By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
An unidentified man is threatening to do bodily harm to an Arkansas priest who he claims abused his child, prompting the bishop of Little Rock to issue an urgent appeal to all parishes to help find this man and the victim of the alleged crime.
The Arkansas Catholic published an extensive letter from Bishop Anthony B. Taylor this weekend which was read in all parishes asking for help in locating a man who began threatening the life of Father Ruben Quinteros in early June. It began when the man called the rectory of St. Joseph’s parish in Fayetteville to say his child was touched inappropriately during confession. The caller left his name and that of the child who is supposedly an altar server, but police say there is no one by that name living in the area, nor is there any record of an altar server by the name given, or any child by that name enrolled in a school in northwest Arkansas.
“I need your help to find this child so that we can clarify what – if anything – happened, who did it and what kind of help this child and this family need at this time,” Bishop Taylor said in his plea.
He went on to say that the allegations made by the caller do not correspond to Father Quinteros’ activities in the parish, suggesting that the man may be stalking the wrong priest.
Less than two weeks after the first call was made, the rectory was vandalized by a man in a white pickup truck that several parishioners said they saw parked near the parish on various occasions. The man apparently asked a few parishioners, “Where is the Padre?”
On the weekend of July 3-4, threatening flyers written in Spanish were left in the churches in De Queen and Springdale. The flyers made it clear that the author is continuing to stalk Father Ruben and end with this threat: “I am waiting for the right moment to seize him and I swear by my child that I’m going to make him pay.”
The author of the flyer said that he’s taking matters into his own hands because the Church won’t do anything about it.
The bishop asked for help in protecting Father Ruben until the allegations can be investigated and “to keep an eye out for the person distributing flyers or otherwise acting in a threatening way,” he said.
“We need to stop this man before he commits a greater crime than merely vandalizing a rectory. I do not intend to prosecute him for the vandalism because I well understand the rage that any parent would feel if they believed their child had been harmed by an adult – and especially by a priest whom we rightly hold to a much higher standard. But we do need to meet with this man to sort out what happened, who did it, and what steps need to be taken going forward.”
A handout containing the facts of the case was distributed after Masses in all parishes last weekend along with a number to call with any information.
“It is very important that we follow the rule of law instead of revenge or vigilante justice,” the bishop wrote. “Revenge will not bring healing to this family, may very well be directed against the wrong person and it will not help us find out who – if anyone – has committed abuse.”
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