begin deliberating on Thursday.