Bishop of New Hampshire denies allegations of past sexual abuse

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MANCHESTER, NH (AP) The head of the New Hampshire Roman Catholic Church categorically denies recent allegations that he committed sexual abuse while serving as a priest in New York City in the 1980s, according to a statement released on Saturday by his lawyer.

A July 14 lawsuit filed in New York state court accuses Bishop Peter Libasci of the Diocese of Manchester of repeatedly abusing a young man in 1983 and 1984. The abuse resulted in physical, psychological and emotional injuries, according to the lawsuit.

In a statement on behalf of Libasci, attorney Michael Connolly said the allegation was not true.

Bishop Libasci has dedicated more than 43 years to serving others as a Roman Catholic priest, during which time he has established an impeccable reputation for treating all individuals with dignity and respect, Connolly wrote. Although Bishop Libasci has great compassion for the victims of sexual abuse, he will be obliged to vigorously defend himself against these false allegations in court.

The lawsuit accuses the bishop of abusing a 12 or 13-year-old boy while Libasci was pastor at the Roman Catholic Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the School of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Deer Park, New York. The school, which this year merged with another school to become Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School, is also charged in the lawsuit.

The Diocese of Manchester said last week it was aware of the trial but that Libascis’ status had not been changed.

A national group that supports victims of clergy sexual abuse said it was very concerned that Libasci had not withdrawn.

We are concerned that allowing the bishop to remain in the ministry will further endanger the lives of young people in New Hampshire, the Survivors of Those Abused by Priests Network, or SNAP, said on Saturday in a statement. We hope that the metropolitan bishops or the Vatican will intervene to immediately correct this troubling situation.

The Rockville Center Diocese, which includes Saints Cyril and Methodius, filed for bankruptcy last year after the state suspended the statute of limitations for priestly sexual abuse lawsuits. More than 200 lawsuits have been filed against the diocese since the passage of a New York law in 2019 that gives victims the right to sue decades-long sexual abuse by clergy, teachers and d ‘other adults.

The Diocese of Manchester, meanwhile, has launched a public effort to tackle past abuses. In 2019, he released the names of 73 priests who had been accused of sexually abusing children in what he called an effort to take responsibility for abuses dating back to 1950.

Most of the appointed priests died, and others left the ministry or were banished from the public ministry as priests.

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